This article was co-authored by Alina Bokovikova and by wikiHow staff writer, Hannah Madden. Alina Bokovikova is a Costume Designer from California. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in designing costumes for stage productions. Alina earned an MFA in Costume Design from the University of California, San Diego and her Master of Education from the Novosibirsk Pedagogical University. She’s won two Outstanding Costume Design awards and her costumes have been displayed in Moscow, Prague, and San Jose, California.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
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If you or your child wants to dress up like a princess, the outfit can’t be complete without a crown. Buying one from a store can be expensive, and it might not look the way you want it to. Fortunately, with a little bit of craft supplies, you can spend a fun afternoon making your own crown to be the prettiest princess in the room.
Steps
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Measure around your head and add 2 inches (5.1 cm). Hold a cloth tape measure around your temples and forehead. Look in the mirror to see how large your head is, then add 2 inches (5.1 cm) to the measurement. You are adding the extra length so that you can overlap the ends of the crown and close it.[1]
- If you don’t have a cloth measuring tape, wrap a shoelace around your head and mark where the ends meet. Then, lay the shoelace out next to a measuring tape to see how long it is.
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Draw a template on paper or print one out online, then cut it out. Find a standard sheet of white paper to make your stencils out of. Divide your head measurement in half, then draw 2 horizontal lines on a sheet of paper. Draw your crown shape right above the horizontal lines. It can be anything you want, such as a large zigzag, waves, or even a triangle in the center. When you are done, cut the template out with scissors.[2]
- For example, if your head was 21 inches (53 cm), you’d divide it by 2 to get 10.5 inches (27 cm).
- Traditional princess crowns have a high spade shape in the very center with a flatter edge around the sides.
Tip: To make your design symmetrical, fold the paper in half vertically. Draw your design with the center of your design touching the fold, and then cut it out.
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Trace your template onto a sheet of poster paper. Choose some poster paper or cardstock in the color that you want your crown to be. Set your stencil out on the paper and trace it with a pencil. If your paper is colored on one side, trace the design onto the back of the paper to avoid marking up the front.[3]
- Try using sparkly paper for an extravagant princess crown.
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Cut the design out with scissors. Try to make your cuts as even as possible so your crown is symmetrical. If you used a pencil to do the tracing, carefully erase any marks once you’re done.[4]
- Consider saving the template so that you can use it later on to make more princess crowns.
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Paint the pieces a bright color if your paper is too plain. You can paint it all one color, or you can paint designs onto it. If you want to make a traditional princess crown, then use silver, pink, or gold acrylic paint.[5]
Alternative: You can also use spray paint to paint your crown all one color. Do this outside or in a well-ventilated area, and be sure to protect your work surface with lots of newspaper.
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Outline the crown with glitter glue for a simple decoration. Princess crowns need a lot of sparkle so they can shine. You can do this easily by grabbing a tube of glitter glue and tracing along the outside of your crown in a line. You can use multiple colors of glitter glue or stick with one for a cohesive design.[6]
- Glitter glue isn’t messy like loose glitter is, so you won’t have to worry about cleaning up later on.
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Glue on glitter and rhinestones to make your crown sparkle. Grab a few large fake jewels, rubies, and rhinestones. Arrange them in the center of your crown to make it look expensive, then glue them down with hot glue to keep them secure.[7]
- You can find bags of fake jewels at most craft supply stores.
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Add fake flowers to the crown to look like a fairy princess. Cut a few fake flowers off their stems to make them flat. Arrange the flowers around the base of your crown, then use hot glue to stick them down.[8]
- Try using bright-colored flowers, like white, pink, and orange to make your crown eye-catching.
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Attach pom poms to the points of your crown to make them stand out. Find a few small pom poms and put them on the very tip of your crown points. Use hot glue to stick the pom poms onto your crown for a fuzzy, whimsical addition.[9]
- You can mix and match the colors of the pom poms or keep them all one color for a more cohesive look.
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Set the pieces aside to let them dry completely. Before you put your pieces together, leave them on a flat surface for about 1 hour to let all of your decorations dry. That way, you can make sure they’re secure before you put the crown on your head.[10]
- If you didn’t use any glue on your crown, you don’t need to wait.
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Overlap the ends by 1 in (2.5 cm) and glue them together. Grab both of the pieces of your crown. Start by overlapping 1 end and gluing it shut with hot glue or school glue. Then, bend the pieces so they are in a circle and connect the other side with hot glue or school glue.[11]
Alternative: If you want to make your crown more adjustable and secure, punch a hole in each side of the front piece of the crown with a hole punch. Then, thread a strip of ribbon or a shoelace through the hole so you can tie it around your head.[12]
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Glue your crown to a headband to make it more secure. Paper is pretty flimsy, and the crown might not sit on your head the way you want it to. Grab a plastic headband that fits your head and line up the front piece of the crown with the headband. Attach the crown to the headband with hot glue and let it dry for about 10 minutes.[13]
- Use caution with hot glue, and try not to get it on your fingers.
- Try using a pink headband to make your princess crown stand out.
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Wear the crown carefully. Even though your crown is made out of poster paper, it is still fragile. It can tear easily if you are not gentle with it. Set it on your head gently and try not to drop it or let it fall. Think about holding your head up high so that you look like a regal princess.[14]
- If you do rip your crown, that’s okay! You can easily make a new one with even more decorations and colors.
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Store your crown in an upright position on a shelf. You can reuse your crown over and over again if you keep it in good shape. Place it upright somewhere up high so that it won’t get stepped on or bend out of shape.[15]
- If you can’t reach a high place to put your crown, ask an adult for help.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhere do you get all the materials?Community AnswerYou can get them from a craft or art store. You could also try a dollar store or Target.
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QuestionWhere do I get a headband in Ghana?SylghoulsTop AnswererIf you're having difficulty finding them locally, you can always look for them through an online retailer like Amazon. If you'd like to make your own, try the methods listed in this tutorial.
Tips
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Your crown only has to be perfect for you! If you like it, you can wear it.Thanks
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You can customize your crown however you’d like to copy specific princesses or characters.Thanks
Warnings
- Be careful when using a hot glue gun so you don’t get hot glue on your fingers.Thanks
Things You’ll Need
- Measuring tape
- Paper
- Scissors
- Poster paper or cardstock
- Pencil
- Decorations (rhinestones, gems, fake flowers)
- Glue
- Markers
- Ribbon (optional)
- Headband (optional)
References
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tehHCnA1GM&feature=youtu.be&t=43
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQIxVa4Eyzg&feature=youtu.be&t=11
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tehHCnA1GM&feature=youtu.be&t=63
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.firstpalette.com/craft/paper-crown.html
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tehHCnA1GM&feature=youtu.be&t=132
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqlYRC4Xj1A&feature=youtu.be&t=152
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tehHCnA1GM&feature=youtu.be&t=136
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQIxVa4Eyzg&feature=youtu.be&t=143
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQIxVa4Eyzg&feature=youtu.be&t=178
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tehHCnA1GM&feature=youtu.be&t=139
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