Many high school and college graduates will want to keep and display their graduation cap and tassel. One of the most popular methods of doing this is the traditional shadowbox. However, if you’re looking for a less traditional method of displaying your graduation cap and tassel, check out some of these ideas!
Buy a Bust
Many people will simply set their graduation cap with the tassel attached on a hook on the wall or a shelf. Instead, buy a bust of a famous person (e.g. Mozart, Shakespeare, etc.-base the bust on your major, if you’re a college graduate, or your favorite subject in high school, to make it fun) and set your graduation cap, with tassel attached, on its head. Use it as a bookend or a bookshelf decoration. You’ll of course want to find a reasonably sized bust; if it’s too big your cap may not fit on the head! For a little extra fun, buy a white faux-marble bust and paint it your school colors! This could be, for high school graduates, a fun dorm room decoration for your first year in college, and a definite conversation starter!
Amazon has a great collection of busts to buy. Display your cap and tassel on anyone or anything’s head . . . from Abe Lincoln to a horse!
Conversion
If you only want to display your graduation tassel, consider converting it into one of several objects. You can convert it, for instance, into a lamp pull if you have a lamp that uses a string or pull tag to turn it on. Cut the original string and use the top of your tassel to affix it to the lamp. You could even buy a lampshade that bears your school’s colors, or reupholster the shade with fabric of your school’s colors. Many graduates have already caught on to converting the tassel into a key ring holder. Attach a key ring to your tassel, add your keys, and be reminded of your alma mater every time you go to lock a door or unlock your car!
As far as your graduation cap goes, consider converting it into a candle base. This will cause no damage to your cap! Simply buy a normal candle stand, set your cap on top, use a Plexiglas square to cover the mortarboard top, and set a candle tower on top. Attach your tassel to the end of a candle snuffer, and you have a fully converted set!
Decorate your lamp with a lampshade from Brown’s Lampshades; use a plain lampshade and reupholster it in your school’s colors.
After you have your candle base set up (your base could be anything from an actual holder to a small but sturdy box), buy a pillar candle in your school’s colors to display. You can find candles, bases, and snuffers in many varieties at 100Candles.com.
Graduation cap memory box
Instead of storing your graduation cap in a memory box, convert it into one! Buy a square or circular wooden box at a craft store; they tend to run pretty cheap, so this won’t be a stretch on your budget. A circular box will probably work better so you don’t have to flatten to part of the mortar cap you stick your head into! Use crafting paints to paint the box your school’s colors. After the paint dries, use craft glue on the top of the box’s lid, and attach your graduation cap so the cloth that covered your hair covers the boxes sides, and the mortar board will become the lid! Store your tassel inside with some other graduation mementos; i.e. a graduation ticket, baccalaureate ticket, one of your graduation announcements, photographs from your graduation ceremony, a mix CD of your favorite songs from your graduating year, etc.
Visit a craft store like Michael’s or Ben Franklin Crafts to find inexpensive wooden memory boxes in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with going with the traditional shadowbox. And sometimes the easiest way to deal with a graduation cap and tassel is to store it in a nicely decorated box that reminds you right away what’s inside! But if you’re looking to add a little flare to your display of your graduation cap and tassel, use these ideas as inspiration, and have fun!
