How to Make Pointy Ears
No matter how good your costume is, you can't change the shape or positions of your ears, so having a spare pair handy is essential for fancy dress fanatics. If the choices for ears you can buy aren't quite right, the most sensible option is to just make some. The two easiest methods are with fabric and cardboard.
Instructions
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Fabric Ears
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1
Find or draw template for the shape and size ears you want, and cut them out onto some card.
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2
Place the template on the wrong side of the fabric and draw around it twice, then flip it over and draw around it twice again.
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3
Cut out the ear shapes. Sew a seam along each bottom edge of the ears and pin them together with the right sides facing.
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4
Sew around the edge of the ear, leaving up to a 1 cm seam allowance and the bottom open.
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5
Turn the ear the right way round through the gap you have left along the bottom edge.
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6
Insert a pipe cleaner into the ear, through the gap in the bottom seam, leaving at least 2 cm on each end exposed. This gives the ear some substance, and you can now play around with the angle and size of the ear.
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7
Wrap the ends of the pipe cleaner in the correct position on your headband.
Paper Ears
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8
Find or draw a template for the shape and size ears you want and cut them out onto some thick card, leaving a tail long enough to wrap round your headband at the bottom of the ear shape.
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9
Glue colored card, scraps of fabric, glitter or anything you want onto the ears to decorate them.
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10
Position the ears on the headband, apply a strong glue on the tails of the ears and glue them into position.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Using pipe cleaners means you can remove the ears from the headband as and when they're needed. You're also able to use the same headband for multiple ears, meaning you don't have to buy a lot of new accessories.
Always cut the ears slightly bigger than you want them, leaving at least a 1 cm seam allowance as they will get smaller after sewing and turning them inside out.
Make sure you have double the amount of fabric as you think you will need for your ears, as you will be making two sides to each ear, and you don't want to run out.
Always be careful with scissors, especially when cutting out thick cardboard and fabric, as it's easy to slip and cut yourself.
