How to Make a Pumpkin Costume

A pumpkin costume might be the ideal Halloween accessory. It can fit a very wide variety of sizes, from children to adults, even over a jacket. It's not really "scary," so it's appropriate for Halloween parties in most churches and schools and it requires only very basic sewing machine skills. The pumpkin costume is basically a large, decorated tube of orange fabric, gathered at the top and bottom, with room left at the top of the sides as arm holes. The pumpkin "top" is a little beret-type hat with a green stuffed stem and an elastic chin strap.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing machine
• 2 to 3 yards orange fabric--sturdy orange polyester knit is best, but a bedsheet dyed with orange fabric dye will work.
• 1/2 yard black polyester fabric or felt
• straight pins
• Scrap of green fabric or felt for "stem"
• Small amount polyester stuffing
• 1/2-inch elastic
• 1/4-inch elastic for chin strap

1. Cut orange fabric to create two panels, 36-inches long (the width of the fabric yardage) and 48 (or more) inches wide. Using sewing machine, hem each piece about 1/4 inch on all four sides, to finish edges. Turn top and bottom (the longer sides) edges over about one inch and stitch again, to create a channel for the elastic.

2. Cut triangular jack o'lantern "eye" and "nose" shapes from black felt and make each eye about as big as your hand. Precision isn't required here. Also cut a black crescent "mouth" and notch top and bottom to create "teeth."

3. Pin the features to the front of the costume and machine stitch around them, close to the edges, to secure them. Use non-fraying fabric, such as felt or polyester knit, so you don't have to use an applique stitch.

4. Pin front and back panels together, wrong sides facing. Stitch side seams from bottom up, being sure to start seam above the channel you made for the elastic. Stop seam about 10-12 inches from top, to leave room for arms. Turn right side out. Thread 1/2-inch elastic through channels at top and bottom and join, making it tight enough to pull pumpkin into shape but loose enough to fit around neck (at the top) and thighs (at the bottom). If in doubt, leave it looser; you can tighten it later. Elastic will create the costume's "shoulders."

5. Trace circle on orange fabric with round dinner plate; cut two circles and stitch together around edges, leaving space to turn inside out; turn and finish raw edge. If desired, stuff lightly first. Cut star shape from green felt and pin to the center of the hat, to make base of stem; stitch around edges to secure. Stuff a little tube of felt and hand-stitch to center of the star shape, to create 3-D stem. Attach thin elastic chin strap.

Tips & Warnings

• Pull on costume over head; fit by adjusting elastic as necessary.
• On a child, costume will reach knees or below. For an adult, costume can be worn as a shirt. over a black sweatshirt parka.
• If desired, once it's on, stuff pumpkin with crumpled newspaper or tissue paper, pillows, balloons, etc.--front and back-- to make it rounder.
• This costume may last for years. The hat is the first thing to get lost, but it's still cute without the hat.
• For a very young child, start with front and back pieces half the listed sizes and stitch pumpkin hat to the hood of a sweatshirt parka.
• This is about as safe as a costume can be, but choose non-flammable fabric. For children, stuff the pumpkin costume with non-flammable materials.
• Choose face paint over an eye mask.