DIY Cinderella Tu-tu Dress

When I first saw the new Disney Cinderella trailer, I knew I wanted to take the kids to see it in theater; and with Lady Bug dressed up as Cinderella! My sister and I started scouring the internet for Cinderella costumes for our toddler daughters then because we knew that when the movie was coming out there would probably be a shortage. But the dresses we found were either too expensive or not very Cinderella-y. That's when I decided I was going to make a Cinderella tutu dress. And I did it for only $10!

DIY Baby Princess Hat

For Lady Bug's birthday I made her a princess hat. Yes, her birthday was almost half a year ago. I thought I'd already blogged about this, but I checked and, no, I hadn't. So now I am.

Picture instructions ahead!

A Minecraft Birthday

I've been fighting the idea of this party for years now. I didn't want to completely encourage Builder Boy's obsession with a video game. But it's been almost three years now; it was time.

Homemade Halloween Costumes (2014)

Every year since Builder Boy was one year old I have been making his Halloween costumes. For the past five Halloweens I have gone the much easier route of painting on bought t-shirts. Because that's what they are used to, thankfully the boys have never requested more elaborate (or expensive) costumes. So for as long as they're happy with it, I'm going to do it the easy way!

This year the boys decided they wanted to be Angry Birds from the App Game (and web videos based on the game.) They also thought it would be fun for all of our family to be various Angry Birds. Since it's mostly just painting on t-shirts with inexpensive acrylic paints, I agreed. My costume required an additional element, and we went a bit more elaborate with Lady Bug's, but on the whole it did not take too much work or money, and we are all pleased with the results.

Baby Ladybug Costume DIY

aka Why you shouldn't wait until Halloween to dye a costume.

She really likes grabbing the tu-tu fluff!

So for her first Halloween Lady Bug was....a ladybug! I've had the idea for this costume since the ultrasound pregnancy test over a year now.  I purchased everything I needed almost two months in advance....and didn't put it all together until a few hours before it was time to trick or treat. And it was too cold to trick or treat in her costume. Sigh. I should have made it on a black hooded jacket like I did with Builder Boy's bumble bee costume. At least she had a cute bear suit she could wear in the cold and we had a church function to show her off in in the ladybug costume.

I made the tu-tu the day before Halloween. (I put the PRO in procrastination.) I followed instructions from treasures for tots and they were wonderfully helpful. It took me less than an hour to make a wonderful looking tu-tu. I tried making tu-tu's (for a friend's daughters) before, cutting strips of tulle from the stuff you get off bolts. That was a disaster and a waste of hours. Thanks to the tulle cutting instructions, also from treasures for tots, I got a spool and with just a little help from Builder Boy had my strips cut in 10 minutes (or less.) Builder Boy loved being part of a "tu-tu making machine."

I used ribbon instead of elastic to make the waistband, so it would have a bow at the back. If you're wondering (like I was at the store) what width of ribbon to use the answer is: whatever width you want for the bow. Because the tulle is so tight on the ribbon that it makes no difference otherwise. Unless it's an extremely thin ribbon. Don't use a thin ribbon.

That day I also made the wings. I made them out of a cheap rectangle of felt I got in the craft section of Walmart for $0.24. I folded it in half, drew the shape I wanted on it, and cut. (Picture enhanced with Paint since you couldn't see the lines in the original picture.) Then I painted black dots on them, first using a q-tip and finishing with a paintbrush.

Water needed to be "steaming hot."

For the body of the costume I purchased a 0-3 month white, long-sleeved bodysuit/onsie and a packet of Tulip black dye. I followed the instructions exactly, and it came out gray, not black. Because I made it the day of Halloween I did not have time to go back to the store and get another dye packet and re-dye it. If you do this I suggest purchasing two packets and going through the dyeing process a second time. They are only $2-3 each, so it's not too expensive.

This is not the color I was looking for.

Once it was dyed and gone through the wash (as per the instructions) I quickly sewed on the top of the wings to the back of the onsie. Tie the tu-tu around the waist and you've got one adorable ladybug.

Total cost: ~$10.










(Even though I did not finish writing this post until November, I am post dating it to October for easier access in the archives.)

Knight Costume DIY

Watching Early Bird "fly" around in his beloved Super Why costume that I made him last year for Halloween I realized that what I had done for that costume would also work as a knight's costume. Early Bird has spent a lot of time pretending to be a knight lately; especially now that he has Princess Lady Bug to save. So I went to the store and got two gray shirts for $3.47 each, some fleece in blue and red for $2 each, and a $5 "Warrior Kit" from the Halloween aisle that came with two small swords.

I wanted to paint a crest on the chest of the shirts so I sat down with the boys and the American Heraldry Society's website and let them design their own crests. I only insisted that they each have their birth order insignia as part of it.

To paint the crests I first cut out a paper shape to trace. I used one of my favorite Pinterest tips, to put a glue bottle cap on a paint bottle to "write" with. I traced around the paper shape with the glue cap paint, then using a brush I extended the outline some. The metallic paint that I purchased specifically for this project was much less metallic than I had hoped, and was a very thin paint that soaked through. When doing this project make sure you put paper inside the shirt to prevent bleeding through to the back.




















I let that dry for half an hour and then got to work on the inside of the crest. I made the full background and then once it was dry painted the insignia on top. This was a mistake. The paint was so thin that even after several layers (letting it dry before adding another) the background pattern still showed through. If you are going to do this, make the insignia first and then make the background pattern around it.

I free-handed the pattern. The grid being so small made it difficult to paint. If I had to do it over again I would make the checks much bigger.

Once the paint was dry I hand sewed on the capes. I used fleece so that I would not have to hem any edges. I did Early Bird's cape first, sewing the cape at the shoulder seams. I didn't quite like the way it turned out so with Builder Boy's cape I folded the edge over at the ends which ended up giving the cape a flared look.

I used just a regular stitch going one way and then doubled back to reinforce it. I did the same with Early Bird's Super Why costume and it's been going through tough boy play and the washing machine for a year now and has held up.

Early Bird's cape was only half a yard. I think it would have looked better if it had been wider, like Builder Boy's.

Still, not too bad for only about $5.50 (not including paint and sword costs.) We're wearing them while learning about knights and we'll also be using them as our Halloween costumes.

The painting job took several hours just because of the need to dry in between layers and colors. The sewing took 30-45 minutes by hand I think? I consider this to be a fairly easy and quick project. My only regret is the insignia is not clear. But the boys don't care! They love their new knight costumes. And I made sure the shirts I got were big enough that they could be worn over jackets for cold weather trick-or-treating.

Homemade Halloween Costume (2008)

Stopping for candy at the grandparents' house

This was the first costume I ever made for Builder Boy. It is a bumble bee costume made on a black sweatshirt. I made it on a black sweatshirt because I wanted it to be warm and not be covered up by a jacket. I used cheap yellow fabric for the stripes and tacked it on the jacket, thinking I would take it off and use as just a jacket latter (I didn't.) I got a cheap, textured black fabric and made two ovals for wings that I sewed on the back (no picture, but they lay flat like a cape.) For the antenna I used the same black fabric and made two slender cylinders that I stuffed to make stiff and sewed on the hood. 

Homemade Halloween Costumes (2009)

Halloween is coming soon! I make the kids' costumes so I have to think about them ahead of time. I've posted about the costumes I made last year and two years before that. These are the costumes I made in 2009. Early Bird was a clown and Builder Boy was a cowboy.

Early Bird wore a sleeper that I already had. I made a pom pom and attached it to the top of the baby hat and tacked on felt circles.

Builder Boy's costume was a hat we already had (got it at Walmart) and a $1 bandana (also from Walmart.) I tried looking for a sheriff's badge, but I couldn't find one at the time.

Homemade Halloween Costumes (2010/2011)

Here are pictures of the Thomas and Percy costumes I made for Builder Boy and Early Bird two years ago. At the time Builder Boy was obsessed with Thomas and Friends. He wore this shirt every single day for two weeks after I gave it to him. We had to sneak it off of him at night to wash it. He loved it so much that he wore it again for the next Halloween. I used a sticker to base the painting on. I painted the train's number on the backs of the shirts.

Halloween 2010

Homemade Halloween Costumes (2012)

I am fortunate that my boys are happy with very simple, inexpensive, homemade costumes. I finished Early Bird's costume today. He's Super Why from the tv show. I bought a $3.50 green shirt at Micheal's and $3's worth of fleece at Walmart. I painted the Super Why logo on the t-shirt and sewed the green fleece on the shirt shoulders. The cape is suppose to be blue, but I forgot that when I was at the store. Thankfully the kids don't mind. It's big enough to wear for years, and it can be worn over a jacket for trick-or-treating. We have a stuffed dog that is the same color as Woofster, so I got a blue cape for his dog.

Builder Boy's costume was even easier. He wanted to be Bob the Builder (shocker, I know.) I already had the hat that I had picked up at a thrift store or a garage sale years ago, and the tool belt came as part of a tool bench that was a present for his 2nd birthday. We also had an orange shirt from last year, so ta-da! Bob the Builder. I searched the thrift stores for denim overalls, but I didn't find any. Thankfully, Builder Boy doesn't mind wearing just pants.

Last year, and the year before, they were Thomas and Percy. I'm glad they let me make new costumes this year. Last year Builder Boy insisted on wearing the same costumes as the year before.

Double Crown of Ancient Egypt

To make a paper Double Crown of Ancient Egypt you need white construction paper, red construction paper, extra white paper and some wax paper.

Start with the White Crown of Upper Egypt. Tape or glue two pieces together and fold around to make a cone shape with an opening at the top. Secure with tape or glue. Ours turned out to be a little bit small. We had to un-tape where we originally had put the two pieces together and re-tape at a different angle. That made the corners poke out at the back which actually was good for keeping it on Builder Boy's head, so we left it instead of trimming it.


Then crumple up a plain piece of paper (I used printer/copy paper) to make a ball/egg shape. Wrap another piece of paper around it, making it a bit smoother and bigger. Wrap it all in wax paper and tape it together. Tape or glue it to the top of the white cone. (I used tape on all of this.) You now have the White Crown of Upper Egypt.

To make the Red Crown of Lower Egypt, cut a piece of red construction paper in half lengthwise and tape the short sides together. Wrap it around your kid's head and tape or glue the back to fit. I made our red crown a bit big to compensate for the white crown being a bit to small. I taped the red crown to the white crown before adding the last detail. You can leave them apart and wear them separately. For the back detail I cut a strip of red construction paper and then rolled the top of the strip around a pencil and then let it go.

Add to your Egyptian Collar and a white kilt and ta da! You're a pharaoh over all of ancient Egypt!

The pharaohs did not wear the crown over a wig (at least, not in any of the pictures in the books we've been looking at) so we left the wig off.

The instructions to make the white crown came from the Story of the World Activity Book One: Ancient Times. I added the red crown on my own (Builder Boy wanted a Double Crown, not just the white one.)

Dress Like an Egyptian

Monday we went to the local public library and I got to see the good selection of ancient cultures books including, to my surprise, books covering ancient Mesopotamia, Babylon, Assyria, and  Sumeria! After spending almost 25 minutes looking the ancient Egypt section over, I came home with 7 books.

For Story of the World Chapter Two: Egyptians Lived on the Nile River we dressed up as ancient Egyptians. I found the plans for making an Egyptian wig in (Craft Topics) Egyptians: Facts*Things To Make* Activities by Rachel Wright. Of course I had to make it! Luckily I already had some leftover black yarn and black fabric to make one. If I didn't I probably would have made one out of paper strips or fabric strips if I had just fabric. I was already going have the kids make a paper collar and the wig made the look complete.

On Tuesday we made the collars out of construction paper glued together to make it big enough and then cut to the right shape. Early Bird did not join us, but Builder Boy and I both made one. This was Builder Boy's first time using the squeezable glitter "pens" and he had a lot of fun. (I got them at the dollar store.) I waited for it all to dry and then I laminated the collars with contact paper (I LOVE that stuff.) I wanted the collars to last a while and I thought the contact paper folded over would keep it from poking the boys on the neck with a sharp edge. I left about 3/4 in around the edge and cut little slits in it so it would fold over the curved edge. I used a hole puncher and string to keep it on.

On Wednesday we put it all together! I do not own or wear make-up, so we didn't do the black around the eyes. I used some leftover white cloth for the kilts (that's what one of the books called them.) We went outside and walked bare-feet on the sand spilled from the sandbox that had been heated from the sun. We talked about not wearing shirts and not having air conditioning.

Playing in the "Nile"

Tomorrow, at Builder Boy's request, we're going to get out the inflatable pool and see if it's still good. If it is we'll "swim in the Nile" like Tarak (girl in the story from Story of the World.)

We also looked at the Clothes in Ancient Egypt part of Living Long Ago (at the time I got it I was able to get it for $10.) It has cartoon-like pictures, not photos.

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(Craft Topics) Egyptians: Facts*Things To Make*Activities by Rachel Wright (Out of print/not available on Amazon.com. ISBN 0-531-14209-4 The inside has the Dewy number as 932.01 but my library had it at 745.592)

 

Make an Ancient Egyptian Wig

Materials you need:

• strip of paper
• black yarn (book recommends two 2-ounce balls but I think I used less)
• black cloth
• a strip of felt long enough to go around the kid's head with a little extra
• a piece of cardboard about the size of a piece of paper
• chalk
• white glue (I used Tacky Glue. I tried fabric glue but that did not work.)
• needle threaded with black yarn (optional)

1. Use a paper strip to measure your kid's head an mark a space for his head, then cut a strip of fabric with a little bit to lap over.
2. Cut a piece of cardboard (mine was 7.25 X 13 inches.)
3. Tape the end of the yarn to the cardboard and wrap the yarn around the cardboard until you get to the end. (Try not to wrap it too tight.)
4. Cut the yarn on along the bottom of the cardboard.
5. Glue the yarn along the strip of fabric.

   6. Let it dry, check that it fits, then glue it together.
   7. Put a piece of black fabric on the top of your kid's head and put the band of fabric around it.
   8. Trace the area with chalk, then cut it out leaving 3/4 inches of material around the edge.
   9. Put glue around the edge of the fabric and add strands of yarn on top. Cut off the extra around the edge. (The fabric will be in an oval shape. I put the rows of yarn with the ends on the short side when I should have put them the other way.)
   (Optional: the book suggests to make a part to sew a line of yarn stitches down the center of the top.)

(Before trimming the edge)

   10. Glue it all together. Trim the ends of the wig to make it straight and you're done!

 
Total time: around 45 minutes (for me anyway,) not including glue-drying time. If you have a kid who's good at or enjoys crafts and is older than 6 years old I would definitely have them help you. 


I tried putting glue on the fabric and putting the yarn, still on the cardboard, directly on it before cutting, hoping that it would stick and be easier and faster. That did not work. What you're suppose to do is cut the yarn on one of the long sides of the cardboard and glue the strands on doubled over. I had to untangle the yarn from the first way I tried to do it, so it took a bit longer than the right way will.

The gluing together part at the end is a bit precarious, and may require additional gluing and cutting before it's on all the way. Also, I got glue in Builder Boy's hair, so be aware of that, too.

The wig in the book of course looks better and fuller than mine. If I'd known about this before I probably would have sewn it together and added a second layer of yarn.
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(Craft Topics) Egyptians: Facts*Things To Make*Activities by Rachel Wright (Out of print/not available on Amazon.com. ISBN 0-531-14209-4 The inside has the Dewy number as 932.01 but my library had it at 745.592)