Graduate Pattern Mortarboard Tutorial

I've made the graduate pattern several times.  It makes an awesome gift!  Kelly, the recipient of the marching bear band over the past four years, graduated from high school this year.  (sniffle, sniffle)  Obviously, she'll be receiving the graduate this Christmas!  I've put my own spin on the mortarboard to make it dimensional and accurate-looking and I thought I'd share how I do it in case you want to give it a try.

I get the ornament stitched and stuffed to this point:

Next, I have this piece ready.  I figured out the shape myself by just making the points wider than the width of the hat base.  You'll need two of these.

Stitching it on takes a little time and patience, but it's really not that bad.  I sort of hold it in place with my left hand and stitch with my right.  The first few stitches are a little tricky, but once you get it anchored, it's smooth sailing.  I take my needle down through the diamond piece so the knot is on the top.  Then I take my needle through through the front of the hat base and through the back.  Then back up through the bottom of the diamond piece.  On and on across the length of the hat base.  Here's what it looks like when it's finished.  (You can sort of see my stitches.)

Next, take the second felt diamond.  Use it as a pattern to cut a piece from cardstock or posterboard.  Trim the paper piece to be slightly smaller than the felt piece.  Use a big needle to punch a hole in the middle (I'll explain why in a minute) and then glue the paper piece to the felt piece.  This helps give the hat top some body.  

Now you'll want to make your tassel.  Our school's tassels are red, white, and blue so I used 3 strands of each color from embroidery floss.  Tie a knot in the bottom and use a needle with a big eye to pull the tassel threads up through the bottom of the hat piece, right through the hole.

 

When you flip it over, it'll look like this:

(Yes -- those are my husbands legs and his empty ice cream bowl in the background!)

The next step is to tie a knot to form the tassel.  You want this to wind up just past the edge of the felt piece.  Take your time.  Sometimes I have to to it more than once to get it just right.  Untying that little knot is no fun, so try your best to get it right on the first try!

The next step is easy.  Just stitch the top hat piece to the bottom hat piece that's already on the ornament.  (I'm lying -- it's really not that easy.  But it's really not that hard, either.  It's just a little awkward because you're stitching a piece to an ornament that's already stuffed.)

Here's what it looks like from the front when you finish. 

The final step is to attach the hanging loop.  I use metallic silver embroidery floss for all my ornaments.  On this ornament, it takes a little patience.  I bring the thread up through the bottom of the hat on the back of the head, feeling around with the needle to bring it through that little hole in the cardstock that's between the hat layers.  I take the thread through the hanging loop and back down through the hole and on the back of the head.  Do that a few more times to secure it and you'll wind up with this:

The last thing I do is print the little diploma.  I have this saved in my Print Shop program.  It measures 1.5" wide by 1.25" tall.  That's the seal of the state of Ohio in the middle, which is on our school's diplomas.  When I did a college diploma, I found a Google image of the school's logo.  I print it on cardstock and then glue it to a thin layer of cardboard -- like a cereal box. 

A little bit of hot glue to attach the diploma and secure the tassel to the hat is all you need to finish this one.  I realize I said the word "patience" several times, but don't let that scare you.  All of the ornaments make wonderful keepsakes, but this pattern is a particularly special gift.