How To Put A Tassel On A Grad Cap: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide

Attaching a graduation tassel involves looping the cord's hanging loop through the mortarboard's center button, securing the loop beneath the button, and draping the strands across the right side of the cap prior to the ceremony. Mastery of this academic tradition ensures your regalia remains secure, perfectly centered, and ready for the formal post-ceremony tassel flip.

Pre-Operation & Equipment Checklist

Proper preparation ensures your regalia stays intact throughout long commencement ceremonies without shifting, sagging, or detaching. Securing a graduation cap, or mortarboard, requires minimal tools, but understanding the underlying construction of the cap will prevent structural damage.

• Essential Gear, Tools, and Materials:
  
  
  • Standard mortarboard cap with a rigid flat top and center button (mortarboard)
  • Graduation tassel featuring a loop at the head (anchor loop) and a metallic charm or year date
  • Optional: Bobby pins or hair grips (2 to 4)
  • Optional: Clear sewing thread and a small needle for heavy-duty reinforcement
  • Optional: Double-sided fashion tape or heavy-duty mounting putty
• Mandatory Prerequisite Knowledge and Standards:
  
  
  • Understand the traditional side placement: Underclassmen or undergraduate candidates wear the tassel on the right side before the degree is conferred, whereas master's and doctoral candidates or alumni often wear it on the left.
  • Check the institutional guidelines regarding mortarboard decoration rules and specific color codes for academic dress standards.
• Estimated Budget and Duration Benchmarks:
  
  
  • Time investment: 2 to 5 minutes.
  • Financial investment: $0 (typically included with graduation regalia bundles).

Step-by-Step Graduation Tassel Attachment Workflow

Step 1: Inspect the Tassel and Mortarboard Center

Examine the top of your mortarboard to locate the central rivet or fabric button. Look closely at the tassel to find the fabric loop (often called the hanging loop or knot loop) at the upper end where the individual rayon or silk threads gather. Ensure the loop is not frayed and the charm or year tag is securely fastened to the bottom fringes.

Pro-Tip: If your mortarboard button has a slightly loose rivet or cloth strap underneath the flat board, pull the interior lining back gently to inspect the anchor point before applying tension.

Step 2: Form the Anchor Loop and Thread It Through the Button

Take the hanging loop at the top of the tassel and fold it slightly to create a narrow, elongated pull-tab. Slide this loop underneath or around the fabric anchor ring, grommet, or button located dead-center on the top of the cap. Depending on the manufacturer, the button may feature a small elastic band, a metal loop, or a fabric tab protruding through a central aperture.

Warning: Do not force a thick loop through a tight metal grommet with sharp pliers, as this can snap the anchor string or scratch the mortarboard fabric. If the opening is too tight, use a bobby pin as a makeshift needle threader to pull the loop through.

Step 3: Pass the Tassel Through Its Own Loop

Once the fabric loop is pulled halfway through the center opening on top of the cap, open the loop wide enough to pass the entire lower portion of the tassel—including the dangling threads, the wooden or plastic neck, and the year charm—completely through the eye of the loop.

Pull gently downward on the main body of the tassel. This action creates a secure slipknot (lark's head knot) around the center button of the mortarboard, locking the tassel firmly to the top of the cap without requiring knots that are difficult to undo.

Step 4: Adjust and Secure the Tassel Placement

Arrange the newly created slipknot so it sits neatly flush against the center button. Drape the free-hanging strands of the tassel so they rest across the top surface of the mortarboard and fall gracefully over the correct side of the cap (traditionally the right front corner for bachelor's candidates).

Step 5: Implement Anti-Slip Reinforcements for Windy Outdoor Ceremonies

Commencement exercises often take place outdoors on windy athletic fields or expansive quads. If your tassel is prone to blowing backward over your shoulder or sliding off-center, anchor the upper strands using two discreet bobby pins that match your hair color, pinning the top cord of the tassel directly to the inner fabric lining or crown of the cap. Alternatively, apply a small dot of fashion tape beneath the upper strands to keep them stationary during processionals.

Common Mortarboard Failures and Field Fixes

• Root Cause: The tassel loop slips off the central button due to a shallow or poorly designed mortarboard button.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Tie a small, temporary overhand knot in the hanging loop before passing it through the button to create a thicker stopper that cannot slip back through the aperture.
• Root Cause: High winds continually blow the tassel across your face or off the front of the cap during the ceremony.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Use a drop of clear fabric glue or a single stitch of sewing thread to tack the upper cord of the tassel to the top fabric of the mortarboard, keeping it locked in position.
• Root Cause: The year date charm falls off the bottom of the tassel strands prior to photographs.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Use a pair of jewelry needle-nose pliers to gently squeeze and close the open jump ring connecting the charm to the tassel neck.
• Root Cause: The tassel strands become severely tangled or frizzy from packaging.
  
  
  • Actionable Fix: Lightly mist the strands with water, comb through them gently with a fine-tooth comb, and let them dry flat under a heavy book for one hour.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which side of the graduation cap does the tassel start on?

Undergraduate candidates wear the tassel on the right side of the mortarboard during the entry processional and ceremony. It is only shifted to the left side after degrees are officially conferred by the institution's leadership.

When should I move my tassel from the right to the left?

You should move your tassel during the official turning ceremony when instructed by the commencement speaker, dean, or university president. All graduates typically move their tassels simultaneously to signify the transition from student to alumnus.

What do different tassel colors mean?

Academic tassel colors represent the specific field of study or major in accordance with the Intercollegiate Bureau of Academic Costume. For example, white represents arts and letters, golden yellow represents science, drab represents business, and dark blue represents philosophy.

Can I decorate the top of my graduation cap?

Many institutions permit mortarboard decoration provided the additions are flat, non-offensive, and do not obstruct the view of graduates sitting behind you. Always check your university's specific commencement guidelines regarding permitted dimensions and materials before applying heavy adhesives.

What should I do if my tassel breaks right before walking the stage?

Keep calm and check your emergency regalia kit for a safety pin or a spare piece of string. You can temporarily anchor the broken tassel directly to the fabric of your gown's shoulder seam or pin it cleanly to the front edge of the cap until you cross the stage.

Prepare for your big day with complete confidence by ensuring your academic regalia is fitted, secured, and styled to university standards. Explore our advanced guides on academic dress etiquette and cap-decorating techniques to make your graduation ceremony unforgettable.