Sarah Spencer, Editor in Chief • May 17, 2024
This spring, seniors have been allowed to decorate their graduation caps. Graduation will be held on June 10th at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and seniors should arrive by 12:45 p.m. for check-in.
Per Rockville High School, grad caps cannot contain messages of hate or bias, depict discriminatory symbols or images, any association to gangs, lewd, vulgar, obscene images of a sexual nature, or any promotion of drugs or alcohol. Caps will be checked by staff before the graduation ceremony to ensure compliance with these rules.
If you’re a senior looking for decoration ideas, I have compiled a list of various graduation cap themes that you can use or take inspiration from for your very own grad cap.
2024 Theme
As our graduation year, 2024 themed caps are a classic option. These caps are relatively simple and allow for a wide range of creativity in designs. Some ideas include:
- Spelling out 2024 in glitter
- Sparkly disco ball themed cap with the disco ball as the 0 (bonus points for putting a grad cap on the disco ball)
- 2024 over a design of your favorite sport to play or watch
- Writing “class of 2024” with your favorite colored background
Music Theme
Song lyrics always look good on a graduation cap, and there’s so many fun ideas to choose from. This is a great opportunity to showcase your favorite songs and music artists to everyone else in the crowd. Some relevant song lyrics include:
- “I want it, I got it,” – 7 Rings, Ariana Grande
- “It’s brutal out here,” – Brutal, Olivia Rodrigo
- “There’s a million things I haven’t done, but just you wait,” – Alexander Hamilton, Hamilton
- “Started from the bottom, now we’re here,” – Started From the Bottom, Drake
- “Long story short I survived,” – Long Story Short, Taylor Swift
- “Stargirl/Starboy,” Lana Del Rey and the Weeknd
- “You’re gonna go far,” You’re Gonna Go Far, Noah Kahan
TV Shows and Movies Theme
On a similar note, TV shows and movies provide great quotes to put on your grad cap. These are super fun to decorate and there are so many possibilities. Some examples include:
- “Four years later,” from Spongebob with the flower background
- “To infinity and beyond,” from Toy Story with a cloud background
- “Oh my god! Okay, it’s happening!” with Michael Scott from the Office
- “The one where I graduate,” in the Friends peephole picture frame
- “I already forgot everything,” with Dory from Finding Nemo in a graduation cap
- “The start of something new,” from High School Musical
Other Ideas
If you’re looking for something more straightforward, there are plenty of other grad cap decoration options. Grad caps don’t even need words, just a fun and memorable design. Some other possibilities include:
- Your favorite quote on a colorful background – for example, “In the waves of change we find our direction,” on an ocean background
- “All thanks to them,” with signatures from your family, friends, and other people important to you
- “Pretty, educated, graduated,” with a pearl or sparkly design
- “If you’re reading this, I graduated,” on your favorite color background
There are so many possibilities for graduation cap themes, so have fun decorating your caps with these ideas and congratulations to the class of 2024!
