Firecracker Crowns

Total Time Needed:: 1-2 Hours

These fringed caps make for a fun way to sport your patriotic colors on the Fourth. Here's how to make one that will fit most kids with a head circumference of 22 inches or less (for a bigger crown, just add more craft foam strips).

If you're planning an Independence Day party, check out our other ideas for Fun on the 4th.

Materials

Craft foam, red and white
Blue tape (we used plastic tape, 1 1/2 inches wide)
Sticker stars
Scissors

Gold pipe cleaners
Tape
Yellow foam stars

Instructions

Arrange 5 red and 5 white 2 1/2- by 12-inch craft foam strips side by side, alternating the colors. Apply a 26-inch strip of blue tape across the panels about 1 inch from the bottom, wrapping the ends around to the back. Decorate the tape with sticker stars. Then cut a 1/2-inch-wide fringe in each panel starting from the top and ending just above the tape.
Flip over the fringed foam and position a gold pipe cleaner in the center of each of the inner 8 panels so that the lower end is about an inch below the fringe. Tape them in place as shown. Now sandwich the top of each pipe cleaner between a yellow foam star and a large sticker star. When your child is ready to wear the crown, wrap it around her head, overlapping the ends and securing them with a large paper clip.