Celebrating a big milestone birthday like 16, 21, 30, 40, 50, or beyond? Make it unforgettable with a unique and personalized touch—DIY custom photo party hats! These festive hats are a creative way to incorporate fun memories into your birthday party decor and make the guest of honor feel extra special.
In this tutorial, I’ll guide you step-by-step on how to create your own photo party hats. It’s an easy, budget-friendly craft project that will wow your guests—and the birthday star!
Bonus: Before you get started, download my free printable party planning checklist to make organizing your next birthday bash a breeze!
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Supplies You’ll Need:
Here’s everything you need to create your DIY photo party hats!
- Home printer (or use a local print shop like FedEx, OfficeMax, or Staples)
- Cardstock paper (if printing at home)
- Scissors
- Glue stick (or a hot glue gun)
- Hole punch
- Elastic ribbon (here’s the one I used – you’ll literally be able to make hats for EVERYONE’S parties with these rolls)
- Festive pom-poms or garland (I repurposed some Christmas decor for mine!)
- My photo party hat template
How to make your own DIY photo party hats:
1. Choose Your Photos
Start by selecting a few favorite photos of the birthday guest of honor. For a fun touch, use pictures from different stages of their life! Here are some tips for choosing the best photos:
- Use clear, high-quality photos for the sharpest results.
- Opt for horizontal photos where the subject is zoomed out a bit. This makes it easier to adjust and crop the image in the template.
Decide how many hats you’d like to make—whether it’s one special hat for the guest of honor or a whole batch for everyone at the party!
2. Customize Your DIY Photo Party Hat Design
You’ll use my custom photo party hat template, which is easy to edit in Canva. If you don’t already have a free Canva account, you’ll need to sign up. Note: Some elements in the template may require a small fee if they’re “Pro” items.
- Upload your selected photos to Canva.
- Drag, drop, and adjust the photos into the template using my easy tutorial video.
- Reposition or recolor the photos to make them pop.
Once your designs are ready, download them as a PDF Standard file by clicking the Share button and selecting the download option.
3. Print Your Designs
Load your printer with heavy-duty cardstock paper and check the following settings:
- Select Portrait Orientation and Fit to Page to ensure the design prints correctly.
- Adjust color settings to either full color or black and white, depending on your photos.
Alternatively, take your file to a local print shop if you don’t have a printer at home.
4. Cut and Assemble Your DIY Photo Party Hats
- Carefully cut along the template’s outer lines, avoiding the white triangle shape—this will be used to glue the hat together.
- Roll the cutout into a cone shape, overlapping the photo section over the white triangle.
- Apply glue to the triangle using a glue stick or hot glue gun and press firmly to secure the shape.
5. Add the Elastic Ribbon
- Use a hole punch to make two small holes, about ½ inch from the bottom edge of the hat on opposite sides.
- Cut a piece of elastic ribbon (12–15 inches is ideal) and tie each end to the holes. Adjust the length based on whether the hat is for kids or adults.
- If you don’t have elastic ribbon, you can use regular ribbon. Just leave one end untied so guests can adjust it to fit comfortably.
6. Decorate Your Photo Party Hats
Now for the fun part—embellishments!
- Add a pom-pom or a piece of garland to the top of the hat for a festive touch.
- Get creative with edges—glue on sequins, trim with ribbon, or use glitter to make your hats sparkle.
- Pro tip: Dollar Tree is a great place to find affordable decorations!
Final Tip: Don’t forget to snap a group photo of everyone wearing their hats! It’s the perfect way to capture the celebration and create even more memories.
With this step-by-step guide, you’ll be able to create personalized party hats that are not only fun but also full of sentimental value.
More DIY Party Decoration Ideas
These custom hats are a hit for milestone birthdays, graduation parties, retirement celebrations, and even anniversaries. Plus, they’re a great keepsake that guests can take home!
Here’s a few more DIY party decoration ideas you might like!
Create gorgeous table decorations on a budget with this DIY photo centerpiece tutorial!
Highlight that milestone age the birthday boy or girl is turning with these easy and super affordable 3D floral numbers!
Happy crafting—and happy birthday to your special someone! 🎉