Nori’s final DIY costume this year may be my absolute favorite. I was so close to purchasing a lion costume from a party store but quickly realized that I could DIY something similar for way less. Why are kids costumes so expensive these days?
This costume is low cost and can be made in under an hour. That’s a win/win in my book when you have a 6 month old and very little free time.
I was inspired by this blog post, however I made my own modifications so that minimal sewing was required.
It’s been so fun celebrating Nori’s first Halloween with all of these different looks. I seriously cannot wait for next year and all the ideas that I have in store.
If you haven’t already, be sure to also check out my other DIY costumes: DIY Baby Starbucks Frappucino and DIY Baby Frida Khalo.
Enjoy!
What You’ll Need:
For the materials listed below, clicking the name of the item will redirect you to Amazon if you wish to purchase any of them.
- Tan Jumpsuit
- Faux Fur Fabric (Purchased from Hobby Lobby. I needed 1/4 yard)
- Velcro
- Hot Glue Gun/Glue Sticks
- Safety Pins (Optional)
- Tan Felt
- Bonnet Hat
- Sewing Machine
Step 1: Create the Tail
- Cut a strip of felt measuring 2 inches in width.
- Fold the fabric in half. Using a sewing machine, stitch a straight line down the side (see photo below).
- Cut a rectangle from the fur fabric. Hot glue the rectangle to one end of the tail.
- Attach the other end of the tail to the jumpsuit using a safety pin. Be sure that the safety pin is attached properly and secure. Alternatively, you can sew the tail onto the jumpsuit. I wanted to reuse the jumpsuit after Halloween, so opted for the safety pin method so that permanent alterations weren’t made.
Side note: let’s please ignore my terrible stitching job. As mentioned in this blog post, I’ve never sewn a day in my life. I’m sort of just… winging it.
Step 2: Create the Fur Collar
- Cut a piece of fur in the shape of the jumpsuit collar, rounding the top of the edge to fit around the neckline.
- How you choose to adhere the collar is totally up to you. I chose to safely safety pin both ends. This allows for easy removal after Halloween. Additionally, because the jumpsuit has buttons, I’m able to unbutton it, slip Nori inside, and then attach the fur onto the neckline. Glueing or sewing the fur collar down would make the jumpsuit difficult to unbutton.
Step 3: Create the Fur Cap
- This bonnet purchased off of Amazon was originally white. I wanted the bonnet to blend in better with the costume, so I coffee dyed it tan. Steps on how to coffee dye can be found here.
- Cut a strip of fur to place down the center of the bonnet.
- Hot glue in place and trim off any excess.
- Using the felt, cut out the shape of two ears and glue them onto the bonnet.
- Cut (2) strips of fur to place down the sides of the bonnet . Cut slits into fur for where the ears will go.
- Slide the ears into the slits and hot glue the strips into place. Trim off any excess fur.
Tip: to make the ears look realistic, pinch and hold the base of the ear while glueing it down.
Step 4: Create the Fur Cuffs
This step is optional depending on the age of your little one. If they enjoy placing hands or feet in their mouths, I’d maybe skip this step.. but use your best judgement. The cuffs are designed to have velcro for easy removal in the event your little one attempts to eat them. They can be slipped on for a quick photo and then taken back off.
- Cut 4 strips of fur wide enough to wrap around your little ones wrists and ankles.
- Add velcro to the inside of one end of the strip and outside of the other end.
- Repeat the above step until all strips have velcro.
That’s it! In less than an hour, you have a ridiculously cute baby lion costume!
If you decide to try out this tutorial, be sure to tag me on Instagram or use the hashtag: #BrookeADIYs!
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