How to Make a Where the Wild Things Are Children's Halloween Costume. Release your inner wild
thing with a costume based on the classic children's book. You will need 1½ yards of
72" wide white fleece Marking chalk Scissors Straight pins A sewing needle and a sewing
machine 1½-inch white polyester thread ½ yard white Velcro A tape measure Bright yellow
cotton fabric Polyester stuffing A foot of ¼-inch elastic 1/3-yard imitation fur Gold
foil card stock White glue Paperclips Gray pipe cleaners 4 1½-inch coverable buttons
An 18-inch dowel or stick Silver spray or acrylic paint A 3-inch Styrofoam ball Aluminum
foil and a fake jewel about 1 inch in size. Step 1. Lay the fleece on the ground and have
your child lay down on one side of it, leaving a bit of space between their arms and legs.
Draw their outline with marking chalk from their neck to their toes, leaving a 1½-inch
border around their shape. Step 2. Fold the material over in half, cut out the outline,
and pin and sew the two pieces together everywhere except at the wrists, ankles, and neck. Use
a zigzag stitch anywhere the material may stretch. Step 3. Cut out a semicircle for
the neck on one side only. From the middle of the semicircle, cut an 8-inch slit toward
the belly button; then sew a 1- by 9-inch strip of fleece onto the left-hand side of
the slit to create a flap. Step 4. Sew an 8-inch Velcro strip onto the outside of the
fleece flap and a matching strip on the inside of the right side of the slit; this creates
a closure for the front of the suit. Step 5. Have the child try on the costume so you
can measure for a hood: Measure from their mid-forehead to the costume's back collar,
adding 1 inch. Next, measure around the edge of the collar, adding 1 inch. Finally, measure
from one side of the collar to the crown of the head. Cut fleece material using these
measurements, try it on your child's head, and trim as needed. Sew it onto the costume,
hemming around the front edge. Step 6. Make the mitts: Trace the child's hands onto pieces
of fleece from 2 inches past the wrist up to the first knuckle, leaving a ½-inch border.
Lay the patterns over another piece of fleece, cut, and hem the edges. The mitts should look
like flaps, so that the child's hands and fingers are free. Step 7. Draw claws on a
folded 4-inch-wide strip of yellow fabric. Sew along the guides, leaving an opening between
the flaps. Trim the outside, leaving a ¼-inch border. Turn them right-side out and stuff
with polyester. Create thumb claws the same way. Step 8. Attach the claws to the mitts
using a hand stitch. Sew elastic across the wrist, thumbs, and first knuckles. Then, sew
a piece of elastic across the palm of the claws to keep them in place over your child's
hands. Sew the mitts to the rest of the costume, hemming around the wrists. Step 9. Hem the
ankles. Drape a piece of fleece over your child's shoe from toe to ankle and cut out
the shape. Then, use this prototype to cut out another foot covering. Cut out a circle
to go around the ankle, and hem around the edges. Attach Velcro tabs to close the back
of the heels. Step 10. Make foot claws the same way you made hand claws. Sew a band of
elastic to each foot flap so they can be secured under the arch of the foot. Step 11. Create
a tail by sewing together the two long edges of a 3-inch strip of fur. Sew the tail onto
the costume. Step 12. Measure the circumference of your child's head with the hood on, and
add 1 inch. Using these measurements, draw and cut a crown from the gold foil card stock.
Sew or glue three 1-inch Velcro squares to the inside of the crown. Glue the ends of
the crown together, using a clip to hold together until dry. Step 13. Cut a 2-inch-wide strip
of fur the same length as the crown circumference. Sew the fur to the base of the crown. Step
14. Add three Velcro strips to the hood that correspond to the Velcro strips on the crown.
Attach pipe-cleaner whiskers to the edges of the hood. Cover four buttons with fleece
fabric, and sew them to the front of the costume. Step 15. Paint the dowel with silver spray
or acrylic paint. Cover the Styrofoam ball with aluminum foil and insert the painted
dowel at the base of the ball. Wrap a ½-inch strip of gold foil around the fattest part
of the ball; attach it with white glue and secure with pins until dry. Cover the top
of the scepter with a jewel. Done! Did you know The monsters in _Where the Wild Things
Are_ were based on the author's aunts and uncles.