The Ariel and Flounder costumes were pretty intense construction, for me, anyway, so luckily my plans for the parents' part of this group only involved creating one accessory for each of us.
Of course in any group where our preschooler is the princess, the role of the prince is naturally played by Daddy! Prince Eric only needed a simple red sash to complete his outfit which was otherwise composed of pieces Mr Geek already had in his closet. And Vanessa- the human incarnation of Ursula, using Ariel's stolen voice- needed only the magic shell necklace, which didn't even involve sewing!
Prince Eric Supplies:
-red fabric (preferably something shiny)
-black fabric
-1" wide elastic
-white button-up shirt
-jeans
Vanessa supplies:
-gold card stock
-black yarn
-purple tank top
-purple maxi skirt
1. First, convince your husband to let you measure him around the waist. It's a hard sell, but necessary. Measure him all the way around wherever he typically wears a belt (probably more on the hips than the proper waist). Call this measurement C. Next, eyeball how tall you want the belt/sash to be- maybe 6"? Call that value H.
2. You need to cut one red rectangle, one black rectangle, and 2 mirror image black trapezoids using the dimensions shown above.
3. Sew a 1/4" hem on both the top and bottom of your red rectangle.
4. You're going to create 2 1" pleats in the fabric. Identify a line a couple inches above the center of the red rectangle and fold it over 1", then stitch it down with a 1/4" seam allowance using a straight stitch. Do the same thing below the center line at the same distance. (The dotted lines above visually represent what I'm talking about; the actual spacing here is up to your aesthetic).
5. Fold your black rectangle in half, ride sides together, and sew along the long end with a 1/4" seam allowance, creating a long black tube that is just slightly taller than your elastic. Turn it rightside out.
6. Cut your elastic 1" shorter than the length of this black tube. Feed the elastic into the tube. Sew down one end of the elastic so that it is lined up perfectly with the edge of the tube, attaching it to the black fabric. Gently pull the other end of the elastic to line it up with the edge of the tube on that end, and sew it in place. When you let go, the whole thing will shrink in a little bit.
7. Fold down the angled edges of your two trapezoids by 1/4" each and sew them down with a straight stitch. These pieces are going to connect your elasticized band to the pretty pleated red sash.
8. Attach the tall edge of each trapezoid to the ends of the red rectangle using a zigzag stitch and a 1/4" seam allowance. Attach the short edge of each trapezoid to the ends of the elastic waistband. Ta da! [As an aside- you can use the same technique on a much smaller scale to make a soft elastic headband!]
9. Have Prince Eric wear his jeans and white shirt, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows and leaving the top couple of buttons undone. Pull on the belt over the jeans at waist level.
10. Vanessa's seashell necklace is rather simple. Draw the shape of the shell with a permanent black marker on the gold cardstock, then cut it out. Cut the black yarn to the desired length and attach it to the shell. Wear the purple tank and skirt, with the necklace prominently displayed. Remind your princess that she can't talk, and steal the prince!
Do the parents get in on the Halloween action in your family?
Much love,
The Geeks
Of course in any group where our preschooler is the princess, the role of the prince is naturally played by Daddy! Prince Eric only needed a simple red sash to complete his outfit which was otherwise composed of pieces Mr Geek already had in his closet. And Vanessa- the human incarnation of Ursula, using Ariel's stolen voice- needed only the magic shell necklace, which didn't even involve sewing!
Prince Eric Supplies:
-red fabric (preferably something shiny)
-black fabric
-1" wide elastic
-white button-up shirt
-jeans
Vanessa supplies:
-gold card stock
-black yarn
-purple tank top
-purple maxi skirt
1. First, convince your husband to let you measure him around the waist. It's a hard sell, but necessary. Measure him all the way around wherever he typically wears a belt (probably more on the hips than the proper waist). Call this measurement C. Next, eyeball how tall you want the belt/sash to be- maybe 6"? Call that value H.
2. You need to cut one red rectangle, one black rectangle, and 2 mirror image black trapezoids using the dimensions shown above.
3. Sew a 1/4" hem on both the top and bottom of your red rectangle.
4. You're going to create 2 1" pleats in the fabric. Identify a line a couple inches above the center of the red rectangle and fold it over 1", then stitch it down with a 1/4" seam allowance using a straight stitch. Do the same thing below the center line at the same distance. (The dotted lines above visually represent what I'm talking about; the actual spacing here is up to your aesthetic).
5. Fold your black rectangle in half, ride sides together, and sew along the long end with a 1/4" seam allowance, creating a long black tube that is just slightly taller than your elastic. Turn it rightside out.
6. Cut your elastic 1" shorter than the length of this black tube. Feed the elastic into the tube. Sew down one end of the elastic so that it is lined up perfectly with the edge of the tube, attaching it to the black fabric. Gently pull the other end of the elastic to line it up with the edge of the tube on that end, and sew it in place. When you let go, the whole thing will shrink in a little bit.
7. Fold down the angled edges of your two trapezoids by 1/4" each and sew them down with a straight stitch. These pieces are going to connect your elasticized band to the pretty pleated red sash.
8. Attach the tall edge of each trapezoid to the ends of the red rectangle using a zigzag stitch and a 1/4" seam allowance. Attach the short edge of each trapezoid to the ends of the elastic waistband. Ta da! [As an aside- you can use the same technique on a much smaller scale to make a soft elastic headband!]
9. Have Prince Eric wear his jeans and white shirt, rolling the sleeves up to the elbows and leaving the top couple of buttons undone. Pull on the belt over the jeans at waist level.
10. Vanessa's seashell necklace is rather simple. Draw the shape of the shell with a permanent black marker on the gold cardstock, then cut it out. Cut the black yarn to the desired length and attach it to the shell. Wear the purple tank and skirt, with the necklace prominently displayed. Remind your princess that she can't talk, and steal the prince!
Do the parents get in on the Halloween action in your family?
Much love,
The Geeks
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