Let’s go out to the lobby and dress up like a snack! Your little movie-lover will be thrilled to wear this no-sew Popcorn Costume for Halloween. With a few clever materials, you’ll be able to make this no-sew costume in about an hour.

Materials:

Main Costume:

• ½ yard white felt
• 1 roll red duct tape
• 4 pieces of ribbon, each measuring 18-inches by ¾-inch (choose black, white, yellow or red)
• 1 package of 2-inch white pom-poms
• 1 package 1-inch white pom-poms
• 1 sheet yellow craft foam or felt
• 1 sheet red glitter craft foam or felt
• 1 yellow marker
• hot glue gun (adults ONLY)
• hot glue sticks
• scissors
• stapler
• staples
• ruler

Hat:

• 8-inch round piece of white felt
• 5-inch round piece of white felt
• 6-inch round piece of scrap cardboard
• 1 large white pom-pom
• 3 small white pom-poms
• elastic, ¼-inch wide (length depends on your child’s head size)

No-Sew Popcorn Costume Instructions:

Make the Popcorn Box:

1. To begin, lay the white felt flat and cut out 4 rectangles. Two of the rectangles should be sized 12-inches by 18-inches (these will be known as “the long pieces”) and 2 of the rectangles should be 5-inches by 13-inches (these will be known as “the short pieces”).

2. These 4 felt pieces will form the popcorn bucket. Arrange all 4 pieces in line on your work table. They should be arranged like so: long piece, short piece, long piece, short piece. It’s important that the bottom edges of the felt pieces are aligned so they form an even line, and there should be about ¼-inch gaps between each felt piece.

3. Use your red duct tape to tape across the bottom section where all the felt pieces align, so they are connected. Fold the tape over (horizontally) the other side of the felt, so no sticky parts of the tape are exposed. (This will be the bottom of your popcorn box.)

4. Run red duct tape between the felt panels (along the ¼-inch gaps between each piece of felt) to secure them together. Then flip the felt over and run tape between the felt panels on the other side, and press the two pieces of tap together where they touch in the gaps (this will allow the edges of the popcorn box to crease into the corners of the box).

5. Run red duct tape (folding it horizontally, so half covers one side of the felt and the other half covers the flip side of the felt) over the edges of the long pieces of felt past where they align with the short pieces so all edges are covered.

6. Now, all pieces of the white felt should be taped together and every edge of the white felt—except for the tops of each panel—should be covered with red duct tape. At the bottom, the felt pieces align evenly and at the top they are staggered, with the longer pieces taller than the shorter pieces.

7. Attach the felt panel on the right with the felt panel on the left with the red duct tape creating a loop of the felt fabric. Crease each corner (between each panel) so the felt piece is now the rectangular popcorn box. The long pieces are the front and the back of the costume, and the short pieces are the sides of the box.

8. Use the red duct tape to add vertical stripes to each panel of the costume. I added two stripes to the front and back panels of the costume, and one stripe to the side panels.

9. Staple 2 pieces of the ribbon to the front of the costume (staple each ribbon about 6″ from each edge, so they look like the ties on an apron), and staple 2 pieces of ribbon to the back of the costume.

10. Cover exposed staples at the top of the costume with two pieces of duct tape – one across the front of the costume and one across the back.

11. Cut a popcorn shape from the yellow piece of craft foam or felt.

12. Cut out letters that spell “POPCORN” from red glitter craft foam (or use pre-cut letters) and glue them onto the popcorn shape. Once dry, glue this to the front of the popcorn box.

13. Make popcorn pieces by gluing 2 small pom-poms together and then gluing these to a large pom-pom. Glue 1 more small pom-pom on the other side of the large pom-pom to form a popcorn kernel. If desired, color popcorn kernel lightly with the yellow marker (especially in the crevices where the pom-poms meet each other) to make the popcorn look buttery.

14. Glue popcorn kernels to the costume, or attach popcorn kernels to t-shirt with safety pins (or hot glue if you don’t intend to use the shirt again).

15. To wear, have your child stand inside the box and tie the ribbon over his shoulders.

Make the Popcorn Hat:

1. Crumple up the paper towel sheet and glue it to one side of the 6-inch cardboard circle. Then, turn the cardboard circle over, and put a line of hot glue around the outside of the cardboard circle, close to the edge. Fold the 8-inch felt circle over around the entire edge so it’s covering the side with paper towel (which will make the hat puff up on top) and is secured by the glue on the other side.

2. Measure the ¼-inch elastic all the way around your child’s head going under his chin. Cut the elastic so that it’s snug but not too tight. Glue raw edges of elastic flat to middle of cardboard circle (on the underside of the hat).

3. Glue the 5-inch round piece of felt over exposed the cardboard and elastic (on the underside of the hat).

4. Make another pom pom popcorn kernel by gluing 2 small pom-poms together and then gluing these to a large pom-pom. Glue 1 more small pom-pom on the other side of the large pom-pom to form the complete popcorn kernel. If desired, color popcorn kernel lightly with the yellow marker (especially in the crevices where the pom-poms meet each other) to make the popcorn look buttery.

5. Once dry, glue the popcorn kernel to the top of the hat. 

No Sew Costume Tips

What to wear underneath the popcorn costume: Wear neutral pants or leggings (black or white) or tights (black, white, red or striped) and black, white, or red shoes. Wear a black, white, or red turtleneck, long-sleeved shirt, or hooded sweatshirt underneath the popcorn bucket.

Popcorn treat buckets: Pick up a cardboard popcorn bucket next time you go to the movie theater and add a ribbon handle; or buy a plastic popcorn bucket at the dollar store and add a duct tape handle.

The post No-Sew Popcorn Costume Tutorial appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

Welcome to day 4 of Homemade Costume week. This bumblebee Halloween costume looks great in person, and could not be simpler to make. A black shirt, yellow duct tape, some pipe cleaners, and a pair of dollar store wings. You can make this no-sew bee costume in about 15 minutes.

Project Estimate:

• Black hooded sweatshirt, on hand
• Yellow duct tape, $3
• 2 yellow chenille stems, on hand
• 2 yellow pom-poms, on hand
• 1/4″ elastic, $1
• Hot glue gun and hot glue stick
• Pair of bee wings from dollar store, $1

Total: $5

To make a no-sew bee costume:

I originally made this costume for Kaboose.com, a site that closed down several years ago, and unfortunately, there is no longer an internet archive of the instructions, and my version of the instructions are long-lost on my old defunct computer.

Basically, add yellow duct tape stripes to a hoodie, then hot glue pom-poms to a couple of chenille stems, then duct tape them to the inside of the hood. Curl the stems around a pencil.

Add a pair of yellow dollar store fairy wings to complete the look.

My Design Process:

I don’t know if you folks care about seeing my sketches or not, but it amuses me, so I’ll just keep posting them. My original sketch was slightly more complicated than the costume ended up — I originally envisioned a black hoodie with a yellow t-shirt over it, but when I started making the costume, I eliminated the yellow t-shirt and just went with yellow duct tape stripes. I also called for the costume to be stuffed with grocery bags (to make it more round) but I decided the stuffing was unnecessary when I put it on my model (my 4 year-old).

My craft planning process is this:

• sketch the project and label what each part is
• think through the actual process of making it and what supplies I will need
• write down the process as I imagine it (so I have “instructions” to follow)
• then take a step back and see if there is anything I can eliminate in terms of supplies or extra work
• collect my supplies (from my stash, or shop for them)
• do the project and change something (usually!)
• make sure to photograph most of the steps so I can remember how I made it

How do you plan for your craft projects? Do you have a sketchbook?

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With Halloween right around the corner, it’s the perfect time to make this fun Frankenstein t-shirt! Amanda at Crafts by Amanda created the face by tracing circular objects and using a ruler to draw straight lines. No fancy-schmancy artistic skills needed! And once Halloween is over, it’s adorable for year-round wear too. [how to make a Frankenstein t-shirt]

Project estimate:

• Green t-shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• Fabric paint, on hand or about $3 and up
• Objects to trace, on hand

Total: Free and up!

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If you only have a few minutes and a few dollars with which to put together your Halloween costume this year, this cactus costume is a win in both departments! Over at Brit + Co, Kirsten shares this super simple idea that is over-the-top adorable. If you don’t have a green dress or shirt on hand that you can use for this project, keep an eye out a thrift stores to pick one up for cheap. For a less-flowery version you could use a green stocking cap with pipe cleaners attached to top the outfit off instead. [how to make a cactus costume]

Project estimate:

• Green dress or shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• White pipe cleaners, on hand or $1
• Headband, on hand or $1
• Faux flower, $1 and up
• Hot glue, on hand

Total: $1 and up!

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You’ve probably seen the fake tattoo sleeves that they sell at the dollar store – but what if your costume requires specific tattoos?  If you have a need for custom fake tattoo sleeves in order to play a particular character, check out this tutorial from Laura at Is Laura.  The tutorial is in Italian, but the photos will walk you through it and you can also translate it to English with Google Translate if you need any further clarification. This is a great project for using nylons that have snags or runs, since you’ve cutting them into sections anyway!  [how to make a fake tattoo sleeve]

Project estimate:

• Template for tracing, on hand
• Nylons, on hand or $1
• Markers, on hand

Total:  Free or $1!

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Here’s a costume idea that’s perfect for those of you who want to dress up for Halloween but not wear a full costume:  piñata shoes!  Pair these fun shoes with a shirt that says “candy”, or pin wrapped candy to your shirt and pants.  These costume shoes are easy to make, and everyone who sees them can’t help but smile!

Project Estimate:

• Shoes, on hand
• Fabric, on hand
• Hot glue gun, on hand
• Googly eyes, on hand
• Foam or styrofoam, on hand

Total:  Free

Note:  I used lace up shoes, but if you do so, use a pair that is slightly larger than your foot.  It is difficult to loosen and put on the shoe after the fabric has been glued on.  This would work best with slip on shoes.

Step one:  Cut the fabric into strips that are 2 inches wide.  I used Oly*Fun fabric, which is specially designed not to fray, and looks like tissue paper but is durable and weather proof.  Cut the strips into fringe.

Step two:  Use the hot glue gun to adhere the strips to the shoes.  Start at the front, and go to the top of the shoe tongue.  If your shoe has laces, just glue the sides down to leave the laces free.  Hot glue the fringe to the back of the shoe, as pictured.  Trim off any excess fringe.

Step three:  Cut two pieces of foam into triangles, and glue the fringe on.  Hot glue them to the sides of the shoes as ears for the donkey piñata.

Step four:  Hot glue the eyes on.

I used foam for the ears so they’d be lightweight and can bounce back from being rubbed together when you walk.  I’ll be wearing my piñata shoes as part of a bigger costume that is still a work in progress (stay tuned!), but as I mentioned earlier, you could cover yourself with wrappers or candy to complete the look.  For now, I’ve entered these shoes in a fun shoe decorating contest.  You can check out the entries and vote here if you’d like!

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Halloween will be here before you know it, and if you’re planning to make costumes, you know that the time to get started is NOW!  This is the costume I made for my son last year:  a carnival sideshow strong man.  I lost track of how many compliments I received on this costume!  It was incredibly easy to make, and by using items from the dollar store, like the t-shirt, I saved a bundle over a store bought costume.

Project estimate:

• Black T-shirt, $1
• Paint, on hand
• Styrofoam balls (2), $3
• Dowel rod, $1

Total:  $5

Step one:  Use a shirt that is large enough to go from the child’s shoulders to mid-thigh.  Turn the shirt inside out.  I used a one piece romper as a pattern, otherwise you can measure your child to determine where to cut.   Cut as pictured.

Step two:  Sew along the edges that you cut.  I sewed it while the shirt was still inside out, then flipped it right side out for the next step.

Step three:  Paint a buckle and belt onto the costume.  I use washi tape or painters tape to help make straight lines.  Let it dry.

Step four:  Now to make the weight for muscle man to carry!  First, carve out a small hole in each styrofoam ball, and push the dowel rod in.  You can use a small amount of hot glue (not too much or you’ll melt the styrofoam) to hold the rod in place.  Paint everything black.

I had added a tattoo sleeve, found at Dollar Tree, to the costume, but he did not keep that on.  Draw on a loopy mustache, and your muscle man is ready for the carnival….I mean, Halloween!  I live in South Texas, where it’s still pretty hot at Halloween, so during the day he wore the costume as is, and at night I just had to put a shirt underneath to keep him warm.

If you’re going as a group, you can add lots of side act characters to accompany your strong man.  I went as the bearded lady, and my husband was a sword thrower.  Who says Halloween is just for kids?

The post Tutorial: Sideshow Strong Man Costume appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

[Marionette from Club Chica Circle]

[Pippi Longstocking from Mom 4 Real]

[Captain America & Thor from The Scrap Shoppe]

[Cookie on a Pan from Cleverly Inspired]

[Mike Wazowski  of Monsters Inc. and Monsters University from 30 Minute Crafts]

[80’s Girl Costume from The Country Chic Cottage]

[Rockstar from 30 Minute Crafts]

[Fisherman Costume from Creative Green Living]

[Jellyfish Costume from Cleverly Inspired]

[Dusty from Airplanes on Desert Chica Rambling]

The post 10 Last Minute Halloween Costumes for less than $10 appeared first on Dollar Store Crafts.

My son loves dressing up. Whether it’s as a superhero, a tiger or a pirate he loves to make believe he’s a new person or creature. This shark shirt is easy to make and will provide hours of dress up fun. It also make a great Halloween costume or conversation piece when out and about!

Project estimate:

• 2 grey t-shirts, $2 and up
• Double-sided extra firm iron-on interfacing, $1 and up
• Sewing machine or needle and thread, on hand
• Permanent marker, on hand
• Paper, on hand
• Iron and press cloth, on hand
• Scrap cardboard, free

Total: $3 and up

Step 1: Prep fabric

Before beginning, be sure to wash and dry both shirts to remove any sizing and prevent shrinkage later on.

Step 2: Cut out

Use a marker and a piece of paper to outline an image of a shark fin. Adjust size of fin based on size of wearer. Draw a dotted line around the silhouette, .25 inches from the edge. This will provide a seam allowance. See image as a guide.

Cut out interfacing the size and shape of the solid outline. Turn one t-shirt inside out and cut out two pieces of T-shirt from fabric, following the dotted lines (Pro tip: Make smoother seams by lining up the bottom of the shirt with the bottom of the cut out.)

Step 3: Assemble

Leaving the pieces right sides together, use sewing machine to stitch with a medium length straight stitch around the sides of the t-shirt fabric, leaving the bottom open. Turn right side out and press.

Insert the interfacing all the way into the fin pocket, trimming if needed to fit. Follow instructions that came with your interfacing to fuse it to the fabric.

Step 4: Attach

Fold bottom edge of fin fabric in to the center bottom of fin. Pin to hold fold if desired.

Fold t-shirt in half and press to great a press line going down the midline of the shirt. Insert scrap cardboard such as an old cereal box into the shirt.

Line the fin up with the crease you created on the back of the shirt, splaying the bottom edges of the fin out to either side. Pin fin edges to the t-shirt. Remove cardboard from shirt. Fold fin to one side and stitch the fin edge to the t-shirt using a narrow zig zag stitch. Repeat on other side of fin.

Step 5: Add Gills

Use permanent marker to draw two U-shaped gills on the side of the shirt under each sleeve.

Have fun with your little shark!

More shark crafts:
Follow Mrs. Greene’s board Shark Week! on Pinterest.

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Have you ever wanted a sweet shark hoodie? So did Amelia of Amelia’s List. Discontent with what she was finding online, Amelia set out to make the coolest shark hoodie ever. I think she just may have succeeded! Grab your old grey hoodie and bust out the sewing machine to make your own fabulous Shark Week lounge wear.

[how to make a shark hoodie]

Project estimate:

• Grey Hoodie, on hand or $10 and up
• 1/2 yard red satin, $3 and up
• 1/3 yard white felt, $2 and up
• Batting, on hand
• Grey T-shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• Black T-shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• White T-shirt, on hand or $1 and up
• Thread, on hand
• Sewing machine, on hand
• Pins, on hand
• Chalk or fabric marker, on hand
• Measuring tape, on hand
• Scissors, on hand

Total: $5 and up

More shark crafts:
Follow Mrs. Greene’s board Shark Week! on Pinterest.

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