DIY FOX COSTUME

The fall fox party ("kettu" party) is this weekend and I've been DIYing some fun party stuff including a couple of fox costumes.  Little Pilot wanted to be an orange fox (his favourite colour).  The costume is pretty simple.  It consists of a mask and a tail.  I think it looks cute with just his regular clothes in coordinating orange. I tried to make the costume very easy for Little Pilot to put on himself.  The mask is mounted onto a pair of kids sunglasses from the dollar store (I popped out the lenses) and the tail clips on with an i.d. badge clip.  You can read the full DIY at the bottom of this post and download the mask template too.

I also made a brown fox costume that's for Co-pilot.  He's not much into the mask part, but the tail is so cute that I can't stand it.  Hence, there are a few tail pictures here. :)

This was as close to getting a photo of the mask on as I got! 

Here's the i.d. badge clip that works really well to hold the tail.  I'm glad I don't have to worry about poking through a safety pin on my squirmy baby.

I'm planning to use these costumes for a little party game and hopefully I can get some decent photos of it to share with you after.

Here's how I made my costume.

Fox Mask:

Materials:  felt in three colours, mask templates (available for personal use only here & here) , hot glue, child-sized sunglasses and thread(optional)

Step 1:  Trace the mask template pieces onto felt and cut out.

Step 2:  Once you have cut out the pieces glue the fur, nose and ear pieces onto the felt mask outline that was cut in step 1.  Top stitching with a sewing machine over the glued felt pieces is optional.

Step 3:  Glue the felt mask onto a pair of children's sunglasses that have had the lenses removed. 

Fox Tail:

*I made two different sized tails (the orange is the preschool size and the brown is the toddler size)

Materials:  jersey fabric in white and a contrasting colour, sewing machine and thread, polyester fiber fill, i.d. badge clip

Step 1:  Cut a 7" x 15"(preschool size) or 5" x 13"(toddler size) rectangle out of the contrasting fabric.  Cut another rectangle that measures 7" x 6" (preschool size) or 5" x 4" (toddler size) from the white fabric.  Cut triangles out of the top edge of the white fabric to create a jagged edges.  Then place the white fabric on top of the contrasting fabric making sure to line up the straight edges at the bottom.  Zigzag stitch along the jagged edge of the white fabric securing it to the contrasting fabric.
Step 2:  Fold your rectangle in half lengthwise and stitch along the long seam creating a tube.  Turn rightside out.
Step 3:  With the seam in the centre of the back of the tube round the bottom edge.  A small bowl was used to round the end here.
Step 4:  You will have a rounded open at the bottom of the tail.  Turn the tube inside out again and stitch this rounded end closed

Step 5:  Fill the tube with fiber fill and close the top of the tube.  A zigzag stitch was used here, but a simple hem would work as well.  Use the button hole option on your sewing machine to create a button hole at the top of the tube.

Step 6:  Insert the i.d. badge clip through the buttonhole.

So there you have it!  A really simple DIY fox costume for your little one.  I think the tail is my favourite part. :)

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