We’re big believers in growing imaginations while reducing waste which is one reason why we love DIY kids Halloween costumes made from Goodwill finds. A few years ago, we were inspired by the movie Frozen to try our hand at the lovable woodland creature, the reindeer.
Since we, like many others, don’t have a huge amount of time to sew an elaborate costume—and with kids, those costumes are lucky to last one season—we do our best to keep the sewing and elaborate antics to a minimum.
Goodwill shopping list:
Craft supplies:
The first step is to transform the hoodie into a reindeer body. Start by cutting up your “fur” item and covering the hoodie chest. If sewing isn’t an option, give a strong fabric/crafting glue a try. Otherwise, a simply sewn-on fur will keep it firmly on the hoodie. Reserve a little bit of fur for the tail.
The towel comes next, making the ears for the reindeer. Note, shoulder pads make great patterns, but if there are none lying around, just cut four matching semi-circle pieces of your brown towel. Sew two pairs of pieces in the rounded part—sewing all the way around isn’t necessary.
Starting with one corner, fold the ear to the middle, then fold the second corner over the first. The tightness of the fold will determine the ear shape. Once that perfect shape is found, pin it in place and pin it to your hoodie where the ears should be situated.
Using a needle and thread, attach the ears to the hood and secure them well to avoid an ear flopping off mid-romp.
Taking that little nub of extra fur, cut it in a teardrop shape and sew the fatter end to the backside of the sweatpants.
You could stop here if you’re just going for a doe or have no need for antlers; otherwise, take your crafting foam, fold the sheet in half, then cut it in half. With the open ends facing up, draw antlers on each piece. Once satisfied with the shape, cut them out—keeping the fold at the top. Next, fold the antler, place the headband in the fold and secure with hot glue. Glue the two sides of the antler together and repeat with the other antler.
Now your reindeer costume should be all set! Check out Pinterest for reindeer makeup tips.
Happy Halloween!