Graduation balloon cap

Supplies: balloons, an air pump, and scissors.

Buy balloons on Amazon (paid link): 

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 Buy an air pump on Amazon (paid link): 

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In this example we are going to use two different balloon weaving techniques to make a graduation or academic square cap. The cap has two or three parts. Cylindrical shape hat, square top and a ribbon attached to the top of the cap. First I am going to make the cylindrical shape hat using balloon woven technique described in many previously published instructions (rainbow hat, cake, skateboard, and etc.). Inflate six balloons (blue, purple, black or any of your choice) leaving about 12 cm flat tails (Pic 1). The size of the flat tail may vary depending on the number of rows you want to make.

To find appropriate size of bubbles in each row you have to measure the size of your head. Then you divide it by the number of balloons you are going to use to make the hat. In this example I am going to twist all bubbles of each row of about 9 - 10 cm size. Twist the first bubble (Pic 2). 

Tie the nozzle of the second balloon with the free end of the first bubble (Pic 3).

Twist the first bubble of the second balloon. Tie the nozzle of the third balloon with the free end of the first bubble of the second balloon. Work all six balloons in the same way. Twist the first bubble of the sixth balloon (Pic 4).

Tie the nozzle of the first balloon with the first bubble of the sixth balloon (Pic 5). We have made the first row of the hat.

Now we are going to make the second row of the hat. Twist the second about 2 - 3 cm bubble of the first balloon. It is the connection bubble between rows. We are going to make all connection bubbles of the same about 2 -3 cm size. Twist the third about 9 - 10 cm bubble of the first balloon. Twist the second about 2 - 3 cm bubble of the second balloon (Pic 6).

Lock the free end of the third bubble of the first balloon with the free end of the second bubble of the second balloon (Pic 7).

Twist the third about 9 - 10 cm bubble of the second balloon. Twist the second about 2 -3 cm bubble of the third balloon (Pic 8).

Lock free end of the third bubble of the second balloon with the free end of the second bubble of the third balloon (Pic 9).

Work all balloons in the same way to make the second row (Pic 10 and 11).

You can work in this way to make as many rows as you want. In this example I made three rows (Pic 12 and 13). Two or three rows should be sufficient for graduation cap.

Now I am going to make square top of the cap using  balloon weaving technique described in previously published instructions (cake - flags, and many different flags). In this example I am going to make square piece of fabric with sides 10 by 10 bubbles. I will use one balloon to make one row. It would take total of 10 balloons - you can make the same size square out of 4 - 5 balloons ;) Inflate all 10 balloons leaving about 18 cm flat tails (Pic 14).

In this example I am going to twist all bubbles of the same about 3 cm size. Twist the first bubble of the first and the second balloons (Pic 15).

Lock free ends of the first bubbles of the first and the second balloons in one lock (Pic 16).

Work all balloons in the same way. You have to make total of 5 pairs of balloons (Pic 17).

Tie nozzles of the second and the third balloon in one knot (Pic 18).

Tie nozzles of the fourth and the fifth balloon in one knot and so on. We have made the first row (Pic 19). The side of the square should be longer than diameter of the cylindrical hat. The square should protrude at least one bubble at any side of the cylindrical hat.

Work the second through the ninth balloons to make and connect bubbles of the second row (Pic 20).

Twist the second and the third bubbles of the first balloon. Twist the third bubble of the second balloon (Pic 21). 

Lock free ends of the third bubbles of the first and the second balloons in one lock twist (Pic 22). 

Work the ninth and the tenth balloons in the same way as you did the first pair of balloons on the other side. And then work the rest of the square in the same way up to the fifth row (Pic 23).

Here we have to make one additional bubble at the center on the top of the cap. Later we are going to attach a ribbon to this bubble. Twist the sixth (the additional) bubble of the fifth or the sixth balloon (Pic 24).

Lock both ends of the additional bubble in one lock twist (Pic 25).

Work the rest of the sculpture in the same way as described previously up to the tenth (the last) row (Pic 26).

You can cut off the rest of the balloons after you made and connected bubbles of the tenth row (Pic 27 and 28). 

We have made square piece of fabric with sides 10 by 10 bubbles (Pic 29 and 30). The additional bubble is located at the center on the top of the square. You can make larger size square piece either by adding more balloons or by increasing size of bubbles.

Make sure that the cylindrical hat does not protrude from under the square! The cylindrical hat should be at least one bubble under each side of the square! Cut off the rest of the balloons of the hat leaving about 3 - 5 cm flat ends (Pic 31 and 32).

Now we have to tie the cylindrical hat to the square using flat ends of the hat balloons. Make sure the additional bubble of the square is on the top of the sculpture. Flip the square over. Count diagonally three bubbles from the corner of the square. Here, between the third and the fourth bubbles is the first place to tie the hat to the square. The second place to tie the hat to the square is between the third and the fourth bubbles from the opposite corner on the same diagonal of the square (Pic 33). One of this corners will be the front and the other will be the back of the cap. The cylindrical hat may get distorted at this point. However, it will be not noticeable after you tie the other ends. All other four balloon ends of the hat you have to tie at any nearest corresponding spots of the square. Just make sure the hat is at least one bubble under the square.

Congratulations! We have made the graduation or academic hat (Pic 34 through 39).

Let's attach a ribbon to the top of the cap. Inflate balloon (yellow in this example) making about 5 - 8 cm bubble. Force the bubble to the opposite end of the balloon (Pic 40).

Tie the nozzle of the ribbon balloon around the additional bubble at the center on the top of the cap (Pic 41).

On this picture you can see the cap with two rows of the hat on the right and the cap with three rows of the hat on the left (Pic 42).

Here example of the hat with three rows (Pic 43 and 44)

And here is example of the hat with two rows (Pic 45). The picture with the front view of that cap is at the beginning of this post. Have fun and happy twisting :)