How to Make Cheap Capes

A simple cape should cost little to nothing to make at home.

Kids often play dress-up to become a character out of a story, movie or plucked from imagination. Halloween also offers a chance for dress-up, not only for children but adults as well. Capes can serve a versatile role in the costume collection, as they can be used for super hero costumes, magician costumes, witch outfits and wizard wardrobes. You can make a simple and inexpensive cape at home with some fabric and a few sewing supplies.

Things You'll Need

• 3 yards lightweight fabric
• Clothing iron
• Fabric pen
• Scissors
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Iron 3 yards of lightweight fabric with a clothing iron. Adjust the iron temperature according to the type of fabric you are using.

2. Lay the fabric over a flat workspace.

3. Mark off the area for the main section of the cape with a fabric pen. Take into consideration, the height of the wearer. For example, a toddlers cape should be about 18 inches long on each side, 12 inches wide at the bottom of the cape and about 4-6 inches at the neck of the cape. The sides should slowly come in at the top, like a trapezoid, or a triangle with the pointed top chopped off.

4. Cut the fabric along the marked lines with scissors.

5. Fold each side in, one at a time, about 1/2 inch and again another 1/2 inch to conceals the rough, or cut, edge of the fabric. Pin the fabric down and stitch to create hems.

6. Sew down the folded hems with needle and thread, using a long straight stitch along the folds. Remove the pins.

7. Cut an 18-inch by 3-inch strip of fabric from the leftover scraps.

8. Fold the strip of fabric in half width-wise to make the strip only 1 1/2 inches wide. Sew the long edges together with needle and thread. Sew one short side together as well.

9. Turn the strip inside out by pulling the sewn end through the un-sewn end.

10. Tuck the edges of the un-sewn end inward slightly and sew through it to close the strip the rest of the way.

11. Center the strip across the top edge of the main section of the cape and sew it with a straight, tight stitch, just over the top hem, leaving the ends of the strip to function as a tie-on for the cape.