You can count on our shiny hats to make the ideal toppers for a New Year's party!

To make a cone-shaped hat, cut a semicircle with a 14-inch diameter from the poster board. Roll it into a cone, adjust its size to fit the child, and seal the seam with double-sided foam tape.

To make a chin strap, use the thumbtack to poke a hole through each side of the hat near the bottom, thread one end of the elastic through each hole, and knot a few times to secure it.

To make a headband-style hat, cut out a strip of poster board about 26 inches long and 3 to 7 inches wide (depending on your design). Cut a decorative design along one edge of the strip, fit it around the child's forehead, and secure the seam with two large paper clips.

To decorate the hats, wrap pipe cleaners around pom-poms to make antennae or coil them around a pen to make spirals. To attach a pipe cleaner decoration to the hat, use the thumbtack to poke a hole through the hat, push 1 inch of the pipe cleaner through the hole to the inside of the hat, and duct-tape it down. Attach pom-poms to the hat with double-sided foam tape.

Snow Globe:
Supplies:
glass jar with tight fitting lid
distilled water, or boil some water and use when cool
glycerin
white or silver glitter, of fake snow crystals
clear silicone sealant (a tube of aquarium sealant is great)
small waterproof ornament or figurine
plastic jar lid, to fit inside the jar as a base to elevate the ornament within the jar (or florists clay)
another plastic jar lid, or wooden circle, a bit larger than your jar lid, to use as a stand (optional)
acrylic paint for the ornament stand, in your choice of color
Instructions:
If you find that the ornament needs to be elevated somewhat to be properly visible within the globe, use a small plastic bottle lid to create a base. If the ornament is high enough to view clearly, use silicone or aquarium sealant to glue the ornament firmly to its plastic base, then glue the base lid to the center of the inverted globe lid. Allow this assembly to dry and set, using the cure time recommended by the sealant manufacturer. Use another small jar to test the snow fall. Fill the test jar with distilled water, or boiled water that has cooled, then add a scant teaspoon of glitter. Put the lid on and shake it to see if you like the effect. If the snow is too sparse, add a little more glitter. Add a few drops of glycerin and test it again. The glycerin should slow the rate of the snow fall quite nicely. Working over a sink, pour the water and glitter into the globe jar, filling it to the very top. Invert the ornament assembly into the water and screw the lid into place. Some water will be displaced and spill over the top of the jar. Wipe the jar dry and shake it up! You can use the sealant to glue the jar to a wooden base or another plastic lid, if you like, for extra stability. Paint the base and the jar lid in your choice of color. Once the paint is dry, use craft glue to add your choice of Christmas Christmas coiled rope, a circle of Christmas lace, or whatever you wish to add as embellishments.