Now that I have a few homemade Halloween costumes under my belt, I can tell you comfort is key when making a baby's costume. Especially for kids like mine, who don't tolerate a lot of accessorizing, it helps when their "costume" doesn't differ much from their normal clothes.
Cora's top is a Flashback Skinny Tee (pattern by Made By Rae, made with the puff sleeve tutorial she recently posted). I thought the loose sleeves could be the leaves without looking too literal. The leggings (pattern by Lil Blue Boo), were lengthened and I added ruching to the bottom of the legs.
I made the flower "necklace" using a template from Martha Stewart. The pet sized flower pattern is a great size for babies. I didn't have enough yellow felt on hand, so I used yellow jersey from my fabric stashed fused with a craft weight interfacing. To make sure it held up to some abuse, I zig zag stitched around the edges of each flower petal. I actually like the look of it much better than felt.
Cora wore her costume yesterday without complaint (sitting still for photos is another story). Comfortable costumes make a happy baby! And I'm happy knowing she can wear the shirt and leggings as separates after Halloween.
Want to hear something great? The polka dot knit came from a 99 cent/yard fabric store (I've posted it before here), and the yellow jersey came from a t-shirt I bought on clearance from Old Navy for 49 cents. So all together, this costume cost under $2.00 to make. Booyah.
One down, two costumes to go!
Here's what I've made in past years:
Halloween 2011: Pumpkin and Wonder Woman
Halloween 2010: Skeleton and Aerobics Instructor
Halloween 2009: Bluebird
p.s. I don't always follow my own advice. My original plan for Cora's costume was a Cabbage Patch Kid. She wouldn't even need special clothes ... just a wig! So I crocheted her a simple beanie with yarn looped in for bangs and pig tails. Yeah - it lasted about one second on her head before she'd whip it off. Don't be fooled by this picture (her arms are pinned down). I came across the "hat hair" idea while browsing Pinterest, and you can buy similar hats from this Etsy shop.