Tuesday Tutorial-Universe Costume

A few years back, inbetween my teaching and graphic design careers, I took a position as a governess to three beautiful children, Caitlin(4), Ryan(2), and Stephen(2 weeks). I absolutely loved my job! I find that it's incredibly rare for people take such pride and have such enjoyment in their professions. I look back on the year I was with them fondly, grateful for the experience and honored to have been a part of their lives. 

One of my favorite memories from my time with them, is the Halloween that I offered to create their costumes. At the time, I didn't know how to sew and had never created anything wearable, but that did not discourage me from wanting to make them outfits that were creative, playful and, above all, innovative. When asked, Caitlin told me that she would love to be a ballerina. I knew that sewing a leotard and tutu would be far too difficult and time consuming for me to figure out in a few weeks time, however I still wanted to make her wish come true. So we opted to buy the pieces from a local market. I think it turned out great. She was the beautiful ballerina she had imagined herself to be, and I managed to save myself some stress!

Ryan, only two years old at the time, did not have a preference for his costume. After asking his mom what ideas she had in mind, we ended up agreeing on a Lego outfit. This was actually really easy to make and easy on my wallet! I used an old, empty diaper box for the body, spray painted it red, cut holes for the arms and inserts, and stuck velcro on the back seam for an easy open and close. The red inserts are actually disposable plastic cups I had left over from a party. I think he looked fantastic! He was definitely the cutest one in his school parade, but the costume turned out to be quite uncomfortable for him and impossible to sit in. Thank goodness I dressed him in a red shirt and pants underneath so he could slip the costume off immediately after the parade!

My absolute favorite costume, however, was Stephen's! I think he was around 4 months at the time, and I was given complete say over the theme and construction of the design. I wanted to come up with something that had never been done before, something amazing! I decided to make him the universe. What's more grand that that!? It really turned out better than I could have imagined, especially since I did not own, nor know how to use, a sewing machine! Here are the instructions on how to make the cutest costume on the block!

How to Make a Universe Costume

What You Will Need:

black onesie

black tights

star rhinestones

multicolored felt

fabric glue

3D fabric paint

scissors

1. Cut the multicolored felt into circles of varying sizes.

2. On one side of each circle, use the 3D fabric paint to decorate the felt, making them resemble planets, the sun and the moon.

3. Use the fabric glue to attach the felt planets and star rhinestones onto the black onesie and tights. 

Happy Halloween!

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