How to Make a Native American Costume

Making a Native American costume is a fun and easy project that takes very little time and effort. To make a Native American costume for Halloween, Thanksgiving, or a costume party, a few basic items are needed. Teachers faced with the challenge of making several Native American costumes for a school play, follow these helpful steps.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Tan or brown T-shirt
• Scissors
• Potato stamp or store-bought stamp
• Acrylic or fabric paint
• Accessories: strips of leather, cloth, beads, mocassins

1. Take a plain tan or T-shirt that is a little bit too big. Choose a shirt that comes to mid-thigh for best results. The longer the sleeves and the hem, the better the "fringe." Men may choose to use a tee shirt that fits more snugly for a "warrior" look.

2. Cut out a potato stamp with a shape; diamonds or squares work well. To make a potato stamp, simply cut a potato in half. Then cut the shape into the flesh of the potato, or use regular store-bought stamp.

3. Press one of the potato stamps into acrylic paint or fabric paint. After testing on a piece of extra material, use the stamp to make a repeated pattern across the chest of the tee shirt. Paint a thin line above and below the shapes repeated across the chest.

4. Let the shirt dry, and then either put in clothes dryer (by itself) and let it tumble for 10 to 15 minutes, or use a blow dryer for the same amount of time. This helps the paint to set.

5. Using sharp scissors, cut out the collar of the shirt. Cut the sleeves and hem of the shirt into strips about a 1/2-inch to 1-inch wide, creating a fringe. When washed, the strips will curl in slightly, so be aware of this when choosing width.

Tips & Warnings

• Men and boys should wear brown or tan pants with their Native American shirts. Women and girls can do the same, or wear a long shirt as a dress. Moccasins or suede boots without zippers can be worn.

• A strip of cloth or leather, should be worn across the forehead. One feather can be placed in back of headband.

• Accessories include using strips of leather around upper arms, wrists or as a neck choker.

• Beads can be added to the fringe for a more detailed look and also to the strips of leather used in jewelry.