Breck the Dinosaur

Well, I'm ashamed to say I don't have a tutorial for this costume. The reason?? I honestly didn't know what I was doing the entire time. Making animal costumes is just something that's foreign to me, and without a pattern, I'm at a loss. I was lucky that it did turn out, but I just don't have a tutorial, and if you copied everything I did, you would be running around like a chicken with it's head cut off like I was while making this.

However, I will say, that if you want to make this exact costume, I can give you some tips.

First of all, get a pattern for pajama pants and a hooded jacket/anorak.

Once you've cut all your pieces out, you need to apply the knee pads and the tummy patch with an applique stitch. I just eyeballed how big I wanted mine.

For the spikes:

Next, cut out about 12 squares of fabric that are about 4"x4". Cut them each in half diagonally so you have 2 triangles for each square.

Cut pieces of felt (1 for each set of 2 triangles) in the exact shape of the triangles you just cut, just about 1/8 inch shorter per side.

Sew each triangle together, then turn inside out. insert felt triangle, and sew along edges of the triangle. Bottom of triangle does not need to be sewn. Do this for all 12 triangles.

Attach triangles along the center hood seam, the back seam (you may need to cut a line down the back to make your own seam), and down the tail.

Sew all the other pieces together, according to the instructions, leaving the bum seam of the pants open and unsewn for a tail.

Use similar concept for the bill of the hood as the spikes, just using a bill of a hat as your guide to the shape. when sewing the fabric together, add little white felt triangles on the edges of the inside, and sew the curved side of the bill together. when turned inside out, it will reveal teeth. Then put the felt inside the bill, and sew along the curved side again. Attach to the hood.

I just added googly eyes for the eyes with hot glue, velcro for closures, and white felt claws.

For the Tail:

Cut out tail shape. (I know real specific, huh?) But that's all I did, I just decided what shape I wanted the tail, cut out 2 of the shape, sewed the spikes (triangles) in the top seam, and sewed the rest together. When I turned it inside out, I stuffed it with poly-fill, and I sewed the end up.

I then placed it into the unsewn hem of the pants (the bum seam) and sewed it up.

Then, you just finish up your pants, put elastic in, or a tie, depending on your pattern and preference, and you're pretty much done!

Sorry these directions weren't more specific, with pictures and instructions, but like I said...you probably wouldn't have wanted to follow my exact lead with this costume. Just make it easy and get the pattern, and then you can copy my embellishments!

Luckily, Breck was thrilled with it, and he can now live out his life-long goal of becoming a dinosaur!! Rawrrrr!!!