How to Make a Caterpillar Costume for Dress-Up

Dress-up costumes are fun for children and perfect for sparking their imagination. I chose to use fleece to make this costume. Fleece is the perfect material for a caterpillar costume and it is very easy to work with. No ironing, hemming, or re-enforcing seams.

This costume can be used over my butterfly costume.  Caterpillar can then morph into a butterfly.  These Dress-up costumes are perfect to go with a caterpillar to butterfly lesson plan or to be used in a school play like: Goin' Buggy

 

 

Materials Needed:
Fleece
22” Zipper
Marabou (for antennas)
2 Pom-Poms (for antennas)
Sewing Machine
Hot Glue Gun (for antennas)

Instructions:
(click on photo to enlarge pattern instructions)
1. First begin by measuring the child you are making the caterpillar costume for. Measure from the shoulder down to the ankle. Then measure from one shoulder to the other this will be the size of the fleece you need to cut out (cut 2).
2. Cut strips for the sides of the costume. The strips need to be the length of the costume and 3 to 4 inches wide. Sew the sides to the front and back of the costume.
3. Cut a small half circle on the top front of the costume along the neckline. Cut a slit in the fleece the length of the zipper. Cut an extra ¼ inch on either side of the slit to make room for the zipper. Sew the zipper into the costume inside out. The child has to be able zip themselves in and out of the costume. Without arm holes they need to zip the costume from the inside.
4. Cut fleece strips for the shoulders and sew on.
5. Cut a rectangular block for the hood.
6. Sew the sides together curve the seam near the top of the hood. Attach the bottom of the hood to the costume.
7. Cut out two small rectangular pieces for the collar; attach a collar to the top front.
8. Optional: To make antennas for the costume you can either make headband antennas or attach the antennas right to the hood. To attach the antennas to the hood; pierce a small hole on either side of the hood. Thread a pipe cleaner through each hole. Spiral the very bottom of each of the pipe cleaners on the inside of the hood and hot glue in place. Next, thread a spring over each of the pipe cleaners. Wrap the pipe cleaners down around each of the springs. Wrap and hot glue marabou around each of the springs. Hot glue a pom pom onto each of the antennas.

For more Dress-Up Costumes Tutorials search the dress-up label.

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Butterfly Costume Step-by-Step Picture Instructions

As many of you know, from reading my blog, I love dress-up costumes. Children love to dress-up and use their imagination. My goal is to come up with easy costume directions that you can follow and make for your kids. Make-believe is wonderful for children and helps to expand their imaginations. So get off the couch, shut-off the television, and put on a play with your “buggy” costumes.

My dress-up costumes can also be used for the play "Going Buggy" it is a grade school play.

 

 

Butterfly Tutorial:

Materials Needed:
Black Sweatshirt
2 Silk Fabrics (2 separate colors, 1yd of each approximate)
Chalk
Pins
Scissors
Sewing Machine (optional)

Instructions:

1. Begin by choosing 2 silk fabrics for your butterfly wings. You will need one color for the top wings and another color for the bottom wings.

2. Lay the silk down on a hard surface (preferably a table or large counter-top). Lay the sweatshirt on top of the silk. Raise one of the arms of the sweatshirt. Trace the outline of the shirt sleeve and down the bottom of the sweatshirt about 2 inches from the bottom with chalk.

3. Draw curves along the side (opposite side of the shirt) for the butterfly wing details. Draw a line from the bottom of the shirt (2 inches up) to the other side of the wing at an angle. Fold the silk in half cut the two wings out (use the chalk lines as a template).

4. Next, draw on the other style silk the bottom wing. The top wing and the bottom wing will be sewn together. Use the top wing as a guide for the forming of the top angled line, the curved edges, and the bottom point. The bottom wing will be sewn to the last 2 inches that you left at the bottom of the sweatshirt.

5. Sew the top wing to the bottom wing (for both sides).







6. Cut the sleeve and sides of the sweat shirt open. I did not bother to seam rip I just cut them. (There was no seam on the side of sweat shirt I just cut along the side in an even line.)

7. Turn the sweat shirt inside out and sew the top of the wing along the inside of the arm. (Pin the wings in place first so that you can check that the fabric is going the right way. Good rule to remember front sides or right sides pressed together.)

8. Next, sew the sides of the wing along the side of the sweatshirt.

9. Turn, sweat shirt right side out and wings are ready to use. If you notice the silk fraying use liquid fray check or fray blocker.

To add butterfly antenna's visit my: Diva Bug Antennas Post

For more Dress-Up Costumes Tutorials search the dress-up label.

Bumble Bee Wings

I finished the bumble headband just the other day. The last two days I have been working on creating bumble bee wings. I wanted the wings to be light-weight, easy to make, inexpensive to make, and most of all easy for my little bumble bee to wear. It was important to me that the wings were attached to her arms so that she could flap her wings as she ran.

Here is what I came up with:

Materials Needed:
8 pieces of Paper Stem Wire
1 pair of woman’s yellow nylons (sized tall – medium)
Gold Glitter Glue
Black Grosgrain Ribbon or Twill
Hot Glue Gun

Instructions:

• Begin by wrapping the ends of two of the paper stem wire. Form wing shape.

• Cut the yellow nylon the length of the wing and pull over wing. Knot the end of the nylon. 

 

• Place the nylon on the three other wings. (Helpful Hint: For the two ends that do not have the foot seam on them hot glue the end and turn the nylon inside out for your seam.)

• Hot glue black ribbon around the edges of the wings.

• Using the gold glitter glue make swirls onto the yellow nylon. Set aside and let dry.

•  Attach ribbon onto to both sides of the wings covering the nylon knot on the back. (Helpful Hint: Ribbon will be about 12 inches in length. Test the ribbon length by placing wings onto child’s arms.)

• Attach the top wings to the bottom wings using hot glue.

• Attach thin elastic to the top wing, using hot glue. 

To finish the bumble bee costume I attached ribbon to the front of a gold hooded sweatshirt. Use iron-on hem tape, according to the directions, to adhere the ribbon to the sweatshirt.

Diva Bug Antennas - Perfect for Dress-Up and Make Believe

The bumble bee antennas where such a big hit I wanted to make some more. This time instead of wrapping a headband with plastic leis I used marabou.

Marabou is a lot messier to work with but it is so little girl “diva”! Anyone with little children knows that they love to play make believe. This very easy inexpensive craft is the perfect way to jump start their imagination. Before you know it they will be flying around the house and the yard with their arms flapping and their antennas bobbing.

To make these headbands begin by purchasing inexpensive headbands at a party store it doesn’t matter what the headband looks like as long as it is plastic with springs on the top. Take away the extras off the headband but save the springs.

Hot glue the marabou at the end of the head band, wrap the marabou, and hot glue it to the other end of the headband. Hot glue more marabou at the bottom of the springs, wrap around the springs, and hot glue at the top. Lastly, hot glue a large pom-pom to the top of the spring.





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Bumble Bee Headband

Little girls love to play dress-up! Here is a very easy craft project that can help to expand your little one’s imagination. Buzz….. Buzz……

To make the bumble bee’s antennas begin by going to your local party store. Buy a very inexpensive headband with springs already attached. Many of the headbands are themed for parties or seasonal events. It really doesn’t matter what it looks like as long as it is plastic and has springs attached to the top. Just find the most inexpensive one. Visit the summer/Hawaii themed section of the party store and purchase two plastic leis ( I got the extra fluffy ones).

THIN PLASTIC LEI

$2.76

Thin Plastic Lei [Read More]

At a craft store buy large black pom-poms. You will need two.

• Begin the craft project by tearing off all the extras on the headband but leave springs.
• Next, cut the leis so that it is no longer a circle but a long strand.
• Using a hot glue gun attach the leis to one end of the headband and then wrap it around the entire headband. Glue the leis at the other end of the headband.
• Next, take the second leis and cut it into a long strand, again.
• Using a hot glue gun, glue the leis at the bottom of the spring. Wrap the leis around the spring and then hot glue at the top, too.
• Repeat: wrap and glue the leis onto the other spring.
• Using hot glue attach a large black pom-pom onto the top of both springs/antennas.

Look for bumble bee’s wings instructions to come in the next couple of days. 
(Author's Note: I finished the wings and the costume check out the post!)

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