How to Make Costumes With Calico Faux Fur

Create a calico cat costume using faux fur.

Faux fur comes in different qualities. There are the faux furs used to create and line coats and other clothing materials and then there are the faux furs used to make the outer shell of stuffed animals. If you want to use faux fur to make a costume, you can use either type; however, using the latter is less expensive and easier to work with. Calico refers to spotted coloring, usually found on cats. Making a costume using calico faux fur requires just a little sewing skills and time.

Things You'll Need

• Calico faux fur
• Fabric scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Cotton batting
• Dowel rod
• Needle
• Thread
• Hot glue gun
• Pink felt
• Headband
• Halloween face paint
• Black gloves
• Black shoes
• Dog collar

Instructions

1. Cut a 4 inch wide piece of calico faux fur using fabric scissors. The length you cut will be how long the tail will be. Fold the tail piece in half lengthwise with the wrong side facing out. Use straight pins to pin along the length of the tail and one end of the tail. Sew a 1/4 inch seam along the edge of the tail and remove the pins.

2. Turn the tail right side out by pulling the sealed end of the tail through the length of the tail. Once the tail is right side out, stuff the inside with cotton batting. Use a dowel rod to press the stuffing down to the sealed end as you go. Fill it until the tail is firm and holds it shape. Use the sewing machine to sew the open end closed. Attach the tail to the back of a black, spandex body suit by either sewing it with a needle and thread or using a hot glue gun.

3. Cut out two triangles from the faux fur, each measuring 2 inches in size. Cut out two more triangles from a piece of pink felt, each measuring 1 inch in size. Hot glue the pink triangles into the center of the faux fur triangles. Use a hot glue gun to attach the bottom edge of the triangles to a headband, positioning the triangles at the 10 and 2 o'clock positions. These are the cat ears.

4. Cut two pieces of faux fur, each 4 inches wide. The length should match that of the diameter of your wrist plus 1 inch. Fold the pieces in half lengthwise like you did the tail. Pin the length in place and sew a 1/4 inch seam with the sewing machine. Remove the pins. Insert the sewn length of the pieces into the sleeve the body suit. Use the sewing machine to attach one faux fur piece to each cuff.

5. Paint your nose pink using face paint. Draw three black whiskers on either side of your face.

6. Wear black gloves and any style black shoes.

7. Wear a large dog collar if desired to complete the look.

Tips & Warnings

• The same process you used to create faux fur cuffs on your sleeves can be used to add some to the cuffs of your pants.

• Choose a body suit with long sleeves and long pants.

• Usually calico refers to the colors of a cat. However, if you want to use the calico faux fur to make other animal costumes, you can use this same method to make a dog, rabbit or even a bear. To create these animals, adjust the tail and ears to create a different look.

References

• Creative Discovery Museum: Puppy Ears
• Bella Online: Affordable Black Cat Halloween Costume