Hello, Rave Babies and DIYers, you're just in time for festival season! A rite of passage you shouldn’t miss out on is crafting your very own rave totem pole to navigate the large swarms of crowds or find your way back to the campsite. Make it easy for yourself and your rave family to spot each other in the middle of the dance floor when phone signals are non-existent and the dark designated meet-up spot is full of unfamiliar faces.
Rave totem poles enhance your experience as well as become some of the best conversation starters and jokes of the festival weekend. iHeartRaves provides the perfect step-by-step guide for you to follow, create your first totem pole, and get spotted in the crowd. Join in on the whimsy and forget about getting lost this festival season!
How to Make a DIY Totem Pole for Music Festivals
- Create the Base
- Craft the Head
- Make it Stand Out
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Additional Tips to Make Your Totem Stand Out in the Crowd
Decorate Your Campsite With a Totem for Survival
Spread PLUR to the Totem Holder
Know Before You Go to the Festival: Totem Rules and Restrictions
1. Creating the Base of the Totem
Music festival totems need a sturdy base otherwise they're going to break. Trust me. There are many options for choosing what to use as the pole of the totem, such as wooden dowels from craft stores, mini portable flagpoles, telescoping pool poles, PVC pipes- essentially any long pole that is strong enough to hold the head of the totem as well as withstand multiple festivals. I searched for a pole online with the keyword “telescoping”. I recommend looking for a pole that is telescoping because it makes carrying and transporting your totem much easier, especially if you’re flying with your totem! The pole I went with was something that was approximately 2 feet long when collapsed and stretched to about 4 feet long when extended out. This was the perfect option for me; it was lightweight, long and easy for me to fit into my luggage, especially since I travel and fly around a lot for festivals (catch my totem pole at Bass Canyon and Electric Zoo!). It was pretty affordable, too - about $9. Make sure your totem pole is lightweight but sturdy. Some totem poles are too heavy to hold with your hand and can easily fall.
2. Crafting the Head of the Totem
It was my first time making a totem and there were so many different options to make. I wanted to something eye-catching, yet simple, so I went with an animal totem. I figured totem animals were relatively easy for a first totem, so I found an image of a cute dog and did some photoshopping myself to make this dog festival ready!
I then saved the image and searched up places to do large poster prints of the image I created. OfficeMax offered a cheap option that printed my picture on a large poster option (18" x 24") for less than $15! It was pretty impressive in size, especially for the cost.
I pasted my poster image on to a piece of cardboard that I cut out perfectly to the outline of the image. I went ahead and glued the poster onto the cardboard. On the back of the poster, I used some scraps of the remaining cardboard to form a strap where the totem pole could be inserted and could be removed easily as well for easy transporting.
I was super satisfied with the outcome of my first totem: it was large and so easy to carry and take apart for traveling, which fit all of my needs.
3. Making Your Totem Pole Stand Out
For my totem pole, I wanted it to light up so I found some LED lights on Amazon. The ones that I bought were great because they were battery operated and also waterproof.
Add to the edge of the totem so it would be colorful and lit all around!
These lights were awesome because there were multiple colors and could be operated to cycle through the colors on its own.
Additional Tips to Make Your Totem Stand Out in the Crowd!
A festival totem is great for expressing your creative side so take this as an opportunity to do so! Not to mention, the more creative your totem pole is, the more photos it will likely end up in. There are endless options for how to make your totem unique: glitter, faux flowers, colorful faux fur, lights, stuffed animals, jewels, etc.
You can even make your totem very punny!
Create a funny slogan or print a picture of your favorite DJ. Photo Credit: Fest Fashions
Take your favorite characters on a trip with you. Photo Credit: @loveraving
A simple and cute idea for a totem - add a cute stuffed animal to the totem pole! Photo Credit: Fest Fashions
Photo Credit: Insomniac Events/EDC Orlando
The list is endless! Take a trip to your local craft store and you can find loads of items to take your totem to the next level. Using hashtags on social media platforms can give you inspiration from a bunch of photos of other people’s totems.
5. Decorate Your Campsite with a Totem Pole for Survival
Have you ever lost your way to your campsite just before sunrise? Us, too! A tall totem pole marking your campsite makes losing your way back to the campsite virtually impossible. Decorate your totem pole with a flag or a plethora of lights to stand out during the day and night. You can make it as tall and visible as you want to signal a path back to camp.
Just before you leave the campsite, tell your rave family to remember the outstanding totem pole to find their way back. Your totem pole at your campsite can make it easier for others to find their campsite as well and who doesn’t love helping out others in small ways!
6. Spread PLUR to the Totem Holder
Totem pole creators and holders are the MVP in the group! Spread PLUR to totem pole creators and holders by giving a compliment on their beautiful craftsmanship. Thank them for holding it for long periods of time and bringing it to help the group. Offer to hold the totem pole while they catch a break to dance, use the bathroom, or grab food!
7. Know Before You Go to the Festival: Totem Rules and Restrictions
Believe it or not, some festivals don’t allow totem poles! It depends on the rules and regulations for each festival, so check the prohibited items list if totem poles or PVC pipes are allowed. Some festivals allow totem poles but with certain dimensions and materials. Follow them to ensure security doesn’t force you to throw your wonderful totem pole away or return it to your car!
Festivals are a place where people are free to express themselves, whether that’s through the clothes ravers wear, the kandi they trade, the totems they make, the flags they fly. So go and get creative! Make a totem of your favorite image or meme for the festival season; who knows who will see your festival totem or where photos of it might end up. Happy festival season!
Last Updated: 4/27/2026 by Mary Mason
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Comments
Can you tell me where you got this?
Are telescoping bases allowed in most festivals?
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but how do you attach the sign to the pole itself? I’m looking into getting a telescopic pool cleaner pole (4-5 ft) and want to attach a picture of my dog turned into a rave shiba. TIA!
Mely, you can check out microfibertech.com or google, “pool pole” :)
Where did you buy your $9 telescopic pole?