How to Make a Kangaroo Costume
Maybe your kids have a school play coming up, or perhaps Halloween is around the corner. Maybe you just like dressing like Australian wildlife. For whatever reason, someone in your family has announced that they need a kangaroo costume. You could spend days driving around town looking for one, or you could just make your own. Making your own kangaroo costume will save you money and it allows you to create your costume in any color you like.
Things You'll Need
- A hooded sweatshirt in brown, tan or your favorite color
- Sweatpants in the same color
- 1 yard of craft felt, matching color
- Fiberfill or other stuffing material
- A small stuffed toy kangaroo (optional)
- Sewing machine
Instructions
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1
Select your sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. These will form the basic body of your costume.
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2
Make the tail, using the craft felt. Cut a long, narrow triangle, about 30-inches wide at the base. Make the triangle about 3-feet long at the center apex. Fold the triangle in half lengthwise, turn inside out, and stitch along the long edge. Leave the short bottom edge open. Turn the tail so that it is now right side out, and loosely stuff with fiberfill. Pin the short edge closed.
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3
Sew the short edge of the tail to the seat of the sweatpants, making sure you catch both sides of the tail fabric in the stitching to close it. You can position it anywhere you like, but ideally you should align it with the rear center seam of the pants. Before sewing it on permanently, pin it in place and try on the pants to make sure the tail doesn't hang too low. Adjust as needed.
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4
Cut a piece of the craft felt about 12-inches wide by 7-inches high, rounding off the bottom two corners to form a U-shape. This will be the kangaroo pocket. Place it so that it is centrally positioned on the front of the sweatshirt, and sew it in place around the side and bottom edges. Leave the top open, and if you like, carry a toy baby kangaroo in the pocket.
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5
Cut a pair of ears from the felt. Make the ears about 3-inches across at the base, and taper upward into a point about 5-inches long. Fold each ear in half at the bottom edge, and sew onto the hood of the sweatshirt. Put on your kangaroo costume, and start bouncing around!
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Tips & Warnings
If you're making this costume for a child who won't keep a hood on, consider attaching the ears to a ball cap or knit cap instead.
If you're going to be trick-or-treating in this costume, check to make sure your tail doesn't drag along the ground--you don't want to trip over it in the dark!
