How To Make a Child’s Easter Bonnet

Easter is an important day, especially for Christians.  This is the religious feast in the Christian liturgical year that celebrates Christ's resurrection after dying on the cross.  To commemorate this, people have introduced the tradition of wearing new clothes as a symbol of renewal.  Decades ago, the Easter bonnet was worn for fashion.  Nowadays, it is worn by women during parades.  The Easter bonnet is usually made of a broad-brimmed hat, with flowers or a ribbon around it.  It is supposed to have a spring motif, another symbol of renewal or beginning.

To make an Easter bonnet for your child, you must have a pair of scissors, poster board, a ribbon (long enough to tie around the bonnet and around your child's chin), glue, and pages from an old magazine.  You can also have artificial flowers ready.

1. Draw a circle or an oval on the poster board and cut it.  Put it on top of your child's head and mark those areas on the sides that go just above the ears.  This is where you are going to cut a slit to insert the ribbon afterwards.
2. Browse through your old magazines, and cut out various pictures of flowers and leaves.  Glue these pictures on the poster board.  Or for a more realistic-looking Easter hat, attach artificial flowers to it.  You can poke small holes through the hat to insert wires attached to the flowers.  Kids can also use crayons and draw flowers on their hats.
3. If you prefer a cone hat over a cardboard hat, then fold a piece of paper to form a cone shape. Staple or glue the edges of the paper.  Attach ribbons on the sides, so you can tie it around the child's chin.  You may use spray paint and create flowers.
4. To make a hat made of straw, you need, of course, a straw hat, ribbons, artificial flowers, and glue.  Cut the wires of the artificial flowers and glue them to the hat.  Put ribbons around the hat and on the sides.  Voila, you now have a pretty Easter bonnet!

Color is also important in making an Easter bonnet.  Since Easter comes during springtime, use only pastel or bright colors.  You can arrange orange, yellow, pink, and white flowers around an orange straw hat.  You can add a rose-colored ribbon for a touch of elegance.

You can basically use any material to make an Easter bonnet.  The important thing is to be creative, and make your hat as brightly colored as possible.  When a child wears it, check if the flowers and ribbons are stuck firmly.  However, do not put so many decorations on the hat that the child will find it too bulky or heavy.  Make sure the flowers are in proportion with the hat.

Encourage your child to make an Easter hat out of lighter materials such as paper or cardboard.  See how happy she'll be with the process and the end product.  Have fun making Easter bonnets!