We don’t celebrate Halloween at our house, nor do they recognize it at my daughter’s preschool. However, there IS a fall festival at the school every year, during which they allow the students to dress up in costume. A lot of churches around here do the same, so there are opportunities for my daughter to get all gussied up. Last year, she wore cheap princess costume that she had received the previous Christmas. This year, I am determined to make her costume myself.
I don’t want you to think I’m overstating my skills now. While I can definitely operate a sewing machine, my experience is limited to simple sewing projects like making pillow covers (it’s easy to cut squares and rectangles from fabric) or hemming clothes. By no means am I talented enough to design and create a costume from scratch.
Thankfully, there are some alternatives. I discovered Etsy seller DIY Costumes a few days ago via Evergreen Moms, and boy am I glad I did!
DIY Costumes sells kits that, with a little hand sewing, will allow you to turn a sweatsuit into a variety of cute animal costumes, from a cuddly koala to a lion or turtle. The kits include step-by-step instructions, links to video tutorials, iron on accessories, a needle and thread and an iron-on “handmade by ____” tag, and they are all designed to start with a sweatsuit, which many kids already have. Even better, for sizes up to 5T, the kits are just $15. You can get versions for bigger kids or adults for a little bit more.
I’ve got my eye on the ladybug for my daughter. Now I just have to find a black sweatsuit at Goodwill since she’s outgrown all of the ones she had. This will beat a cheap, mass-produced plastic costume any day! Add a reusable shopping bag as the perfect treat bag, and she’ll have the perfect eco-friendly costume.
Why It’s Green:
- Handmade
- 10% of DIY Costumes’ profits go to the World Wildlife Fund for endangered species protection
Price: $15-20
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Okay, you know what? You betta sew your baby a costume!!!!!!! I’m not mad at cha, but girl, you’re on your own with that one. I tried sewing a costume for Mari once—it was supposed to be Joseph’s Technicolor Coat, and when I tell you the sleeves came out a HOT mess? ROFL!!! I promised myself I wouldn’t do that to the babies ever again! LOL!!!!
@Denene Ok…I literally would have PAID to see that
I’m going to stick to something simple like one of these kits. I also found some instructions in the latest issue of Kiwi Magazine, but all of those are more complicated. I’m really going to make a valiant effort not to make her look a hot mess 
Actually, I make quilts, and I have made clothes before, but I have never successfully made a pillow cover. They always come out all wonky.
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