DIY PAPER CROWNS

DIY PAPER CROWNS SUPPLIES

• Colored Cardstock (12″ x 12″ cardstock will make larger crowns)
• Electronic Cutting Machine (optional, but definitely makes things easier) OR Sharp Scissors and a Craft Knife
• Permanent Adhesive
• 1/8″ Hole Punch
• Brads (you can find colorful brads in the paper crafting section of your local craft store)
• Optional: Rhinestones, Glitter, Washi Tape
• Downloads – SVG (8.5 x 11 or 12 x 12), Studio (8.5 x 11 or 12 x 12), DXF (8.5 x 11 or 12 x 12), or PDF template

STEP ONE – CUT

The first step is to cut out all of your pieces. I used my electronic cutting machine to cut out my pieces, which is definitely the easy way to go, but if you don’t have a machine – no worries – you can totally do this by hand. I would definitely recommend doing the cut outs with a craft knife if cutting by hand.

I have included two different sizes in the cut files above (in the supply list) – 8.5″ x 11″ and 12″ x 12″. If you cut the 8.5″ x 11″ size, your finished crown will be about 19″ in diameter and 8.5″ tall. The 12″ x 12″ size will produce a crown 21″ in diameter and 9.5″ tall. You will need to cut two pieces of both the crown and the band pieces and then a bunch of flowers in contrasting colors.

STEP TWO – ASSEMBLE

Start by gluing together the two crown pieces and the two band pieces with your permanent adhesive. There is a little tab on one end of both pieces to help you glue them together into one long strip. You should now have one long crown piece and one long band piece.

Next, attach the band to the bottom of the crown with your permanent adhesive. And that’s basically it. The base of your DIY paper crown is basically all assembled now! Easy peasy. All that’s left to do is decorate.

STEP THREE – DECORATE

The cut files include flowers designed to be added to the crowns, but you can add on other decorations (rhinestones, washi tape, glitter, etc.) as you like. I picked up some adhesive rhinestones at the craft store and love the way they look. But whatever details you decide to add to your DIY paper crowns, you are definitely going to want to add some flowers. They give the crowns a really fun 3D look that I just love.

I have a few tips to help you achieve that great three-dimensional look. First, I recommend giving your flowers a bit more shape by curling the petals a bit by wrapping them around a pencil before attaching them to the crown.

Next, try out layering flowers to add more color and dimension to the crown. I alternated contrasting colors along the bands of my crowns. Finally, I love using small colorful brads to attach the flowers to the crown (you can find them in the paper crafting section of any craft store) because they add more color and texture to the design. My daughter was also pretty excited that the flowers would still spin around the brads, so there’s that bonus! 

The last thing to do is glue your crown into a tube using your permanent adhesive making sure it is securely attached. And finally, give your beautiful crown to someone special to wear on their special day.

I love simple yet special things like these beautiful Hallmark cards and our little DIY paper crowns to make birthdays extra fun. This sweet girl really enjoyed receiving her special cards and loved the unique details on each one. I think she really enjoyed getting cards from each of her brothers too – her little brother’s note definitely made her giggle! (It mentioned, apropos of nothing, that cowboys are the best. ) I really enjoyed getting them more involved, and I think we will make picking out special Hallmark cards a part of our birthday traditions in the future.

She was pretty impressed with that sprinkle card. I mean, how could you not be? And, of course, she wore her fancy crown while reading her cards (and all day after that – ha!). What are some of the simple things you do to celebrate birthdays in your home? Are Hallmark cards a part of your celebrations too?

Until next time, Happy Celebrating and Happy Making!