| Making Costumes for Kids (and your favorite pet!) |
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Designing and sewing costumes is a great way to have fun and learn a skill that could become profitable in the future. It’s also a great way to bond with your mother, daughter, family members, and friends. Make sure to have all of the supplies you need and some refreshments on hand for a great day of sewing and costume design with the people you love. The best thing about making your own costume is that no one else will have it! Most of us get our ideas for Halloween costumes from books or movies—this is where Halloween costume retailers get their ideas, too. So if you want to make a costume let me share some hints to make your task fun and easy: Try using what you have at home first before attempting to make a whole new costume. If you’re making a Little Red Riding Hood costume for your daughter, just use a dress, socks, and shoes from her wardrobe. If there’s a piece of the costume you need to design, make it with easy-to-use fabric such as cotton or felt. Felt fabrics are great for costumes. They do not fray, nor do they need seam finishing. Felt does not require hemming, it comes in many colors, and if very easy to sew. To make Little Red Riding Hood’s hooded cloak, felt would be ideal. If you are new to sewing, be sure to use easy closures. Working with elastic for pants and skirts and a single hook-and-eye closer for cloaks and robes is by far preferable to zippers, buttons, etc. Finally, remember that makeup and accessories make a world of difference. Fix Red’s hair, make-up, and give her a basket to carry. In no time at all, her homemade costume is complete! Here are some other great ideas for kids’ costumes:
Everything was used from items found at home except for the flared skirt, which was made using a simple easy elastic waistband. Scraps of fur were used for the poodle body and ribbon for the legs and the tail.
A different kind of felt was used for these simple Indian outfits. They were sewn at the shoulder and side seams. No need to hem when using felt. The ends were fringed with scissors. Add a headband and the right make-up and you have a cute Indian costume.
For this giant spider costume, felt was used. The legs were sewn, stuffed, and then attached to the body. The hat was made by adding eyes (also made of felt) to a black hat that was found in the closet.
The pants, top, and gloves were found at home. The giant “m” and “m” costume was made from red felt with an “m” appliquéd on the front by a zigzag stitch. The costume was held together by safety pins.
Sewing for your favorite pup is just as easy. Each of these outfits was made with felt fabric. The “Mrs. Potato Head” was so much fun to make. Each piece can be taken off and moved just like on the real toy by sewing Velcro to the bottom of each piece. I made the same outfit for my daughter, and she won first place in her middle school costume competition. The “Tootsie Roll” outfit was simply made by copying the look of a small tootsie roll piece of candy, and the “m” and “m” outfit for the pup was made the same way it was made for the child. Be creative and have fun! Check out www.lovetosew.com for more ideas and we’d love to see your photos of your creations. Best Stitches! Judi
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