Yay! It’s party day! If you haven’t heard yet, we’ll be having a party tonight at Mockingbird Domestics to celebrate the release of our long-awaited book: Spruce: a Step-by-Step Guide to Upholstery and Design. In the spirit of celebration, I made these festive party hats using some of the scrap fabric we have lying around the shop. Use this tutorial to make your own custom party hat. Here are some the supplies you will need.
While making lampshades one day, I noticed that I was left with many pieces of styrene scraps that would be too small for lampshades. After racking my brain for other uses, it came to me…party hats! The sturdy, sticky, and flexible nature of this material is perfect for a party hat. I used this great template from the Confetti Sunshine blog. After you have printed the template, trace onto the styrene, and then cut out the shape.
Next, lay your chosen fabric face down on a flat surface and remove any lint or debris to ensure there will be no lumps and bumps on your hat. Remove the paper from the sticky side of the styrene and place it onto the fabric. Be sure to smooth out any air bubbles.
Cut the fabric even with the edge of the styrene.
Apply a bead of craft glue along the seam of the template on top of the side with fabric. Repeat this step on the opposite edge, but apply the glue to the styrene side. You can find this glue, as well as the styrene paper from Lampshop.com.
Now it’s time to join the two sides and make the cone shape. Be sure you have your clips and rubber bands handy so you can secure the seam together. Don’t fret if you have a little glue squishing out. Luckily the glue dries clear, and there is always the option of gluing some decorative trim onto the seam to hide any mistakes.
Lay the seam face down and apply a weight to help hold the edges together until the glue dries. I use a sock filled with rice. Give the seam at least an hour to dry.
Once the seam has completely dried, remove all of the clips and rubber bands. Punch a hole on each side of the party hat so you can thread your ties of choice. Use a modest amount of hot glue to secure the tie to itself.
Now it’s time for the finishing touches! Apply the glue around the bottom edge and gently smooth your trim a few inches at a time. This glue doesn’t dry immediately, so you have some time to adjust your trim if it starts to get wavy. For more trim options, visit the Trim and Ribbons page on Lampshop.com
And now my favorite part of these party hats…pompoms! I made this pompom using a pompom maker that you can find at most craft stores. Thread the yarn or twine that is binding the pompom together through the top of the hat. While pulling the pompom in place, carefully squeeze a generous amount of hot glue into the very tip on the inside of the hat. Continue holding the pompom in place until the hot glue dries.
What are you waiting for? Get your party hat ready and meet us tonight (6:00-10:00) at Mockingbird Domestics for food, drinks, and fun. We have so much to celebrate and we would love to see you there!
