Both boys and girls enjoy dressing up for make-believe play.
Make-believe play is not only fun, it helps children develop cognitive skills, cope with stress, hone social skills and become effective problem solvers. Costumes are an excellent way to enhance drama and creativity when kids play house or dream of saving the universe. Making your own make-believe costumes and masks can be part of the fun. Homemade costumes will not only save money, they will encourage your kids to use their own ingenuity and vision when making the costumes and masks.
Instructions
Fabric Scrap Outfits
1. Measure kids from neck to waist, knee or ankle, depending on whether their costumes will be waist-length or full-length. Cut fabric to twice the intended length. Use any kind of scrap fabric, such as remnants from an old bolt, felt, imitation fur, a tablecloth or old sheets.
2. Measure from wrist to wrist with arms out. Cut the fabric to that width. Hem edges of unraveling fabric using hemming tape or a fabric tack glue if necessary.
3. Fold the fabric in half so that the fold is along the top edge. Cut a hole large enough for a head centered along the fold, and tape tack fabric if necessary to stop unraveling.
4. Throw the piece of fabric over the child's head. Tie it around the waist with a belt or rope. Use this procedure to make a number of different style costumes, such as an animal, a peasant tunic, a goddess gown or a Jedi robe.
5. Paint designs or glue accessories to the outfit. For example, paint a coat of arms on the front of a gray piece of fabric for a knight's tunic. Paint black stripes on orange fabric for a tiger costume. Glue on silk flowers and pin on paper wings for a fairy costume or affix felt patches and straw for a scarecrow.
Repurpose Old Clothes
6. Put on an over-sized white shirt to make a coat for a scientist, doctor or barber.
7. Cut the sleeves and collar of an old shirt to make a vest. Use hemming tape or fabric tack to prevent unraveling on the cut edges. Paint or glue on embellishments.
8. Pull out the stitches in a side seam of a long flair skirt, or cut straight down one side from top to bottom. Tape or tack it to stop unraveling. Fold the waist band over a length of ribbon and stitch or glue across the fabric to enclose the ribbon, which will act like a drawstring. Use it as a cape, or cut armholes in it to make it a cloak.
Making Masks
9. Hold a heavy cardboard plate up to the child's face. Mark the location of eyes and mouth.
10. Turn the plate upside-down. Draw eyes over the eye markings, making sure they are even. Cut them out, and cut a slit for the mouth.
11. Paint the plate a base coat. Allow the base coat to dry, then add features and details with paint, crayons or markers. Cut scrap cardboard into the shape of pointy teeth or ears and glue them on, if desired.
12. Glue yarn, lengths of streamer or ribbon as hair around the top or sides of the plate. Add embellishments, such as a pompom nose or glittery eyeshadow.
13. Staple ribbons to the side edges of the mask so that you can tie it securely around the back of your child's head. Alternatively, tape a paint stirrer to the back of the mask so you can hold it up with the stick.
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