Summer break is almost here! Let’s celebrate our students with a fun project to mark the end of the school year. Follow the steps below to build your own cardboard grad cap and remember, no graduation is complete without a cap toss!

Make Your Own Cardboard Grad Cap

Fun Fact: 💡 The tradition of wearing a graduation cap dates back to the 1400s! Scholars wore them to symbolize their academic status, and over time, those caps evolved into what we now call a “mortarboard,” named because it resembles the flat board used by bricklayers to hold mortar.

The flat square is said to represent the shape of a book, and graduates traditionally move their tassels from right to left to mark the shift from student to graduate. And of course, there's the cap toss, which can literally be seen as freedom from the "books" and celebrates all you've achieved in your studies! 

What You’ll Need:

• • A solid piece of cardboard (under 3mm thick)

  • Our Grad Cap Pattern (PDF Download Here)

  • Scissors

  • Double Sided Tape

  • Masking Tape

  • Glue

  • A ChompSaw (for cutting)

  • A Scoring Tool (for creating folds)
    

Video Tutorial:

Steps:

1. Grab Your Cardboard:
   Pick a sturdy, clean piece of cardboard large enough to fit all four parts of this project. You’ll end up with five total pieces: A, B, B, C, and D.

2. Print and Attach the Patterns: (00:06)
   Print your pattern sheets and cut loosely around each shape, leaving a bit of white space. Tape or glue the printed side face-up onto your cardboard.

3. Cut Out the Shapes: (1:17)
   Using your ChompSaw, carefully cut along the black outlines of each shape.

4. Score the Fold Lines: (1:54)
   Use a scoring tool to lightly score along the red dotted lines. Go over each fold a few times until the cardboard bends easily upward.

5. Prepare Part C: (2:46)
   Use your scoring tool to peel off the back layer of Part C. This will help it bend more easily to form your tassel. Run it along the edge of a table to give it a nice curve.

6. Attach Part B onto Part A: (4:34)
   Stick double-sided tape on the back tabs of Part B. Bend the piece so the taped tabs line up with the red sections marked on Part A. Repeat for the second Part B.

7. Adjust Cap Size: (5:04)
   Look for the yellow marks on each Part B. Use masking tape to connect the pieces here. You can adjust the fit—closer together for a smaller cap, farther apart for a larger one.

8. Build and Attach the Tassel: (6:10)
   Flip the cap over. Place double-sided tape on Part D, then stick one end of Part C to the side of Part D. Roll Part D around Part C to form the tassel top. Spread out the strands of the tassel to add shape. Finally, stick two pieces of double-sided tape on the back of Part C and press it onto the center of the cap.
   
   

All Done! You're Ready To Graduate! Send photos or videos of your cap (or graduations 😉) to hello@chompshop.com or tag us @itschompshop!

HAGS! ☀️