I can’t count how many times people have suggested that Halloween must be my favorite holiday because I have a degree in costume design or that my kids are so lucky to have a parent that can make their costume dreams come true every year. Maybe it’s just me, but once something is your profession, even if you aren’t currently working, it’s not really something you seek to also do at home! Around this time of year, I’m always already neck-deep in making Christmas ornaments for my store so Halloween always sneaks up on me! Despite what people may assume, I am perfectly happy to just BUY a costume if it already looks great or is something I can alter or easily make into something better.
We always dress up as a family in a common theme, so this year we had to nudge George into the zoo animal direction instead of a “TRAIN!”, which is what he kept shouting at us when we asked him what we should be for Halloween. Please see the previous post for more about that obsession. He mentioned a lion a few times, so we just went with it before he could insist on being an engine that I would then have to build from scratch…and honestly, forcing a one year old into a caboose costume was just too much for my brain to handle this year!
Before: perfectly cute on its own, but lacking a little OOMPH.
Jeff grabbed a pretty good-looking lion costume from Target, but the mane was really sad and almost non-existent, so I fixed it up with some felt, yarn and a glue gun! I love a costume that looks handmade, so you could definitely use materials that would look more realistic instead, but I chose these for a more homespun vibe. George loves it and I think it looks way better! It only took a few hours which is great because that’s all I had to spare! Now I just have to half-craft my kangaroo costume and we’re all set…
I bought some yarn and felt sheets in various “mane” shades from a craft store.
I cut everything into equal strips and lengths.
Starting at the very bottom and following the area where the mane was, I hot glued the strips and yarn directly into the fur.
I continued up the mane, making sure to be random in my color choices rather than perfectly alternating everything.
I used shorter pieces around the top and face, adding more here and there to give it a little fullness.
I added some to the tail as well and gave it a haircut to create the perfect mane shape.
I think he likes it! ROAR!!
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Awesome job, mom!