How to Make a Kid's Colonial Soldier Costume

Make a kid's colonial soldier costume from second-hand clothing.

Make a kid’s colonial soldier’s uniform out of easy-to-find second-hand clothes. U.S. soldiers during the Revolutionary War, such as the Minute Men, wore comfortable uniforms that they could maneuver easily in on horseback or on foot. Only a little modification is needed to a few simple pieces of boy’s clothing for your boy to look like the perfect colonial soldier.

Things You'll Need

• White shirt
• Dark colored wool overcoat, single breasted
• Dark pants
• Black knee socks
• Dark leather belt
• Small dark leather pouch/purse with long strap
• Black loafers
• Black felt hat
• Toy rifle/shotgun

Instructions

1. Button the overcoat and lay it flat. Measure the coat from collar to hem and determine where the bottom quarter of the coat begins. Mark the beginning of the bottom quarter of the coat with a horizontal line of straight pins across the front opening of the coat. Use tailor’s chalk to mark angled cut-away lines beginning where the front center opening of the coat meets the pinned line marking the bottom quarter of the coat. Angle the cut-away lines at thirty to 40 degrees. Cut alone the cut-away lines, turn the cut edges of the coat under and hem.

2. Cut the pants legs off below the knees. Turn the cut edges under and sew a one-inch hem. Thread half-inch elastic through the hems to gather the shortened pant hems.

3. Fold the front sides of the felt hat up and back and tack with a needle and thread so that the front of the hat curls back and comes to a point at the center forehead when worn.

4. Dress in the costume by putting on the white shirt and buttoning it all the way up. Put on the black knee-socks and pull them all the way up to the knees. Put on the pants and pull the elasticized pant leg hems down over the top of the knee-socks. Put on the coat and button it up leaving only the top button undone. Put the belt on over the coat, slip the long-strap pouch over one shoulder so that the strap crosses the body. Put on the loafers and hat and accessorize with a toy rifle or shotgun.

References

• British Battles: Uniforms of the American Revolution
• George Washington's Army: Reenacting the Era of the American Revolution