Wednesday, October 22, 2008

DIY Costumes: Little Scarecrow

Okay, so one thing you should know about me, is that while I tend to have grand ideas for costumes, I'm limited by one important detail: I don't own a sewing machine. And really, I'm not so sure I'd remember how to use it, even if I DID have one. The good news? My costumes can be created with limited crafting ability!
I made this scarecrow costume for my daughter when she was 16 months old. It was fairly simple and she received tons of compliments on it! This costume can be made for a boy or girl and can be easily changed to fit your tastes!
Supplies:
*Denim overalls (I found this Baby Gap pair for $4 at a consignment store. They were lined which was great for keeping warm but did make the hand stitching more difficult!)
*Plaid shirt (again, check the consignment stores!)
*Straw Hat (this one was purchased from Michaels)
*Raffia for hands and feet (I cut down a Hula skirt.. which definitely saved time!)
*Blue felt
*Various fabrics for patches
*Fabric glue (Fabri-Tac is my favorite!)
*Thick black thread
Optional: scarecrow fabric appliques (I found mine on eBay), silk flowers/leaves, black crow for hat, ribbon
Instructions:
1) Cut fabric into squares and glue onto overalls.
2) Use your thick black thread to add stitching around the edges of the patches. (This is really only for looks since you already glued them on.) Remember, you're going for a ragged look!
3) Add your appliques (optional)
4) Cut your blue felt into strips (they will be lining the ends of the shirt and overalls so that the raffia doesn't scratch their skin) and cut down to fit.
5) Add your raffia to the strips and glue (raffia side down) to the inside of the sleeves and pant legs for hands/feet.
6) Add flowers/leaves, if using.
7) Add embellishments to hat.

THAT'S IT! You now have a one-of-a-kind, made-with-love, super adorable costume for your little one to show off!

(I'll take some more closeups of the costume and post later!)



2 comments:

Andrea said...

Great idea and super blog idea! I'll be happy to add to it. I'll get something written up about the puppies today!

Exciting!

Mom Ditties said...

Thanks Andrea... you always have the best ideas! You are the queen of crafty :-)