Senior Parade Car Decorating Ideas

Graduation Cap For Cars

Every high school senior needs an oversized graduation cap on their car, right? Perfect for parades or just a general fun decoration to surprise your senior.

Graduation Cap Supplies

Foam board
Poster board
Cardstock
Adhesive (glue, spray glue, double-sided tape) for card stock
Packing tape
Utility knife
Self-healing mat (I like my oversized mat)
Yarn in school colors
Wire (I used soldering wire)
Fishing line

Step 1 – Cut

Cut foam board (20 in x 20 in) and poster board (39 in length x 9 in height). I used a utility knife and a self-healing mat with a straight edge.

Step 2 – Glue

Before you glue cardstock to the top of the foam board, score and fold the long edge a 1/2 inch.

This will allow for the covering of the sides of the foam board. Glue the card stock with the folded edges first, then fill in with other sheets to cover.

Took me 8 pieces of card stock for the top. The good news is you can overlap and it will look fine. Repeat gluing card stock to the underside.

Step 3 – Make the Tassel

Cut 17 (7 of each color + 3 of one color for the yarn to hang the tassel) pieces of yarn 36 inches. Take 14 of the pieces and fold in half. Wrap about an inch down with wire.

I think the year is optional. We used a 3D printer to make the 2020 but you could also print and run through a laminator, tying onto the wire with another small piece of wire.

With the remaining 3 pieces of yarn, I braided them together and ran through the loop at the top of the tassel where you folded the yarn strips in half. Don't knot the ends just yet.

Step 4 – Cap/Mortar Board Underside

Take the poster board and make a circle with approximately 1 inch overlap. Secure with glue or tape. Make cuts around the top, approximately 1 inch down, to make tabs. Bend the tabs into the center of the poster board circle.

Attach to the mortarboard with packing tape. Because of the cap overlap, this doesn't have to be perfect, it just needs to stay on. Glue card stock over the poster board to match the top of the cap. Cardstock can either line up perfectly with the bottom edge or you can do the same notching to make tabs to wrap the edges.

Step 5 – Add Tassel

Create a small hole in the center of the top of the graduation cap with the utility knife. Feed the end of the tassel through the hole and knot on the other side big enough so the ends don't slip through the hole.