How to bedazzle a graduation cap

What to know first

Unlike almost everything else here, a grad cap only has to survive one day and never gets washed, so the durability rules relax. What matters is weight (a heavy design tips the board), readability from a distance (bigger stones, high-contrast colours), and not damaging a rented cap: a card insert cut to size keeps the cap itself clean.

What you need

• Card cut to the board size (usually about 24 cm / 9.5 in square), with a hole for the button
• Resin rhinestones 4–5 mm in two or three colours
• Gem-Tac or tacky glue
• Double-sided tape to attach the insert

Step by step

1. Check whether the cap is rented and whether your school has decoration rules.
2. Cut card to size and mark the button hole.
3. Sketch the design and letters with pencil.
4. Outline the letters first, then fill.
5. Dry overnight flat.
6. Attach with double-sided tape.

Avoid

• Heavy glass stones over the whole board
• Solvent glue on a rented cap
• Tiny lettering that won’t read in photos