Here's how to make a unique and personalized crown to celebrate the No. 1 dad in your life. One fun thing is that dad will think he's just receiving an ordinary card, but when he pulls it out of the envelope, he'll find a folded crown. Joined at the ends, it can actually be worn.

You'll need:
• Poster board, card stock or tag board about 30 inches by 8 inches
• Pencil, ruler and scissors
• Construction paper
• Crayons
• Glue stick
• Craft glue
• Decoupage medium and brush
• Glitter, plastic jewels, sequins and other sparkly decorations
• Photos or picture cut-outs
• Blank envelope

You know dad is special to you, but what exactly makes him the No. 1 dad in your life? What do you do together? How does he encourage you? What are his interests? What do you like most about him? Does he have a good sense of humor? Can he tell a good story? What does he do well? As you think about those questions, begin collecting pictures that describe your dad. You might want to use photos, but you can also use pictures from other sources, including magazines and catalogs.

I wanted to describe a dad who is proud of his children, works hard, likes sailing and photography, loves to walk the dog and play with his kids, can cook a couple of things really well, so those are the pictures I looked for. Your dad is his own special self, so be sure to find pictures that show why he means so much to you.

Card stock is really the best material to use for the crown, but poster board and tag board also work well. Cut a piece of card stock that is about 6 1Ú2 by 24 inches. If necessary, you can piece together two or more sheets of card stock. The bottom edge of the crown remains straight, while the top edge should be cut into triangular peaks in typical crown fashion. You can cut free-hand or use pencil and ruler to draw more precise lines. Leave about 3 inches on each end for the connecting tabs.

Score vertical folds every two points of the crown. To score a fold, you use the tip of a pair of scissors or the end of a paper clip and draw it along the edge of a ruler that you have placed on the fold line. Press into the paper but do not puncture it. This procedure makes it much easier to make a neat, sharp fold when you are using stiff paper or cardboard. Those folds allow the crown to fit inside the envelope of your choice.

Next, make a slit in the left end of the crown, starting at the top and cutting halfway down. Then make a slit in the right end of the crown, starting at the bottom and cutting halfway up. The two slits will fit together to transform the crown into a round circlet that will fit on dad's head.

Now the fun begins! Open the crown flat and decide where you will place the pictures you have found. Leave space in the middle to write the words "#1 Dad." You can write phrases or words near each picture to express more of what you want dad to know. The words can be written directly on the crown or on pieces of construction paper that are cut out and glued to the crown. After arranging all the pictures and words to your liking, use a glue stick to glue everything down.

I brushed a thin coat of decoupage medium over the finished crown to seal everything and make sure it adheres together well. If you don't have decoupage medium, use some craft glue thinned with water instead. While the decoupage medium is still sticky, you can sprinkle on some sparkles.

The last step is to glue on any jewels, sequins or other such items. Thick craft glue works best for that job. You might also want to add some dabs of glitter glue. A crown can never have too much sparkle. You must let the crown dry for a couple hours – or even overnight – before folding it and placing it in the envelope.