<p>So I’ve seen it before, but more recently became aware that the decorating or “blinging” of the graduation cap is a thing. As far as I remember, it was not a “thing” when I graduated. </p>
<p>I work at a university and was told by graduating students this year that probably at least 1/2 the caps would be decorated. My S’s girlfriend graduated last week from a similar mid-sized university and she was bejewling her cap the day before graduation. </p>
<p>My S graduated last week as well (yeah!) - he decorated his cap. Being a guy who loves words and quotes and a Harry Potter fanatic, he used white out to write on his - “2014 - I Open At The Close” - if you know HP,you know that quote! He used it to say that when he closes this chapter (graduation), the door opens and new life starts. I thought it was pretty creative - and very HIM! </p>
<p>However, we noted at his graduation - a smaller private school - that only a very few had their caps decorated. One girl put a big sparkly silver bow on hers. A couple of “thanks mom and dad” and one reference to loans. :)</p>
<p>Is cap blinging a thing at graduations you’ve been to? Anything creative/funny/offensive you’ve seen? </p>
<p>(also noting that this is my 501 thread started on CC - wow, past 500 and still going strong!!! )</p>
<p>I saw it on some kids a few years ago when my last college grad went through the paces. At his schools they also have their own scarves with their own themes that they drape which I though was marvelous. A lot of the international students used their home country flag colors I loved it.</p>
<p>One of the local high schools has graduation cap decoration as a tradition, in which students bling their cap with their college destinations. I wonder what it feels like for students who did not get in to certain schools or for students who are headed to community colleges.</p>
<p>It was a tradition in my residential college. We also tie-died our tassels (another tradition that we do with our dean!). I just did something simple because I’m not creative but some of them were really cool. A lot of people did symbols representing what they had done in their undergrad. My roommate had a paint brush and some kind of screen printing representation because her BFA was in painting and screenprinting. </p>
<p>My daughter’s HS has the tradition of decorating the cap with the colors, logo, mascot, etc. of the college they are attending. She actually turned it into an activity - a group of friends got together and did their caps at somebody’s house a few days before graduation. This way they shared ideas and supplies. (It was kind of funny to have one of her male friends shopping in Michaels for felt and glue!) Even the community college and armed forces kids did something to their caps to indicate their destination - so nobody felt left out as far as I could tell.</p>
<p>Younger kid’s college always has graduation on Mother’s Day. Her department had “Happy Mom’s Day” spelled out across the row of seats with one letter per cap.</p>
<p>My D graduated last Saturday from a small private school and there were maybe a dozen kids with decorated caps…I thought there would be more although I knew my D wasn’t likely to be one of them…it was such a great ceremony, loved every speaker (thank goodness!), but I think if all the caps had been decorated it might have been distracting…my younger D is already planning hers-definitely something she will do!</p>
<p>We saw a couple last weekend at my son’s small college graduation, I think they had just under 400 graduates and maybe only two or three had done something to their hats. I’d prefer them not to do that as it feels to me like it takes away from the seriousness of the processional and diploma granting - what they do after the ceremony I don’t care. I think it might happen more in big universities where there are a sea of graduates and the parents are far, far away…it makes your kids easier to spot.</p>
<p>Does not happen at our small private school here in Hawaii. The caps and gowns are kept at the school until graduation (and ironed by parent and staff volunteers the day before, there are only 30 graduates this year so that’s do-able!), so there really isn’t any opportunity. </p>
<p>I don’t know if it’s a thing at the larger public HS graduations. </p>
<p>At D art college graduation some were really great (about 4 years ago). One had made her hat REALLY big–funny.
That was the first time I’d seen decorated hats but heard it had been a tradition for some time.
At S graduation for college (about 800 at the ceremony) about half of the hats were decorated. Son said it tended to be a “girl thing” and that is how it appeared to be. Pretty fun–wishing I’d been able to do that. The kids keep their hats now where we had to return ours. Glitter, paint, bows, flowers. Nice for folks up in stands looking for their kids and entertaining to the audience. Most of the decorations did not interfere with the traditional pictures since you couldn’t see the top of the hat anyway except from above.</p>
<p>My daughter is considering doing this to her cap. Now, what to decorate with…
I saw some fun ideas on pinterest but many really required artistic ability.</p>
<p>Most schools that my kids/I have gone to did not allow cap decorations. I remember I’d decorated mine in high school 30+ years ago (indicating my college) and was made to remove the tape. I don’t mind decorations–they are sort of fun and creative, but I suppose some schools think it makes the ceremony look sloppy, less formal or dignified when the caps have random stuff on them.</p>
<p>Our HS does not allow it. Of the three college graduations (small privates) I’ve been to for two of my kids, they weren’t allowed either. However, our current son’s college seems to encourage it, so we’ll see how that works - NEXT year! I agree with the poster that said that since you only seem them from the top, it helps to identify your student and doesn’t really distract from the seriousness. </p>
<p>My D’s college graduation was last weekend, on Mother’s Day. Lots of Mother’s Day tributes on the hats, lots of comments about debt (“Debt sux”, “60K debt for this”). The cutest I saw was the entire Graphic Arts dept who had Pantone paint chips on each of the caps. Another cute one had big googly eyes on top. My D blinged hers with a large monogrammed bow (hairbows are her “thing”). I would say about 1/3 of the kids had decorated their caps. </p>
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