How to Make Your Own Christmas Pageant Costumes
The charm of a Christmas pageant lies in the children performing it, so it is not necessary to have expensive costumes. Simple fabrics with little or no sewing can set the scene perfectly, and their homemade style is appropriate for both the era and the story being told. For the ecologically minded, tonight's costumes can be recycled as tomorrow's Christmas present wrappings. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Scissors
- Twine
- Tea towel
- Elastic headband
- Gold cord
- White and gold tinsel
- 24-gauge wire
Instructions
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Measure the child who is playing Mary from her shoulders to her feet. Double that number. Buy a piece of solid blue cotton/polyester fabric at least that long. Cut a hole in the middle of the fabric just large enough so that it slips over the girl's head. Tie a piece of thick twine around the waist. Buy 1 yard of fabric in a darker blue, and cut it into a rectangle that is 20-by-46 inches. Drape it over the girl's head and tie it loosely under her chin.
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Measure the boy who will play Joseph from waist to knee, and add 4 inches. Cut out two rectangles of white cotton fabric,using that measurement for the length. Use the entire width of the fabric. Sew together the two sides of the fabric. For the waist, fold over 1 inch of fabric on both pieces of fabric and stitch in place. Run a piece of ribbon or twine through the channel you created, and use it as a drawstring. Measure out 10 inches on each side of the bottom of the fabric. These will be the leg holes. Sew the remainder of the bottom together.
Measure the boy playing Joseph from his shoulder to halfway between his knees and his ankles. Double that measurement. Buy a piece of burlap fabric; cut it to that length. Cut a hole in the center of it large enough to slip over his head. Tie a piece of thick twine around his waist. Drape a white tea towel on his head to make his headdress. Use a black elastic headband to hold it in place.
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Use the same pattern for the pants for the Three Wise Men. Repeat the pattern for the tunic, but choose rich solid colors for the tunic. Make sure each Wise Man wears a different colored tunic. Tie it around the waist with a sash in a contrasting color. Measure out 20 inches by 46 inches in a brightly patterned fabric for their headdresses. Coordinate the pattern colors to colors of their tunics. Hold the headdress in place with a gold elastic cord wrapped around their heads. Tie it in a sturdy knot.
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Use the same pattern for the tunic, but in a shiny white fabric, for angels. Tie the waist with a gold cord. Wrap white and gold tinsel around a length of 24-gauge wire shaped in a circle large enough to rest on top of the child's head to serve as a halo.
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Use Joseph's costume as the pattern for the shepherds. Have them hold stuffed sheep. Take an old broom handle and spray paint it brown for a shepherd's crook.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit angel image by Kalani from Fotolia.com
