THink of items which are NOT hats….instead of trying to make a hat or decorate one from scratch, attatch elastic or ties to an object which is quite patently the sillies thing one could wear for a hat. For example

A colander.

A shoe.

Or make a simple but very tall cone shape out of card….and stick ridiculous items all over it.

I don’t have any very specific ideas on how to do this, but how about a beehive? Let’s see… I guess you might be able to cover something up (like an ice cream carton, maybe?) in tan or yellow construction paper to make the hive itself, make a little hexagon-shaped stamp, maybe out of a sponge, dip it in brown poster paint, and let your nephew make a “honeycomb” pattern with it on the paper, then find some little toy bees to glue on it. You might even be able to attach some of them to thin wire so it would look like they were flying around the hive. Hmm…with some modifications, I think I may have just thought up my toddler’s Halloween costume.

I love Daisy’s answer! Don’t do a pattern thing. Ask the kids what they would like to do, and suggest some of those silly ideas! Or make the cones and let the kids glue objects of their choice to them. If you’re short of time, let them pin silly things to baseball caps, like spoons, paper cups, small toys.

go with daisy!