How to Make A No-Sew Butterfly Costume

Halloween costumes don't always have to be scary monsters or sugary sweet princesses. This is a super easy, no sew costume that will make your tiny tot the cutest bug on the block. If you get a last minute costume party invitation, this butterfly costume whips up in a jiffy.

Here are easy how to instructions to make a no sew butterfly costume.

Things You'll Need

• Black sweat pants and black hooded sweatshirt
• White heavy weight stiff felt-you should be able to buy this by the yard at your local fabric or craft store
• Colorful pieces of soft felt. Some craft stores sell sheets of felt with fabric adhesive all ready on the back.
• Paper backed fusible web
• 1" wide VELCRO hook and loop fastener. Try to find a package of VELCRO with adhesive all ready applied to both the hook and loop sides.
• 2 Extra Large Pompoms
• 2 Chenille Pipe Cleaners
• Glue
• Scissors

Instructions

1. The black sweatpants and black hooded sweatshirt will be the body of the butterfly. You could also substitute with a black body suit, onesie, leotard and tights, stretch pants and t-shirt, basically anything black that covers your body.

   Also, if you can't find a black hoodie or just don't want to cover your gorgeous hair, you could wear a funky headband with some colorful antennae.

2. 

   See the attached template of butterfly wings. To know how big to make your butterfly wings you will need to measure from the nape of your neck to just above your bum. Then with your arms outstretched, measure from the middle of your back to about 2 inches past your elbow.

   Draw your butterfly wings onto the white felt. To make sure both sides are even do one of the following:

   Either first make a paper template out of newspaper or a large sheet of paper, and trace onto the felt then cut out.

   Or fold your felt in half, draw one side of your butterfly wings onto the felt. Cut out that half of the wings, then trace around the outside of the cut wing onto the other side of the folded felt and cut.

3. Measure a strip of VELCRO to fit down the middle of your butterfly wings and cut to fit.

   If you didn't buy VELCRO strips with fabric iron on adhesive all ready attached then cut a strip of fabric adhesive and iron to the wrong side of each piece of hook and loop fastener.

4. 

   Iron one side of the VELCRO strip to the middle of your butterfly wings.

   Iron the other side of the VELCRO strip to the middle of the back of your black hooded sweatshirt.

5. If you couldn't find colored felt with fabric adhesive pre-attached then iron your Heat and Bond or other brand paper backed fabric adhesive to the wrong side your colored felt.

6. 

   Draw shapes onto the paper of the fabric adhesive you've ironed onto the colored felt. You will be applying these shapes to both sides and front and back of your butterfly wings so you will need to make four of each shape.

   See the attached example of decorated butterfly wings. The image shows the front of the butterfly wings decorated with swirls and circles and the VELCRO strip down the middle.

   You could also decorate your wings with curves, squares, triangles, hearts, and diamonds.

7. Cut out the felt shapes and remove the paper backing. Layout your felt pieces onto your butterfly wings in your desired pattern. Use a pressing cloth and iron each piece onto one side of the butterfly wings until they are secure.

   Let the ironed side cool for a few minutes.

   Flip over your butterfly wings. Layout your felt pieces onto your butterfly wings in your desired pattern. Use a pressing cloth and iron each piece onto the butterfly wings until they are secure.

8. Now it's time to make the antennae.

   Put on the hood of your sweatshirt and mark where you'd like to place the antennae with a piece of chalk. Remove the sweatshirt.

   Take one chenille pipe cleaner and poke it through the mark you've made on the hood. If it's a thick sweatshirt you may need to poke a hole through with your scissors.

   Feed the chenille pipe cleaner halfway through, bend in half and poke back through the hood. Twist the two pieces of pipe cleaner together. Cut a tiny slit in the pompom. Squirt a dab of glue inside the slit and insert the end of the pipe cleaner into the pompom.

   Follow the same instructions to make the second antennae.

   Use a hot glue gun and the glue will dry quickly.

9. To get into your butterfly costume just put on your black sweatpants and black hoodie. Attach the butterfly wings to your back by joining the two pieces of VELCRO together.

   Put on your hood.

   If you find the chenille pipe cleaners are uncomfortable use an extra piece of felt to cover the bend of the pipe cleaner and iron in place on the inside of the hooded sweatshirt.

   Now you're ready to spread your wings and fly.