This 3 tiered graduation was a challenge to make. I carved a 6" round for the hat, 8" middle, and 12" bottom tier. The challenging part for me was the darn hat. Once I put the tassle on top, the flat part of the hat (fondant covered cardboard) kept falling off the cake or it would shift really bad. I finally got it to stay, but I will definitely try another technique next time.