It is that time of year! Students become graduates! It is an exciting time and can be very stressful when picking out an outfit for the graduation ceremony, not even to mention if you are decorating your graduation cap. Toggling with themes, supplies, and the execution of the project. Decorating your graduation cap can be a difficult process, if you let it, but it can also be a fun way to express yourself on your big day! Here are some Tips and Tricks that we found to be really helpful when decorating your cap. 

• Brainstorm
  • Try to gather as many ideas as possible! There are no wrong themes, choose your favorite and whichever one works best for you. There are so few times that you can graduate and be able to decorate your graduation cap so it is important to explore as many ideas and themes as possible. A lot of people try to choose a theme that surrounds their major of study, or their passions. A great way to keep track of all your ideas is to create a Pinterest board or an Idea Board. If you would rather forgo the thinking process or are short on time for decorating try a cap topper- Amazon has some great options here Graduation Cap Toppers  
• Set a budget
  • Arts and crafts projects tend to end up on the pricey side of things, set a budget and stick to it, you’ll thank yourself in the long run. Yes, there are very few times that you get to decorate a graduation cap so don’t limit yourself too much but definitely set a reasonable budget and stick to it. It is best to have a solid theme or idea planned so that you can appropriately buy your supplies. 
• Supplies 
  • Check out the local craft stores in your area! There are options like Joann’s, Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby here in Clarksville that have an awesome arrangement of craft supplies. If craft stores are a bit too pricey for you, big box stores like Walmart also carry decent quality craft supplies. If you are on a tight budget try shopping at the Dollar Stores in your area, check out Walmart (especially their clearance aisle), even local thrift stores have the potential of having the thing that you may need to decorate your cap. More than likely hot glue is going to be your friend no matter the project, if it’s on your supply list make sure you have a ton of it. 
• Preservation 
  • If you are worried about ruining your graduation cap, look into scrapbooking paper. Putting a piece of scrapbooking paper over the top of the graduation cap preserves the original cap. It can also serve as a backup plan, think of it like if you mess up you can just take off the paper and start again. 

This is a fun way to express yourself at graduation, so definitely take advantage of it! Be sure to send us photos of your caps, we’d love to see them!