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I originally made this graduation cap craft when my oldest was graduating from virtual kindergarten. I wanted to do something special to celebrate, and this simple paper graduation cap turned into such a cute little project that I put together the template and instructions to share here.

The craft itself is fairly simple and uses basic materials you may already have at home. I’ve included step-by-step instructions, photos and a free printable template below.

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Materials for Your Graduation Cap Craft

• Free Graduation Cap Template (below)
• Cardstock Paper for Cap (traditional colors are Black, Blue, White, or Red)
• Construction Paper for Tassel (we used yellow)
• Scissors
• Glue Stick
• Tape

How To Make A Paper Graduation Cap

There are two ways to make the paper graduation cap: you can measure and cut the pieces yourself, as I originally did, or use the free template I created afterward. I’ll explain both options below, but the assembly process is the same.

The first step in making your graduation cap craft is to cut out your square Cap Base, two Cap Strips, Tassel Clip, and Tassel. I chose black for my graduation cap and yellow for the tassel.

Next, glue the tassel and small circular piece to the center of the square cap base.

The two cap strips will need to be attached. By overlapping them you can either glue them or tape them. I preferred to tape them because glue often comes apart when bending paper.

Then you will need to fold the top piece of your strips all the way across, as this will be the lip that will attach to the cap.

After folding it down, pull it back up to form a 90-degree angle and cut triangle shapes across the lip. This does not need to be perfectly measured but it will allow your strip to bend and form more easily.

Next, you will need to form the strip into a ring and connect the ends with tape or glue.

The final step is to glue the lip of the cap strip to the bottom center of the cap base. Once everything is secure, your paper graduation cap is finished!

Using The Template vs Measuring By Hand

After making the original cap by hand, I created a template to make the project easier to recreate. It includes all of the pieces you’ll need, but you can also measure and cut your own pieces if you prefer. The square and strips are simple to measure yourself, while the tassel is a little trickier to recreate by hand.

So if you choose to follow the template, you will have an 8″x8″ cap with two 2.5″x9.75″ cap strips. But if you prefer to measure by hand, you can simply use the standard paper dimensions (at least in the US) and have an 8.5″x8.5″ cap. Then you can either use the remaining 2.5″x8.5″ for one of the strips and cut out a 2.5″x11″ strip or cut out two 2.5″x11″ strips.

If this confused you and I’ve just sent you back to geometry class, I’m sorry, just ignore this part and refer to the template.

If you’d rather skip the measuring, download the free graduation cap craft template with all the pieces used in this project.

This was such a simple way to make our at-home kindergarten graduation feel a little more special, and the cap only takes about 10 minutes once you have the pieces cut out. Whether you use the template or measure the pieces yourself, it’s an easy graduation craft that can be customized with whatever school or graduation colors you’d like.

We Actually Used This Tutorial Again Years Later

Years after I originally published this tutorial, it came full circle in a way I didn’t expect. When Ollie finished fifth grade and Luna finished third, they pulled up this old blog post themselves and followed the instructions to make their own graduation caps.

They used the same basic template and process, but made the caps their own—including a very pink version for Luna. Apparently past me ended up writing directions for future them. 

I also loved getting to step back this time and watch them figure it out themselves. It’s one of those little reminders of how independence builds over time, often through ordinary things we don’t think much about in the moment. I shared more of those everyday examples in Little Things That Teach Kids Independence.

More Ways to Make a Kids’ Graduation Feel Special

A graduation doesn’t have to be a big event to feel special, especially when kids are little. When we celebrated kindergarten graduation at home, even a few simple details helped make it feel different from an ordinary day. Along with making the graduation cap, here are a few easy ways to add to the celebration.

Let Kids Personalize Their Graduation Caps

The basic paper cap is really just a starting point. Kids can decorate it with their name, graduation year, school colors, stickers, markers or whatever craft supplies you already have.

This is also an easy way to let kids take more ownership of the project. Set out a few supplies and let them decide what their graduation cap should look like—there’s no reason every cap has to look the same.

Add a Simple Graduation Photo Backdrop

You don’t need a full graduation party setup to create a fun place for pictures. A few graduation hanging star swirls behind the kids can turn a blank wall into an easy photo spot without requiring a lot of decorating.

Add the homemade caps, take a few pictures, and you have a simple way to document the occasion without turning it into a huge production.

Give Them a Little Graduation Surprise

For younger graduates, I also love the idea of a small keepsake instead of a big graduation gift. A graduation Palm Pals star is a cute little option that can sit alongside the celebration and then become something they can keep afterward.

It’s especially fitting for preschool and elementary-age graduations when the occasion feels important to them, but you don’t necessarily need a major gift.

Dress Up for Graduation Pictures

If you want the traditional graduation look for pictures or a little ceremony at home, you can also use an inexpensive kids’ cap and gown set.

We actually bought one when we celebrated kindergarten graduation at home. The paper cap was still a fun part of making and celebrating together, while the real cap and gown gave us the traditional graduation look for pictures.

More Kids’ Activities & Projects

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• How To Make Tear Free Bubble Foam For Kids
• Paper Roller Coaster STEM Project: What We Learned Building One at Home