Preserve and Save Your Graduation Cap and Tassel

Congratulations on graduating! Parents here are a list of ideas to preserve and save your child's graduation cap and tassel. These would make wonderful gifts for your child. Some of the ideas are low cost to expensive, but the memories are worth it!

1) Display and preserve your graduation cap and tassel:

Take your graduation cap, gown, special photos, items you have and make them into a patchwork quilt.

For photos to be displayed, have the quilter put plastic photo holders onto the quilt. If the photo does not fit, use your scanner to make it the correct size. Print out photo. Cut and put into plastic photo holder.

Have the graduation cap sewn onto the quilt in the upper right or left hand corner. Use colors to match the gown and cap.

Cut the gown and use as part of the patchwork material.

If you earned and received a letter from your high school, have the letter stitched onto the wall quilt. Stitch year graduated numbers received from high school onto the quilt, too.

Make a copy of your graduation certificate and have the quilter copy it with an iron-on, print it out, and iron onto material. Stitch graduation certificate onto quilt. To possibly save money, any copied onto material items you may want to do yourself. Then give to the quilter when you put your order in.

Any special friend or love notes you want to preserve? Either put them in the plastic photo holder or scan and print. Use iron-on to transfer to material. Cut out and have quilter add the notes. Doodles or artwork would be a wonderful addition to the quilt.

Use the iron-on method for any artwork you've made through the high school years and want to preserve onto the quilt.

Add the words of your favorite subjects to the quilt by cutting out different patterns of material.

Hang wall quilt with a wooden or wrought iron quilt hanger.

2) Display and preserve your graduation cap and tassel:

Have someone turn your graduation cap and tassel into a pillow for your bed. Sew the graduation cap onto a pre-made pillow or make a pillow following instructions and attach graduation cap and tassel.

To Make a Pillow:

Cut out two equal sides of your choice of material larger than your graduation cap. My friend who is a wonderful sewer suggests using cotton fabric if you are a beginner. Be sure to add one extra inch to the pillow size desired. You need to allow one quarter inch for sewing the seams.

When sewing the pillow together, sew the side of the material that will be on the inside. Pin the seams together having the pins face the middle of the pillow. Leave one side open.

Sew the three sides with a sewing machine. For best results my friend likes to use the zigzag option.

Flip pillow to the correct material showing on the outside. Insert material with polyester fill found at discount stores such as Wal-Mart or craft stores.

Sew the final side together.

Sew graduation cap and tassel to the front of the pillow. Feel free to decorate the top of the graduation cap for fun. Stitch your name in fun materials.

Example: Your name is Amy. Use pink and black polka dot for the "A." Use plaid sage green and dark green for the "M". Use red and pink checkered for the "Y".

This pillow is for decorative purposes only so as not to damage the graduation cap.

3) Display graduation cap and tassel:

Buy a Styrofoam head or glass head on eBay. The heads average at about $7.00 each. Set the head on your desk or dresser and your graduation cap and tassel will be out of harms way.

4) Preserve your tassel:

Make a unique purse out of your tassel. You could break apart the tassel and use it as fringe onto your favorite purse.

5) Display and preserve your graduation cap and tassel:

Make a large sachet for your closet with your graduation cap and tassel. Buy matching material or felt to sew onto the graduation cap. Before sewing material onto the cap, fill with floral and sage (for men) potpourri. You may want to add your favorite smelling oil to the potpourri for longer lasting fragrance.

You may want to have a small pocket sewn onto the back of the sachet that opens. That way you can add more potpourri when needed.

Set your sachet pillow on the top of your closet shelves. Now your clothes will smell wonderful and you will preserve your cap and tassel!