How to Make or Sew a Colonial Costume for a Boy

Make your boy look like George Wahington

Whether it is for a President's Day performance, an Independence Day parade or Halloween you never know when you're going to need colonial boy's costume. A costume from a shop would be quite expensive. You can buy a pattern and make one yourself or, if you have basic sewing skills, it is quite easy to alter a few pieces of modern clothing from the thrift store or novelty shop into the fashions of our founding fathers.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• 1 pair of black leggings
• Oversized white shirt.
• White knee socks
• Pair of leather slip on shoes
• 2 large matching buckles
• A wide brimmed felt hat
• Long square tailed, v- neck vest
• Fabric glue
• Sewing machine (optional)

1. Cut leggings off just just below the knees. Add elastic. You may also add a couple of decorative buttons on the outside bottom of legs.

2. Cut the cuffs and collar off the shirt. Hem the sleeves and add elastic about an inch from cuff creating a ruffle. Add a ruffle at the neck or a simple white tie, depending on the social class of your boy. If you can find a girl's shirt with ruffle sleeves and collar you may use it, but do not tell the boy where you got it.

3. Make or find a long square tail, v-neck vest. You may use a solid color or an elaborate brocade fabric depending on the social class of your character. Replace buttons with something in a bright brass.

4. Fold the back third of the hat brim up and tack to crown the with a couple of cross stitches. Fold side brims into a point at the front.Tack down. If your boy is upper class add some nice trim to the edges of the brim to match the vest.

5. Glue or sew buckles to shoes and wear with white knee socks.

References

• Homeschool Rangers;National Park Adventures for Home schoolers
• Stage Costume, Step by Step; Mary T. Kidd; 2002