Homemade Toddler Costume - Fit for a Little Ladybug!

For all of us who aren't skilled seamstresses, the thought of a homemade Halloween costume can seem pretty daunting--but it certainly doesn't have to be.  With a few items I already had on hand and a few others I picked up at the dollar store, I was able to create a unique and adorable costume for my little Junebug.

Here's what you'll need to make this adorable costume:

Supplies: 

1. Red onesie or t-shirt (I had one already)

2. Black leggings (Purchased for $3.50 at WAL-Mart)

3. Black fabric paint

4. Antennae (purchased at the Dollar Tree for $1--I just clipped off the center decoration to turn these into quick and easy ladybug antennae!)

5. Red tights for recovering fairy wings

6. Fairy wings (Old, new, borrowed, blue--whatever you have or can get--we're just going to recover them anyhow!  I had these already but you can purchase new ones at the Dollar Tree for $1.)

Supplies needed but not shown:

-Sticker Shipping Labels (optional)

-Rotary circle cutter (optional)

-Hot glue gun

-Sponge paint brush (one you're willing to throw away after use--they're like $ .25 at most craft stores)

-1 sheet each of red and black felt (if you'd like to make the Ladybug embellishment for the wings)

-Printable Felt Ladybug Pattern (again, this is if you'd like to make the Ladybug embellishment for the wings)

First, let's start with making the ladybug "abdomen" (or shirt--whatever you'd like to call it!). 

I used a circle cutter to cut 1" circles onto sticky shipping labels and stuck the circle templates in a random pattern onto the front of the red onesie.  Remember to place a piece of cardboard or cardstock behind the shirt's front so the paint does not seep through to the back.

Once you're happy with the placement of your circles, use your sponge brush to carefully sponge paint over the circle cutouts.  If you do not have a circle-cutter or are not concerned with perfect circles, then just paint them on by hand--there are no rules!

It'll look funky for a minute...

But look what you have after you carefully remove the circle templates:

Perfect!  Now you can set it aside to let it dry.  Now let's move onto the wings!

First of all, you'll want to remove the covering of your fairy wings until you have a naked skeleton like this:

Then, cut the red stockings right where the legs begin. 

Bunch the stockings up and slip them over the wing frame.  Use one leg of the stockings for each wing and gather all the excess nylon in the center and tie it as tightly as you can, being careful not to cause a run in the nylon.

Using the same method as painting the shirt, prepare some circle templates and adhere them to the wings in the desired places.  This time I used 2.5" and 2" circles in addition to some 1" circles.  Make sure they are placed in a symmetrical pattern. 

Cover your work surface with newspaper because things can get messy now!  Carefully paint over the templates, being sure not to move the wings.  (You see, the paint will go through the nylon stockings and color the opposite side as well, so if you move the wings on your work surface, you run the risk of smudging your paint--and at that point you'll have to start over from scratch since you can't really remove fabric paint from the delicate nylon.) 

Now, remove the circle templates and proudly hang your ladybug wings on your chandelier or any other convenient place to dry.  Pat yourself on the back--you're almost done!

(You may want to paint the reverse of the dots once your first set has dried.  It's a personal preference, but I did and it made the black dots a lot stronger.)

I created a ladybug embellishment for the wings--using only some felt scraps, hot glue and fabric paint.

The printable pattern is available here.  I didn't do step-by-step instructions for assembling the ladybug because once you cut the pieces, it becomes fairly obvious as to how the assembly works--especially if you take a peek at the end result pictured below.

Simply affix the embellishment to the wings with hot glue and you've got yourself a sew-free costume!

Now try it on your little one to see how it looks...

And smile, as you realize that your sweet little one strongly dislikes the costume you made her...  At least we have some time between now and Halloween to acclimate her to wearing her wings.  (And yes, this is the BEST picture I could get of her!)

In total, I spent exactly $5 plus tax on the items needed for this costume.  I had many pieces already which was a driving factor for the theme of the costume.  It's easy to go out and purchase a costume in a store, but there's something satisfying about creating one for your precious little one.  And if you use inspiration from what you already have lying about your home, you can make a homemade costume at a fraction of the cost of purchasing one.  How's that for keeping it Spartan?

Anyone else creating a Halloween costume for a little one?  If so, what are you creating?  As always, your feedback, questions and comments are greatly appreciated!

This post is included on Sherri's Family Crafts Blog at About.com.