This is a costume of Olaf that I built. My little girl is crazy for Olaf and I wanted to make her a replica costume to wear for Halloween.
I made the head first. It has a paper /duct tape base. I have experimented over the years with paper mache, foam insulation spray , and wire bases for headpieces and this was by far the easiest method for a base. It is quick, no drying time and very lightweight and comfortable!
After the tape/paper base was built I covered it with quilt batting and then a top layer of polar fleece fabric.The top flayer of fleece was sewn to a lining that I placed inside the head . The lining is a simple hood of the white fleece. The lining and top layer of fleece were sewn at the neck opening and the mouth opening.
The eyes and hair are craft foam that I glued on. The nose is orange fleece stuffed with fiberfill and sewn in place.
I made a body form out of duct tape in my child's size , but you could use a pillow instead.
For the costume's body lining start with a plain white t-shirt.
Construct the tulle layer:
Buy a white crochet headband.
Cut 4inch wide strips of tulle. The length of the tulle should be about the length of the wearer's body measured from the shoulder to the floor x2. The tulle is then folded in half and looped through the bottom row of the headband.Go all the way around the headband looping tulle in all the spaces/holes in the bottom row of the headband.
Buy a hula hoop. The hoop can be opened by removing the tape/staple seam and pulling the hoop open. Resize the hoop to be slightly wider than the wearer's shoulders. A serrated knife works well for cutting the hula hoop. Retape the hoop closed .
Tie the loose ends of the tulle to the hoop . Try to keep the length and tension equal all the way around.Turn the loose ends to the inside of the costume. Tie one piece of tulle at the waist to cinch it in.
Cut 2 rectangles of quilt batting . One will cover the chest area and one will cover the stomach /leg area. The top rectangle has arm openings at the sides . Measure the arm opening of a t-shirt that fits the wearer comfortably and use that as a gauge for how large to make the costume arm openings. I usually add an extra 2 inches to make sure the costume is comfortable.
The top rectangle of batting goes at the top third of the costume above the waist. Wrap the batting around the top and cut it so that it meets smoothly in the back of the costume . Hand sew or glue closed at the shoulder area and the back.
Repeat for the bottom. The bottom is almost double the size of the top layer.
The top layer of the costume is made exactly like the batting layer. I allow an extra inch around the fleece pieces so that I have extra fabric to roll inward.
With the t-shirt base covered with the tulle/batting layer and then topped with the fleece top layer, I check to see if everything is smooth and all the openings in the different layers meet .
The top layer and the lining are now hand sewn together trapping the tulle layer inside.
Glue or sew the top section to the bottom section.
Now you will need to cut an opening through all the layers .At the back of the costume at the neck edge cut an opening in the exact center about 1/2 of the way down . Hand sew the edges of the opening. Place a large snap at he neck .
I made the head first. It has a paper /duct tape base. I have experimented over the years with paper mache, foam insulation spray , and wire bases for headpieces and this was by far the easiest method for a base. It is quick, no drying time and very lightweight and comfortable!
After the tape/paper base was built I covered it with quilt batting and then a top layer of polar fleece fabric.The top flayer of fleece was sewn to a lining that I placed inside the head . The lining is a simple hood of the white fleece. The lining and top layer of fleece were sewn at the neck opening and the mouth opening.
The eyes and hair are craft foam that I glued on. The nose is orange fleece stuffed with fiberfill and sewn in place.
I made a body form out of duct tape in my child's size , but you could use a pillow instead.
For the costume's body lining start with a plain white t-shirt.
Construct the tulle layer:
Buy a white crochet headband.
Cut 4inch wide strips of tulle. The length of the tulle should be about the length of the wearer's body measured from the shoulder to the floor x2. The tulle is then folded in half and looped through the bottom row of the headband.Go all the way around the headband looping tulle in all the spaces/holes in the bottom row of the headband.
Buy a hula hoop. The hoop can be opened by removing the tape/staple seam and pulling the hoop open. Resize the hoop to be slightly wider than the wearer's shoulders. A serrated knife works well for cutting the hula hoop. Retape the hoop closed .
Tie the loose ends of the tulle to the hoop . Try to keep the length and tension equal all the way around.Turn the loose ends to the inside of the costume. Tie one piece of tulle at the waist to cinch it in.
Cut 2 rectangles of quilt batting . One will cover the chest area and one will cover the stomach /leg area. The top rectangle has arm openings at the sides . Measure the arm opening of a t-shirt that fits the wearer comfortably and use that as a gauge for how large to make the costume arm openings. I usually add an extra 2 inches to make sure the costume is comfortable.
The top rectangle of batting goes at the top third of the costume above the waist. Wrap the batting around the top and cut it so that it meets smoothly in the back of the costume . Hand sew or glue closed at the shoulder area and the back.
Repeat for the bottom. The bottom is almost double the size of the top layer.
The top layer of the costume is made exactly like the batting layer. I allow an extra inch around the fleece pieces so that I have extra fabric to roll inward.
With the t-shirt base covered with the tulle/batting layer and then topped with the fleece top layer, I check to see if everything is smooth and all the openings in the different layers meet .
The top layer and the lining are now hand sewn together trapping the tulle layer inside.
Glue or sew the top section to the bottom section.
Now you will need to cut an opening through all the layers .At the back of the costume at the neck edge cut an opening in the exact center about 1/2 of the way down . Hand sew the edges of the opening. Place a large snap at he neck .
