Quick & Easy Halloween Costumes for Beginners

Posted on | October 26, 2009 | 2 Comments

I wasn’t up for spending $40 a piece on my kids’ Halloween costumes this year, so I decided to make my own. Let me preface this by saying that, although I make a LOT of things from scratch, my skills with needle and thread and pretty much entirely lacking. So I needed something that was not only cheap, but EASY. Here’s what I did:

Michaels, Hobby Lobby, and lots of the other big-box craft stores that carry Halloween fabric tend to mark theirs down to half price at the beginning of October. So I was able to get 30% off on some cute “spooky eye” fabric as well as some stretchy black velor. I bought three yards of each–you may need more or less depending on how large your children are and how many costumes you’re making. I picked out a roll of black and orange ribbon (also on clearance) to use for ties and any other decorations I might need.

I also wasn’t sure whether my sewing machine, which has been in my closet since I made my very first set of curtains about six years ago, was going to work out, so I bought a roll of Stitch Witchery (iron-on fabric adhesive) just in case. Glad I did, because my sewing machine seems to have developed a problem with bobbin tension and I wasn’t going to have time to have it fixed it before Halloween. I spent a total of around $20 on materials and another $10 at Target on a super-cute witch hat for Lily because I just couldn’t figure out how to make one myself with my limited time and sewing skills!

Now to make the capes…First, I prewashed the fabric so that it wouldn’t shrink once I’d made the costumes. Then I measured both kids from the base of their skull to about six inches above the ground. Adding an inch extra on each end for the seams, I cut a trapezoid-shaped piece of each of the two fabrics. The trapezoid was about three feet across on the bottom and about 18 inches across at the top, and the height (plus two inches) that I had measured for each child. For older children (mine are 3 and 5) or for an adult, you may want it as wide as 5 feet at the bottom and 3 feet at the top depending on how wide the person’s shoulders are.

The cape is reversible!

I placed the fabric, pattern-side facing inwards, across the ironing board and set it to the steam/wool setting (per the Stitch Witchery instructions). Starting six inches down from the top (narrow end of the trapezoid) on one side of the cape, I applied the Stitch Witchery and steam-ironed it to stick the two fabrics together. Then I did the bottom and up the other side, again to about six inches from the top, so I had sort of an open-topped sack. I let it cool and turned the “bag” right-side out so that the “spooky eye” pattern was now on the outside and so that the Stitch Witchery that I had already applied was now on the inside holding the two pieces of fabric together with a nice seam.

Then I took a 2 foot length of the ribbon and put it between the two flaps of fabric at the top of the trapezoid. The ribbon forms the draw string on the capes and sealing it into the cape without getting it stuck in the Stitch Witchery is literally the only delicate part of the whole endeavor. Basically, you need to lay the ribbon between the fabric layers just above where you stopped sealing the seams together on the sides. Then place a line of Stitch Witchery about 2 inches above the ribbon and seal the two pieces of fabric together. This leaves about 4 inches for a collar on the cape. I hand-stitched the final seam here because I was worried about having enough Stitch Witchery, but you could easily use the iron for this step too if sewing is not your thing.

The Little Witch

I ended up having some fabric left over, so I made a very simple dress for Lily with the remnants. I basically followed the pattern for a pillowcase dress and again used the Stitch Witchery for all the seams. Since it typically snows here in Colorado around Halloween, I made this dress with the intention of having long sleeves and long pants on under it.

I have friends who are excellent seamstresses and who make very elaborate costumes for their kiddos. What I created was not elaborate, but it took me about 2 hours, cost $20 for two costumes, and the kids loved them. I do wish my sewing machine had been working because I had hoped that these capes would be part of their dress up box for years and I just don’t think they’ll hold up to that much lovin’, but the Stitch Witchery is definitely sturdy enough to last through Halloween and a couple of Halloween parties/parades and what not.

Comments