Halloween is made so easy with this no-sew DIY Shark Costume. A great last-minute idea for boys or girls!
My son’s greatest love is sports, but marine-life as a close second. I don’t know what it is, but there is something about what happens in the deep ocean waters that really intrigues him. So much so, that one year he decided that he wanted to be a shark for Halloween. I found several options but they all required a sewing machine. I even consulted with a guide to find a sewing machine for kids thinking we might make it together.
But, as with most of his ideas, this was last-minute, so I scrambled, and after some help from the interwebs, I made him a Shark Costume out of an inexpensive hooded sweat shirt, some felt, and cardboard. I believe I spent less than $15 on the whole thing. It was a hit with his buddies, not to mention it kept him warm all evening. I call that a success!
Follow these steps to make your own!
No-Sew DIY Shark Costume
Materials:
Second hand or inexpensive grey sweat hooded sweatshirt
1 large sheet of white felt
2 smaller sheets of white felt
1 large sheet of grey felt
1 smaller sheet of red felt
Sharp scissors
Fabric glue
Directions:
Cut the edges of the large white felt sheet to make an oval shape.
Line the felt onto the center of the sweatshirt, and cut it along the middle (lined up with the zipper).
Apply the fabric glue to the bottom of the felt and press it on to the sweatshirt. Be sure to smooth it out with your fingers. Let is sit to dry for a few minutes and go back and glue any edges you may have missed.
Cut triangles out of the smaller pieces of the white felt sheets across the long side. Cut the red felt also along the long side, about 1.5″ thick.
Glue the red pieces onto the white pieces, allow to dry for a few minutes.
Glue the ‘teeth’ to the inside rim of the hood, one on either side.
Let it sit and dry a couple of hours to overnight.
Make the Shark Fin:
Draw a fin shape on to cardboard and cut it out. Use the cardboard cut out as a template to cut two equal pieces of grey felt making sure to leave a little extra room on the straight side.
Glue the felt on to either side of the cardboard. Allow to dry. From the extra length of felt, glue the fin to the back of the sweatshirt in the center. You can opt to use good ol’ fashioned needle and thread here, but the glue is pretty sturdy. Allow to dry completely, and add more glue as needed.
Add eyes:
Cut out small ovals of white felt, and smaller circles in the grey to make eyes. Glue and let dry.
I love this DIY Shark Costume, it’s an easy school day costume, and a great one to change into right after practice. Just add a comfy pair of dark joggers or sweats underneath.
My son is older than these pics show now, he’s almost 10. Writing this post was a little bit of a walk down memory lane! That said, I believe this costume is likely best for any child aged toddler to about 8, give or take. Now a days he wants costumes that are a little ‘tougher’ but I’ll never forget how happy he was to be a shark for Halloween that one year!
Barbara is the mom behind the blog. She began writing in 2012 as the creator of Hello Life, a craft & lifestyle blog. As life evolved, and her kids became more involved in sports, she aimed to create a site that would resonate with moms like her, and in 2017 Modern Sports Mom was born. Like many of today’s mamas, she loves being creative, cooking, and fashion, and when there are a few minutes to spare, a good book. A baseball and football mom, she is fueled by her strong faith, dedication to her family, and coffee. Lots and lots of coffee! Barbara lives in California with her husband, kids, dog, and cat.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.