Preparing the Paper
Get some colorful paper. This will be the main color of your party hat, so choose whatever you like. You can use construction paper you have at home, or buy some tagboard paper. Tagboard is a little thinner than poster board, and closer to the thickness of a traditional party hat. If you want to get really creative, buy some patterned or textured paper.
Cut your paper into a circle. For an adult's hat, the circle should be about 10 inches in diameter, and for a child's hat, the circle should be about 9 inches in diameter. You can use a pencil and paper plate to trace a perfect circle onto your paper before cutting. Make your hat taller or shorter by cutting a larger or smaller circle into the paper. For example, to make a really large, tall hat by cutting a circle 12 inches or larger in diameter. To make a smaller hat (for a pet or doll), cut a circle about 6 inches in diameter. When cutting the circle, try to stay as close as possible to the line you've drawn so you won't have any jagged edges.
Cut a small triangular strip out of one side of the circle. The cutout should be wider at the bottom and taper into the center of the circle. To find the center of the circle, fold your circle evenly in half top to bottom, lightly crease it, and unfold it. Then fold your circle evenly in half left to right, lightly crease it, and unfold again. There should now be a small point in the middle, which marks the center of your circle.
Forming the Hat
Create a cone shape by folding one side of the cutout over the other. One side of the paper should overlap the other side, making a seam. You can make the cone as wide or as narrow as you want, but remember that it should be big enough to fit on your head. The tighter you pull the cone together, the taller and thinner your hat will appear.
Glue, tape, or staple the paper together at the seam. This will create the base of your party hat. Use a glue stick or liquid glue if you want a clean seam. Hold the two pieces together for a minute or two so the glue sticks. Tape or staples will be more visible, but will take less time. You can also tape the seam using colorful washi tape for a little extra decoration.
Punch two small circles into opposite sides of the hat with a hole punch. You will be tying string to these holes, so punch them into the bottom of the hat on either side. To figure out where to punch the holes, place the hat on your head like you'll wear it when you're finished. Use a pencil to make dots a little bit in front of where your ears are, and then punch a hole in each dot. Reinforce the holes using paper reinforcement rings. These can be found at any office supply store, and come in a wide range of colors. You can also reinforce the holes by placing a layer or two of clear tape on top of them, and then re-punching the holes through the clear tape.
Decorating Your Hat
Tie on the chin strap. Cut one foot of string or elastic, and tie each end to the hole punches in a small knot. The strap will go under your chin to help keep the hat on your head. If you want to be more precise with the strap length, hold a longer piece of the elastic or string to each side of your head so you'll know the exact length to cut. Use ribbon instead of string or elastic if you want a fancier chin strap.
Add a border to the bottom of your hat. Use lace, ribbon, colorful paper, or any other material to add a decorative border to the bottom of your hat. Adhere the border to your hat using tape, glue, or staples. The border will cover up the two chin strap holes, keeping the string in place and hiding the small knots. Make the border look however you want it to look! You can tape on waves of lace, glue on a straight piece of ribbon, or staple some fringed paper to the bottom of the hat.
Brush some clear glue onto your hat with a small paintbrush. This will allow you to decorate your hat with glitter. Brush the glue all over your hat, or just paint little strips of glue here and there. You can also use a glue stick if you want a little less mess.
Sprinkle glitter on top of the glue, tapping off the excess. Pour the glitter on while the glue is still tacky, then let the glitter dry for 2-3 minutes. You can use any color of glitter you want. Tap off the extra glitter so you don't shower glitter all over the place when you're wearing your hat.
Add any last details or accessories. Finish off your party hat with any embellishments or details you like. Add a ball of yarn to the top if you want, or glue on some tassels. The fun of making your own party hat is decorating it however you like, so get creative!
Making an Alternative Party Hat
Create a party crown with the same materials as the party hat. The party crown is a fun alternative for the partygoer who prefers a more royal head topper. At a birthday party, you can even make a party crown for the birthday boy or girl, and stick with traditional cone-shaped party hats for the other partygoers.
Fold a long sheet of paper in half, widthwise. The paper should be at least 14 inches long and 8 inches wide (legal size), or long enough to fit around the top of your head. Folding the paper will help you cut the crown points into the paper more quickly and evenly.
Cut a row of small triangles from the top of your paper to make crown points. Start at the folded side of the paper, and cut the triangles along the top of the paper. The triangles should be about 2 inches wide and 2 inches long. When you unfold it, the top section of your paper should have a zigzag pattern, making the points of a crown.
Overlap one end of the paper over the other to make a circular crown. Depending on the size of crown you want, you'll need to adjust the paper to make a larger or smaller circle. Place the crown your head and overlap the ends together until the crown feels comfortable on your head. Use a pencil to mark where the ends meet so you'll know where to adhere them together.
Tape, staple, or glue the ends of paper together, creating a seam. Use the pencil marking you made as a guide for making the seam. If you are using glue to make your crown, let it dry before continuing.
Decorate your party crown. Use glitter, paint, stick-on jewels, or any other decorations you see fit. Have fun and be creative with your decoration. Wait until any glue you've used is dry before wearing your crown. Add embellishments by cutting shapes out of paper and gluing or stapling them to the crown.
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