Hellobee

by: Jenny of Hank + Hunt

Remember those gold paper crowns when you were a kid? What if you could make one for your littlest in five minutes?  I’ve wanted some of these for my boys forever, and I spied a bit of chalkboard cloth at the paper shop the other day.  It’s a pretty thick and stiff cloth, perfect to hold the crown shape. The best part is they can draw on them or you can put their names on it — perfect for birthdays!

• thread to measure head size
• 1/4 yard chalkboard cloth
• long ruler, rotary cutter and pad (optional, but easier for straight lines)
• scissors
• crown template (download here)
• mini brads
• 1/16″ hole punch

Using either scissors or a rotary cutter and pad, cut a strip of chalkboard cloth, 3.5″ wide and 25″ long. *Note: You will need longer for older kids, and less for younger.

Print out the crown template — I printed two copies so I could make one large template. Cut out the template pieces. Tape them one by one to the strip, aligning the bottom with the bottom edge of the strip. As you add each new piece, overlap the first point of the new template with the last point.

Cut out the top points of the crown with scissors.

Test it out on your little one’s head, trying to align the points that overlap in back. It’s not necessary, but it just looks more like a real crown. Hold in place with your fingers and remove from his/her head. Use the hole punch to punch two holes, about an inch apart at the outer junction point, the end you see, through both layers of the crown. Insert brads to secure in place.  Be sure to bend the ends down into the cloth – we wouldn’t want any pokes later on!

Write a name or number or anything you like on front with chalk and have one heck of a good time. These will store flat for next year – just remove the brads. They keep growing don’t they? Just like weeds! Adjust and punch new holes next year and use their crown annually as a birthday tradition.