Things You\’ll Need
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Tape measure
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Butcher paper, at least 3 feet by 1 foot
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Pencil
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Scissors
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Sheet metal piece, 3 feet by 1 foot
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Cellophane tape
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Tin snips
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Metal file
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Gold metal spray paint
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Faux fur, 1 yard
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Plastic gems
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Silicone adhesive
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Drill with a 1/8-inch bit
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Rivets
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Rivet gun
Be queen for a day with a vintage-looking metal crown. Image Credit: David Woolley/Photodisc/Getty Images
Whether you want to make a crown as part of a costume or you just need a little royal treatment, you'll find that it will look more authentic if made from metal instead of paper or cardboard. You don't need to be an artist to draw the pattern freehand. The most difficult part is cutting the sheet metal, but when your project is complete and you are crowned sovereign ruler of the family room, all will be right with the world.
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Make a Template
Step 1
Measure the circumference of your head with the tape measure. Wrap the tape measure around your head where you would like your crown to set, as if you were measuring for a hat.
Step 2
Lay the butcher paper on a flat surface.
Step 3
Use the bottom edge of the paper as the bottom edge of your pattern. With the pencil, mark the measurement of your head plus 1 1/2 inches. For instance, if the circumference measurement of your head is 27 inches then you will mark off a 28 1/2 inch length across the bottom of the paper.
Step 4
Measure up 3 inches from the bottom of the pattern, and mark a starting point for the upper edge of the crown.
Step 5
Draw a pattern for your crown on the paper, with the pencil. It can be as simple as a series of up and down lines, similar to a row of capital "M"s. Or, if you are artistically inclined, you can draw a more sophisticated crown pattern.
Step 6
Cut the template from the paper, with the scissors.
Making the Crown
Step 1
Lay the paper crown pattern on the piece of sheet metal, lining up the bottom edge of the pattern with the bottom edge of the metal.
Step 2
Secure the pattern in place with the cellophane tape.
Step 3
Trace the pattern onto the sheet metal, using the pencil.
Step 4
Cut the crown from the sheet metal using the tin snips. Open the snips as wide as they go at the beginning of each cut, so that your effort is as efficient as possible. You may need to make shorter strokes along the serrated top edge of your crown.
Step 5
Smooth all the cut edges of your crown with the metal file, so that they aren't sharp. File it down enough to dull the edges, but be careful not to scratch the surface of the metal.
Step 6
Spray your crown with the metal spray paint, if desired. Paint one side, allow it to dry and then paint the other side. Allow it to dry again. Or you can leave it the natural color of the sheet metal, if you prefer.
Step 7
Cut a strip of faux fur to measure 3 inches shorter than the length of your crown. For this example, your fur piece will be 3 by 25 1/2 inches.
Step 8
Attach the fur along the bottom edge of the crown using the silicone adhesive –centering it so that 1 1/2 inches on each end are not covered by the fur. Fold the strip of fur in half lengthwise, right-sides out, to attach it — so that the bottom 1 1/2 inches on the front and the back of the crown are covered with the fur, and the fold is affixed along the bottom edge of the crown.
Step 9
Bring the ends of the crown together, creating a round shape, and overlap the ends by 1 1/2 inches.
Step 10
Drill a hole through the crown where the ends overlap.
Step 11
Place a rivet into the hole, using the rivet gun to flatten out and secure the rivet.
Step 12
Glue the gems to the outside of the crown, with the silicone adhesive.
Tip
Use the edge of a ruler to help make straight lines when drawing the top part of the crown pattern.
There are paper crown patterns available in craft books and on the Internet, if you prefer not to draw your own.
If you have any rounded edges on your crown pattern, it is easier to cut circular shapes if you perforate along the rounded edge first. Do this by pounding the straight edge of a screwdriver blade with a hammer. This will essentially make a dotted line along which you will be able to cut, using the tin snips.