Making a costume at home is fun and easy when you start with a hooded sweatshirt. It is a snap for the child to change into their costume and best of all, you can add the sweatshirt into your child’s wardrobe or craft it into another costume next year.
Have your child help make a decision about what their costume will be. If this is for a club or community group play, direction may be provided. If this is a Halloween costume, set a deadline the weekend before as children often change their minds. The featured photo show’s this child’s hermit bog costume, a combination of a hermit crab, bird and dog. The bird’s bill is a hat and a visor.
Purchase a plain colored hooded sweatshirt. This may take some shopping around to find one without popular logos, but they can be found. Choose a larger size if you plan to wear the costume outdoors in cooler weather to allow for layering warm clothes underneath.
Gather the materials to decorate the costume. Fake fur, cloth, yarn, and felt are terrific materials and easy to sew on.
Cardboard can be used for wings, shells, or shields. The example is a hermit crab shell made by layering cardboard and extending the middle spiral. The cardboard was stitched across the top with strong thread.
Cut out the materials, using the hoodie as a guide. Tails are best cut above the ankles for safety. The featured costume is a skunk.
Sew on the embellishments using a simple whipstitch (in-out on the edges). This will secure the details to the costume and allows for easy removal after the event. Have fun with your personalized creative costume!
Tips:
Attach reflective tape strips for extra safety in the dark.
