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DIY Party Hat Garland
Children wear a party hat for four minutes. Hang them instead and they're in frame all day.
Party hats have a problem: children wear them for about four minutes and then they're on the floor. Hanging them instead solves it — the same cheerful shape, permanently in frame, and nobody has to have elastic under their chin.
It's also the cheapest decor on this site. A full garland costs a few dollars and it packs flat for the next party.
What you'll need
- Card stock in 3–4 shades of one palette — about 2 sheets per 5 hats
- Twine or ribbon, about 2.5 meters
- Mini pom poms, tassels or tissue paper for the tops
- Glue dots or a glue stick, tape, scissors, hole punch
- Optional: washi tape, a gold pen, a cardboard template
Time: 45 minutes for a 2m garland · Cost: roughly $6–10
How to make it
Cut the cones
For each hat, cut a half circle of about 6″ radius from card stock, roll it into a cone and tape the seam on the inside so no tape shows. Budget 15–20 hats per 2 meters of garland. Cutting a cardboard template first makes the whole batch quick and consistent.
Decorate flat, before rolling
If you want stripes, dots, washi tape or a gilded edge, do it while the card is flat. Decorating a rolled cone is fiddly and it shows. Work in a production line: cut all the half circles, decorate all of them, then roll all of them.
Top each cone
Glue a mini pom pom, tassel or tuft of tissue to each point. This is the detail that reads from across a room — a bare cone looks unfinished, a topped one looks like a party hat. Vary the toppers if you like; vary nothing else.
String them
Two options. Threaded: punch a hole either side of each cone near the open edge and run twine through — the hats hang and swing. Glued: stick the backs onto a ribbon at even spacing, which is faster and keeps them all facing forward. Space them about 4″ apart; closer looks crowded.
Hang it with a dip
Fix the two ends higher than the middle so it swags. A garland pulled tight reads as bunting on a fence; a gentle dip reads as styled. Hang it above the dessert table, along the front edge of the table, or across a doorway as the first thing guests see.
Three or four shades from one family, plus cream or white as about a third of the total. Blush, dusty rose, terracotta and cream. Or sage, olive, sand and cream. A garland of unrelated colors reads as a craft project; a tonal one reads as decor. Same principle as the tissue paper flower wall.
Make it with the children
This is one of the better day-before projects to do with a four-to-eight-year-old. Give them the decorating and the pom pom gluing; keep the cutting and the stringing. A birthday child who made their own decorations is noticeably more invested in the party.
Variations
- Numbers. Letter the child's new age on every third hat.
- Name garland. One letter per hat spelling the child's name — works beautifully behind a dessert cart.
- Metallic edge. Run a gold pen around the open edge of each cone before rolling. Two minutes, and it lifts the whole thing.
- Table runner version. Glue the hats along the front edge of the table rather than hanging them — unexpected, and it survives an outdoor breeze better.
- Seasonal. Kraft and rust for autumn, cream and green for winter.
Where to hang it
Above the dessert cart is the highest-value spot, since that's where the photos happen anyway. Second: across the doorway guests walk through, so it's the first thing they see. Third: along the front edge of the children's table, at their eye level rather than yours.
For a full backdrop rather than a garland, see the foam board backdrop or flower wall.
Frequently asked questions
How do you make a party hat garland?
Cut a half circle of about six inches radius from card stock for each hat, decorate it while flat, roll it into a cone and tape the seam inside, glue a pom pom or tassel to the point, then thread twine through holes either side or glue the cones onto a ribbon about four inches apart.
How many hats do I need for a garland?
Fifteen to twenty hats makes a garland about two meters long, with the cones spaced roughly four inches apart. Closer spacing looks crowded.
What colors work best for a party garland?
Three or four shades from one color family, plus cream or white for about a third of the hats. Blush, dusty rose, terracotta and cream works well, as does sage, olive, sand and cream. Unrelated colors make it read as a craft project rather than decor.
Can kids help make a party hat garland?
Yes — it's one of the better day-before projects for a four to eight-year-old. Give them the decorating and the pom pom gluing and keep the cutting and stringing yourself. A birthday child who made their own decorations is noticeably more invested in the party.
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