How to Make Shelly the Snail’s Easy Party Hat

Shelly's Hat is made with "worm" scrapbook paper, the other with construction paper & stickers

While I’d love to say that a post waxing poetic on beneficial insects is my most read of the past year, I would be in denial.  According to word press stats, my “Personalized Party Hats–MAKE IT” has been the most searched for and most viewed, day in and day out.  So, as the Kinks song says, “Give the People What They Want.”

This new hat craft is one I teach to children in my fun, kid-centric presentation “Shelly the Snail’s Birthday Party”, which I am performing on Saturday & Sunday at 11am at the NW Flower & Garden Show in my handmade Snail costume (see seminar details below).  I like these party hats, because unlike the tall cone hats in my other post, these can be made with regular, old 8 1/2 x 11” sheets of paper, easily by children.  And just like the other party hats, can be decorated to fit any personality.  Excellent as a birthday party craft–they’d also be great for New Years with the right sparkles. When I do this craft at the NW Flower & Garden Show and other events, I use metal paper fasteners and a couple more holes to avoid having a slew of staplers.

 

Made with materials we always have around the house

 

Materials:

8 ½ x 11” paper of any color–cardstock if you want a smidgen of durability (have kids draw on the paper first before folding into cone)

Hole punch

12” of string or ribbon

Stapler

Topper of sorts—ribbon, bow, pom-pom, feathers, etc

Crayons, markers, glitter, stickers, etc

Step One: Holding your desired paper with the 11” long size horizontal, punch holes in the two bottom corners.  These will be the holes where you tie the strings for wearing the hat.

Step Two:  Fold the two top corners over to form a cone and staple the corners down, leaving a hole at the top of the cone for a topper.

Step Three:  Add the topper to the cone and fasten to the inside of the cone with tape.  Decorate the hat with stickers, glitter glue and such to create a one of a kind party hat.

Step Four: Tie one string into each bottom hole and knot.

Come see Colleen Miko’s presentations Saturday & Sunday at the NW Flower & Garden Show:

SHELLY THE SNAIL’S BIRTHDAY PARTY: You’re invited to help celebrate!  Join Shelly the Snail as she gets ready for her garden birthday party.  Kids will learn how old she is by counting the whorls on her shell.  She’s hoping for rain as she makes up plates of the plants and dirt she and her relatives the slugs love to eat.  No escargot here!  Shelly is nocturnal, so this is a party under the stars.  Kids will learn to make an explorer’s kit of simple materials to find garden party guests in their own yards and to make a party hat out of leaves.  30 minute costume presentation for the Sprout Stage.  Saturday and Sunday, February 26th and 27^th, 11:00 am

 Create a Buzz: Easy Steps to Attract Pollinators to your Garden  Can you imagine a world without berries and tomatoes?  Chocolate and coffee?  We wouldn’t have these and many of our dietary staples if it weren’t for the efforts of bees and other pollinators.  Learn how to attract pollinators to your garden for better fruit and vegetable production and enjoy a flower-filled, environmentally friendly garden as a reward.  You’ll get instructions for building nesting boxes for beneficial, native bee species, tips for selecting long-blooming plants with nectar and pollen rich flowers and learn how mulches impact solitary bees.  45 minute presentation for the DIY Stage.  Sunday, February 27, 2011, 2:15pm

© Colleen Miko, 2011

For more information on the show and seminars:  www.gardenshow.com.