Need a quick gift or decoration for the graduation party? These DIY gifts for graduation are a fun idea that all your guests can participate in. Ask everyone to write down some words of wisdom for the graduate on little slips of paper, roll them up with ribbon and put them in the jar. A little money rolled in would be nice too! Congrats and best of luck to all the graduates! Learn how to make this Graduate Words of Wisdom jar below.
You will need:
3″ Smoothfoam ball
Craft paints – beige, black, brown and white
Black chalkboard paint
Paintbrushes
Jar with lid (I found one with a banner shape embossed on the front)
Black cardstock
Embroidery floss in school colors, small round brad
Paper trimmer
Permanent markers – black, white
4″ squares of copy paper, pens
Heat knife
Wood skewer
Glue gun
Cut away the bottom of the Smoothfoam ball with the heat knife, leaving a flat surface. Add a small button-size puddle of hot glue where the nose should be. Let dry, then layer another smaller pearl of glue on top.
Using the skewer as a handle, base-coat the ball with beige, let dry, then paint the face and hair as shown, let dry. Use a black marker to draw in the final details. Click here to download my face pattern to use as a guide.
Make a tassel from a skein of embroidery floss – click here to download an instructional diagram. Glue together a square of black cardstock to a rolled strip of the same cardstock to make a mortarboard (see supplies photo above). Attach the tassel with a small round brad in the center. Glue the mortarboard to the head.
Paint the embossed sign area on the front of the jar with the black chalkboard paint and let dry (or adhere a die-cut from chalkboard paper). Write a message or name on the sign with a white marker. Embellish the edge of the jar lid with paint or paper as desired.