Things You'll Need:
- Old clothes
- Animal ears or hats
- Accessories
- Costume pattern
- Fabric
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Step 1
Choose old or inexpensive clothing, such as a colored sweatshirt and sweatpants, that could be turned into a costume.
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Step 2
Decorate the clothing to turn it into a character. For example, red sweats could become a spider suit if you draw lines on them with a black permanent marker, and orange sweats could become a favorite bear costume with a red T-shirt over them.
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Step 3
Look for simple hats or headbands, such as animal ears or cowboy hats, to go with the costume. For example, a hat with kitty ears can turn plain old black, brown or gray sweats into great cat costume.
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Step 4
Use readily available items to complement the basic costume. For example, a simple towel or old pillowcase can make a great superhero cape, and fairy wings can turn any colorful dress or outfit into a perfect pixie costume.
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Step 5
Complete the costume with simple accessories, such as a magic wand for a fairy princess, or a bandanna and a star badge for a cowboy.
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Step 1
Look for a pattern that comes in a small enough size for your toddler. Many fabric stores have pattern catalogs that offer costumes in a variety of sizes, so you may be able to use the same pattern for several children.
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Step 2
Avoid patterns with uncomfortable features, such as ruffled collars.
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Step 3
Choose fabric that complements the type of costume you’re making, such as inexpensive satin for a princess dress or an animal print for a tiger. Avoid fabric that feels itchy or scratchy.
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Step 4
Make sure the fabric suits the weather. Fuzzy fleece will keep a child warm outdoors, but may be too hot for an indoor party.
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Step 5
While sewing the costume, hold it up to one of the child’s regular outfits to check the size so you can make adjustments as necessary and keep fittings to a minimum.
