Hello all, I'm Chelsea from Seablanket.com! I was so excited when Elsie asked me to create a DIY for Tricks & Treats, and I knew just what to make. I love dressing up on Halloween and really wanted to wear something fresh this year - something cute and unique. This Lady Bird Owl Costume is made entirely from items I had around the house, and by settling down with some popcorn and a funny movie i was able to make it in under one hour. The steps for this costume could make so many different animals, all it takes is a little imagination.
Materials Needed:
Pillow Case
Multiple Textured, Colored and Patterned Fabrics (Scraps work great for this project!)
Scissors
Push Pins
Hot Glue Gun or Sewing Machine
Ribbon or Edge Tape
Step 1. Lay your pillowcase on a flat surface. The opening will be the bottom of your dress, so you'll need to cut out a hole on the opposite end for your head and two arm holes on either side of the pillowcase. Hold up against your body to spot where your holes should be and what size.
Step 2. Using your scissors and all your fabrics, cut out fist-sized half-ovals( each oval was created from squares that measured 3x4", then I rounded two of the corners). My dress called for about 45 of these half-ovals. If you're purchasing fabric, you'll need at least one yard. These will act as your owl's feathers.
Step 3. Beginning at the bottom of your pillowcase, lay fabric feathers along side one-another, making sure they cover the edge of your pillow case. The straight edge of your feathers should be at the top of your row. Pin straight edge into place. Make sure you alternate your fabrics for a whimsical, charming look.
Step 4. Once you've completed pinning your bottom row, sew or use hot glue to attach the straight edge of your feathers to the pillow case. Moving onto the next row, make sure to stagger your fabrics, so they cover all seams you created on the line before. Repeat this step until you've reached the top of your pillow case.
Step 5. Trim any excess fabrics that might be overhanging in the neck or arm areas. Now, taking your edging tape or ribbon, edge the neck and arm holes so that they cover all loose fabrics and give the entire costume a polished look!
By adding fun eye shadow, a few feathers, and messy nest-like side bun, the outfit is complete! I am so excited to wear it out (maybe even after Halloween). Go enjoy making your own animal costumes, each one will be so unique! Hope you all have a super cute Halloween!! xxoo Chelsea
PS. the official Tricks and Treats Schedule (for days 1-6) is right here. We're still confirming a few guests for the second week, but you can see who's lined up for this week now! XO. Huge thank you*s to Chelsea for kicking off this fun 12 day project with her gorgeous Lady Bird Owl Halloween costume! XO.
eek!!!! that is the cutest dress i've ever seen! love it sooooo much!!!
Posted by: kristin | October 18, 2010 at 01:25 PM
I LOVE this so so so so so sSOSOSOOSSOSO much! Thank you so much for sharing! Here I was so bummed about no halloween costume, but I think this is JUST the ticket! Love!!!!
Posted by: Amy Morby | October 18, 2010 at 01:26 PM
OH SO CUTE!!!! i want to be a lady bird! but i have my costume already!! me and the mister are going to be mortica and gomez from the addams family! can't wait!!!
xo,
cb
Posted by: cb | October 18, 2010 at 01:26 PM
this is SO pretty. I want to wear it for a regular outfit :))
xo.
http://dropsofjupiterBLOG.com
Posted by: tiffany. | October 18, 2010 at 01:33 PM
wow! this is so adorable, & you could totally rock it on its own after halloween as a cute tunic/mini dress!! and since i am "a bird out of water" this could not be more perfect for this year!;)
yay! thanks so much!
~ab
www.abirdoutofwater.com
Posted by: Ashley | October 18, 2010 at 01:36 PM
Oh my goodness this DIY is amazing! Way to go Chelsea for being so creative! What an awesome guest post<3
Posted by: Vanessa | October 18, 2010 at 01:36 PM
What a cute idea - and the makeup is so lovely!
Posted by: allison | October 18, 2010 at 01:39 PM
SO adorable!
Sarah M
Posted by: Sarah M | October 18, 2010 at 01:39 PM
So Cute! I made a costume almost exactly like that last Halloween and also made a crocheted and felt owl face mask. :) It was so much fun.
Posted by: Kristin | October 18, 2010 at 01:40 PM
holy cute!
Posted by: Moni | October 18, 2010 at 01:42 PM
OH MY GOODNESS! this is the CUTEST dress i have ever seen! it sucks that i'll never be able to actually make one myself. i could try, but really, i'm sure i'll mess it up.
gahhh. i just can't stop looking at the photos. i love it SO much!
Posted by: Sanne | October 18, 2010 at 01:57 PM
this is great! thanks for sharing!
xoxo~meg
Posted by: Meg | October 18, 2010 at 02:04 PM
This is an adorable idea! I've already picked my costume for this year but am keeping this in mind for next year! :)
Posted by: Brandi | October 18, 2010 at 02:05 PM
This would be super cute with a masquerade mask as well!
Great work!
Posted by: Amber Elizabeth | October 18, 2010 at 03:08 PM
I love it! AND I'm going to re-post:)
scrapsandthistles.blogspot.com
Posted by: Harmony | October 18, 2010 at 03:21 PM
This is adorable. I made an owl mask last year, but have no idea what to wear with it, so this is perfect! Here's the owl mask: http://johannainman.blogspot.com/2009/10/barred-owl-mask.html
!!!
Thanks! :)
Posted by: Johanna | October 18, 2010 at 03:22 PM
So cute! Would make a great mermaid tail too :D
Posted by: Danielleorama | October 18, 2010 at 03:33 PM
AWESOME! i love this! great job Chelsea... best adult costumer ever.
xo.
Posted by: jari | October 18, 2010 at 03:34 PM
How perfectly darling! I want to be an owl for Halloween!
Posted by: Erika M | October 18, 2010 at 03:42 PM
Wow! This turned out so cute!
Posted by: krust | October 18, 2010 at 03:56 PM