How to Make Easy DIY Party Hats: Tutorial & Free Template!

Make charming DIY party hats for kids in minutes with this free printable template. Perfect for birthdays, holidays, and celebrations, using fabric or paper you have at home.

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Picture this: you’re hosting a gathering next weekend, and while scrolling through party supplies online, you find yourself staring at a pack of generic paper party hats that cost way more than they should.

I was there last Spring, which led me down a delightful rabbit hole of creating my own DIY party hats.

Trust me, there’s something magical about sitting at your kitchen table with gorgeous fabric, ribbon, and whatever pretty bits you can find, crafting something that’ll make your little ones and their friends smile.

Since then I’ve discovered that homemade party hats aren’t just about saving money – though that’s certainly a nice bonus. What a sweet way to make your child remember their birthday party for years to come!

Maybe you want to match your party hats perfectly to their chosen colour scheme (bright pink for my birthday girl!), or perhaps you enjoy making something that only you could have made.

Either way, I’m sharing everything I’ve learned about creating these little pieces of joy, and I promise it’s easier than you think.

Download the FREE DIY Party Hat Template

Fill in the form below to get the free pattern sent to your inbox to make your own hats.

IMPORTANT When printing your free party hat pattern, check your print settings carefully. You need to make sure you’ve set it to print at 100% (or ‘actual size’) and check the measurements of the boxes on the page to ensure it’s printed at the right size.

Watch How This DIY Party Hat Comes Together in 10 Seconds!

How to Make Your Own DIY Party Hats

Step 3: Add Interfacing and Cut Dotted Lines

Iron the interfacing to the fabric then overlay the pattern onto your hat and cut the dotted lines on the pattern. Make sure to cut them precisely to the size on the pattern so your hat doesn’t pop apart mid-party!

Step 4: Make Your Pom Pom

If you need to, make your pom pom, then glue it to the top of the hat. The glue should hold but you can add a few stitches to make it super child-proof.

Step 5: Add Elastic

Take your elastic and thread it through the two holes. Tie a knot in each end or add a dot of glue to keep it in place. 

Step 6: Gather The Ribbon or Trim (optional)

If you’re using ribbon or fabric to trim the bottom of your hat, you may want to gather it.

You can do this by hand using running stitch. Or you can use your machine to gather it by setting the stitch length and thread tension both to the maximum they can go and then sewing a straight line down the middle of the trim.

Step 7: Add Ribbon or Trim

Here’s where it starts to look really fun! Glue the ribbon or trim to the bottom edge of the hat. 

Step 8: Finish the Hat

Form the hat into a cone shape and slip the tab on the side of the party hat into the opening on the other side to close it.

Glue it closed or leave unglued if you’d like to store them flat. And hey presto, you have a little hat ready for your celebration!

Everything Else You Need To Know

Can I make this with paper rather than fabric?

Yes! Try cutting the template out of card stock and adding patterned scrapbook paper or leftover wrapping paper. 

Can I use a hot glue gun?

Trust me when I say this: if you’re making a fabric party hat, a hot glue gun is unlikely to work well! I’ve had too many instances of hot glue bleeding through fabric and leaving a visible mark.

Fabric glue is the best way to go if you’re making a fabric hat. If you’re making a card hat then you could use PVA glue or possibly even a strong glue stick.

Other Ideas For Personalising Your Party Hats

Here are some ways you could make your birthday hats completely yours. Decorating is the fun part, so go as crazy as you’d like to!

1. Embroider the fabric or add sequins or beads before you attach to the interfacing 

2. Change up the trim you use on the hat

3. Switch the elastic for two long pieces of ribbon that can be tied under the chin

4. Swap the pom pom for a long piece of scrap fabric made into a rose shape

So there you have it, no more buying generic party hats that cost way more than they should!

For more DIY projects, take a look at my Instagram, or this post where I share how to make fabric bows.