DIY Child's Superhero Cape

Make your child his own superhero cape with emblem.

Every child dreams of being a superhero. You can make him his very own superhero cape and let his imagination soar. You can personally design his own superhero emblem, using his initials or design, or you can purchase an already-made, iron-on emblem. If your child is old enough, he might have his own ideas on designing an emblem. Your child will cherish the cape and put it to good use as he saves the world.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/4 yards of fabric for cape
• 1/8 yard of fabric for cape ties
• 1 yard of fabric for superhero emblem
• Thread
• Fabric measuring tape
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Measure your child from the base of her neck to her knees.

2. Lay the fabric flat on a table and measure 36 inches wide horizontally at the bottom of the cape. Using the measurements for your child, draw a line from the bottom of the cape to the top to create the length, leaving 3 inches for the hem. Draw the line at a 45-degree angle from the bottom to the top. Make sure to use the ruler to draw a straight line.

3. Cut the fabric along the lines.

4. Set your sewing machine to a long, straight stitch and sew two rows of gathering stitches along the top edge. Make one row 1/4 inch from the edge and the other 5/8 inch from the edge. To create fullness in the cape, pull the threads to gather the fabric.

5. Cut 2 strips of fabric 3 inches wide and 24 inches in length. Press the length-wide edges to the center and enclose the edges by folding the strip in half. Stitch along the edges. These will be used for the cape ties.

6. Sew the ends of the strips to the cape at the collar.

7. Design, draw and cut out the superhero emblem and sew it on the back of the cape.

Tips & Warnings

• You can use an iron-on emblem for your cape.

References

• Elegantly Frugal Costumes: Shirley Dearing
• Feels Like Home: How to Make a Cape