Make a Paper Hat

Take a piece of newspaper and a dollop of imagination and you can become someone else entirely! Well, maybe not, but making a paper hat can be loads of fun and makes a great project for the kids. Try out these three methods for three fun ways to make unique paper hats!

Steps

Making a Newspaper Hat

  1. Lay a full sheet of newspaper on the table. You can use a different kind of paper, but it will need to be about as big as a newspaper page in order to fit most heads. Newspaper also tends to be easier to fold that construction paper or printer paper.
  2. Fold the paper along the center vertical crease. Your newspaper page should have two creases in it--one vertical crease running down the spine of the section, and one horizontal, where the section is folded in half. Make sure the vertical crease is closed, and position it at the top of your work space. Your piece of paper should now be lying horizontal.[1]
  3. Fold one top corner down into the center of the paper. The shorter fold in the newspaper should now be running vertically. There should be a diagonal crease along the edge of the paper where you folded it down.
  4. Fold the other top corner down so that the shorter side matches up with the other fold. This should create the same diagonal crease on the opposite side of the paper.
  5. Fold up the bottom edge of the page. You should only fold the top layer. Fold the edge up by about 2 or 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm).
  6. Turn over the paper. Fold the bottom up so that it matches the fold you made with the bottom of the front side of the paper.
  7. Fold the outside edges. Start with the left outside edge. Fold it in 2 or 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) toward the center of the hat. Then, fold in the right outside edge in. Make the fold the same width as the first outside edge you folded.[1]
    • Adjust to fit. The distance between the outside edges can be adjusted, more or less, to fit your head.
  8. Seal the hat by tape or folding. You can tape the outside edges down. Alternatively, you can fold up the bottom edge of the paper so that the outside edges are pinned down by the bottom fold.
  9. Open the hat. You may need to pop the inside out with your hand. Place the hat on your head.
  10. Decorate your hat (optional). Add colors, glitter or other embellishments to your hat.

Making a Paper Plate Visor

  1. Place a paper plate on a table. 9-inch (23 cm) paper plates are the best to use for this craft. You can buy a plain paper plate or a plate with designs on it--you can decorate both of these types of plates.[2]
  2. Make a small, straight, cut into the edge of the plate. From the incision, cut an oval shape out of the center of the hat. Make your oval a little smaller than you think it will need to be to fit around your head. You can always make your oval larger, but you will have to start over if you make it too large to begin with.
  3. Cut the rim from the back of the plate. Doing this will give your hat a visor shape. If you would prefer to have a circular hat, you can leave the back rim intact.
  4. Glue the straight incision you made back together. Put some glue on one side of the cut and place it on top of the other side of the cut. Overlap them as much or as little as you want, depending on the size of your head. Hold the two sides together and let the glue dry.[2]
  5. Paint the top and bottom of the hat. You can use one color for the whole thing, one color for the bottom and one for the top, or give you hat stripes--the design is really up to you! Allow the paint to dry before adding any other directions.
  6. Add any decorations you like. Spray the hat with glitter, add pom poms, or cut out Styrofoam flowers and glue them on--the options are limitless.

Making a Paper Cone Hat

  1. Lay a large piece of construction paper on a table. You should use a colorful piece of paper to make the hat more festive.
  2. Use a compass to draw a half circle from one side of the bottom of the paper to the other side. To make a small hat, the length of the bottom of the hat should be 6 to 8 inches (15 - 20.5 cm) long (this is a good size for a birthday party hat). A medium hat should have a 9 to 10 inch (23-25.5 cm) base (this is a good size for a clown hat). A large hat should be 11 inches (28 cm) or more (for a wizard or witch hat).[3]
  3. Cut out the half circle. Make sure to follow along the pencil line you have created.
  4. Form the half circle into a cone by rolling it up. It should have a point at the top and circular base at the bottom. Estimate how large the circular bottom should be by placing it on your head and adjusting the overlap of the two sides.
    • You can also lay the bottom against a flat surface and estimate what size you think would fit your head.
  5. Staple the hat together at the base. Place it on your head to make sure it fits. If it is too small or large, take the staple out being careful not to rip the paper. Re-staple so that the hat fits better.[3]
  6. Apply glue along the seam when the hat fits. Hold the edges together while the glue dries. Allow the glue to dry fully. You can remove the bottom staple once the glue has dried is so desired.
  7. Decorate your hat. Cut out designs from other construction paper and glue them onto the hat. Add sparkles or draw designs with markers. Glue a pom pom to the very top of the hat for a festive look.



Tips

  • You can tape your folds to make them more durable.
  • You can also try this with other types of paper, such as construction paper or aluminum foil. Just make sure the product will be large enough to fit your head.
  • Use paper and don't use the ruler because it is kind of confusing.

Things You'll Need

  • One sheet of newspaper or other paper

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 http://www.uggabugga.com/Arts%20&%20Crafts/Origami/Origami%20-%20Hat%20Instructions.htm
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/paper-hats2.htm
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/quick_how_to/Cone_Hat/Cone_Hat.html
Retrieved from "https://kipkis.com/index.php?title=Make_a_Paper_Hat&oldid=359740"