How to Draw Party Hat
Party hats come in many shapes, sizes and colors — they’re a favorite birthday tradition and add a touch of festivity to any occasion. With just a few simple strokes, you can draw a party hat that looks like it was bought from a store. Here’s how:
1. Start with a half circle. Place your pencil at one corner of your paper, and draw a half circle that’s the size you want your party hat to be. This will be the circumference of the hat.
2. Add a smaller circle to the center. In the middle of the half circle draw a smaller circle. This will create the opening of the hat — the area you would put on top of your head.
3. Make a straight line from the top of the half circle to the outside of the small circle. This line is what will become the brim of the party hat.
4. Add creases and folds. Using short and long lines, draw creases and folds along the half-circle and straight line. This will give the party hat dimension and a 3-D look.
5. Now color! Use your favorite markers, crayons, or colored pencils to give your party hat some life. Be creative here — pick out bold and contrasting colors to make your party hat stand out.
Once you’ve finished these five simple steps, you’ll have a party hat that looks like it was made professionally and decorate your party in style.
Shading the Party Hat
When coloring your party hat, shading can give it a dynamic look and make it even more festive. To shade in a party hat, simply take your marker or colored pencil and start drawing a line from the top of the half circle. Make sure to color between the folds and creases to add depth and make your party hat look realistic. For example, the more you press on the colored pencil in the creases, the darker the shade will be. You can also add extra light and depth with highlights and shadows — Color the outside of the party hat a lighter color and the creases a darker color.
Adding Accessories
Party hats can take one step further with accessories. You can draw ribbons, stars, confetti, pom poms — whatever you can think of! Ribbons are a can be a great edition, and draw a few horizontal lines at the back of the hat for the bow and use the same colored pencil or marker to draw vertical lines for the bows’ tails. You can make the tails as long or as short as you want. To add pom poms, make small circles along the brim, and to make stars, draw a five-pointed star with your pencil or marker.
Drawing a Buckle
For the finishing touch, add a buckle to the front of the hat. This is a good way to make the party hat look finished, and fairly easy to draw. Draw two curved lines to create a rectangle and add a band to the back of the buckle. For added pizzazz, use two different colors for the buckle and the band.
Fine Tuning and Finalizing
To give your party hat that extra umph, fine tune the details and finish it off. Go over some of the original lines with a thin dark marker to give it more structure. You can also draw a few lines on the inside of the hat to define the sides and the back. To make the hat look more precise, go in with a pen and retrace the outlines you made with your pencil or marker. Finally, erase any pencil lines you can see and you have your finished party hat!
