Every year we try to think of a good family costume idea that everyone is on board with. My oldest daughter, Hope, is usually the most opinionated (it NEEDS to be special!). So I usually figure I’ve found a winner if she’s into it. This year we chose Peter Pan and the Lost Boys and had too much fun with it!
First things first: How do you make a Peter Pan costume? I was pleasantly suprised at how simple this was. Make sure the fabric you buy is fleece. Fleece is SO forgiving.
Supplies: green fleece (I bought 2 yards and had extra), large paper for creating the pattern, sewing machine, measuring tape, scissors, red feather
Step 1: Create your pattern by tracing around an existing piece of clothing. I chose one that was sleeveless and just created my own sleeves later. Cut out the back piece using the pattern. Set aside.
Step 2: Cut your paper pattern in half. We want this to be a wrap dress/tunic, so use half of the pattern to cut the front piece. On the straight side, add an extra 5 or 6 inches out before you cut. This way the edges will be longer and able to wrap around the body.
Step 3-4: Your pieces should look something like this. Sew the edges with the cutouts together (in the photo, the edges that are closest are the ones sewn). Also, sew the shoulders.
Step 5: To create your own sleeves, measure around the inside of the arm hole. Cut a rectangle that length (as wide as you want) and sew around the arm hole. Make sure your seam is on the inside of the dress. I had to redo my first one because I wasn’t paying close enough attention.
Step 6: Once your sleeves are attached, cut out triangles around the sleeves and bottom of the dress.
Step 7: For the hat, measure from your forehead to the back of your head. Cut two triangles with a curved bottom from the fleece and stitch, leaving the bottom open. Turn right-side out and cut two notches out for your feather.
Creating homemade costumes is a lot of fun because you get to make some things, grab things out of your closet, and buy this or that to complete them. Everything we wore came straight from our closets (yes, even that fleece animal suit—recycled from Where the Wild Things Are costumes from a couple years ago), minus my youngest daughter’s animal hat. Making ears is really simple if you have a sewing machine and some faux fur on hand!
Step 1: Cut two same-size triangles from faux fur.
Step 2: Turn inside out and stitch around the edges, leaving the bottom open for stuffing. Make sure to tuck the extra fur inside as you go around with the sewing machine.
Step 3: Turn right-side out and stuff.
Step 4: Hand-stitch onto a hat or headband.
What I love about this costume theme is it’s not just great for families. If you are hitting up a Halloween party, this would make a great costume set for a bunch of friends!
If you’re looking for more family/group costume ideas, you might check out this one or this one. The classics are great because they never go out of style! xo. Katie
Credits // Author: Katie Shelton, Photography: Janae Hardy
where did you get the women’s onesie and wooden sword?
Katie, thank you so much! I always was just dreaming to create Halloween costumes for my kids. This year I am did it. We were using your tips and created Robin Hood costume for my daughter;) It looks awesome. She needs it for the camp but she decided to use it for Halloween as well. Thank you! Have a great summer!
You are my hero! I made a costume based off of another pattern, out of felt, and while the hat and shoe covers turned out really great, the tunic was like a shapeless, itchy, horrible green felt sack. So I got some fleece that matched my great green felt hat well enough and made a tunic out of your pattern and it looks SO GOOD. I am an adult woman, and I accidentally cut the V in the neck slightly too big, so I used some velcro at the neckline to make it stay closed and not look scandalous, but this is the best, easiest, most comfortable pattern for a good-looking Peter Pan tunic I’ve seen in all my extensive research this Halloween season. I was seriously bummed with my felt tunic and now I’m excited about going out on Friday in my fleece one. I’m 26, but I was sort of trying to recreate the costume I wore many, many times, and not just at Halloween, as a child when I was obsessed with Peter Pan. Thank you so much for your help! (I convinced my boyfriend to go as Wendy, and now that my costume actually looks good, we’ll win so many contests!)
how did the side pieces from picture 3 turn into the front of the costume shown on picture 5?
my girlfriend and I are doing Peter Pan and Hook. I am trying my first DIY costume. will be first time with a sewing machine, too, but I think I can do it!
I looooove these pictures! Amazing :).
I love this idea, and these pictures are awesome haha!!
Bailey
http://akabailey.blogspot.com
so cute!
Not sure if this generation knows about Peter Pan..But this costume is really cute and easy to make.
We have decided to go for the Monsters University costume this year http://topblackfriday.hubpages.com/hub/Family-Halloween-Costume-Ideas
Amazing costumes, you all look so great! 🙂 Shame we don’t really do costumes for Halloween here in Poland, it sure looks lke lots of fun! 🙂
Omg this is too cute! Great idea, if it was only more than just my husband and I.
xo
LesliMarie
www.linenandtulle.com
Oh my goodness, so cute!!! Such a great idea!
Cx http://mixedmediumstheatre.blogspot.co.uk/
SO GREAT.
OMG Hope!! She looks gorgeous! But also too grown up 🙂 and I LOVE Poe’s face in that first picture! She’s too precious.
These costumes are super amazing! I love it!
Ingenious!! Love you all. xxoo
Seriously, this is the cutest thing ever! When I have a family, this sounds like an amazing tradition!
xoxo,
Laura
http://lauraisthriftingthroughlife.blogspot.com/
Such awesome ideas for DIY costumes! Love the Peter Pan costume made from fleece – they all are very creative and original. I wanted to let you and your readers know about the Creative Costume Contest happening at http://www.halloweenhero.com/costume-contest-2013.html – it’s open to everyone and you are free to submit multiple entries as long as each one is a different costume.
Thanks again for showing us how you created the outfit for Peter Pan 🙂
Thanks,
Peter
Not only are these costumes incredibly cute and I am SO in love with your little family… the photographs of Hope and Poe are just BEAUTIFUL. Janae is SO talented 🙂
awesome costumes – you guys look so cute 🙂
Why so grumpy!
this makes me want to have a family just to be able to do this! lol
amazing