Make Nursery Rhyme Costumes
Children love to dress up for parties or Halloween. When you are helping them to choose a costume, imagine themes that they will recognize and enjoy acting out. One good option is to create a costume of a nursery rhyme character. These simple children's poems are filled with lively characters, like Little Bo Peep, the three blind mice, Miss Muffet, little boy blue and Jack and Jill. Any of these costume ideas can be modified slightly to make adult costumes as well. Find out how to make nursery rhyme costumes.
Contents
Steps
Little Bo Peep Costume
- Find a pretty dress in your child's closet. Choose a pastel or white dress that has a bigger skirt. The dress for this costume can vary greatly, but look for something in a classic style.
- Make or buy a bonnet. You can find bonnet patterns at craft stores, or you can check your local thrift shop or child's clothing store for a bonnet that matches the dress you've chosen.
- To embellish your costume more, also keep an eye out for bloomers. These can go under the dress to make the costume look more old-fashioned.
- Find a lamb stuffed animal at a toy store.
- Make your child's shepherd staff. You can find a small hook at a garden store or a plastic candy cane yard decoration. Once you've found the item you will use as a staff, spray paint it white or the color of your child's dress.
- Tie ribbons and flowers around the staff. Your child will love carrying flowing ribbons.
- Dress your child in the dress and bonnet. If you don't have bloomers, add a pair of tights and some Mary Jane shoes. Give her the staff and lamb to carry.
Jack and Jill Costume
- Gather some coordinating clothing items for a boy and a girl. Since this is an ensemble costume, it is best to coordinate some pastel colors, such as blue, pink, yellow or green. Although you can take creative license with their clothing, the following are some good additions:
- For the boy's costume, find a collared shirt, pants and suspenders with stripes or polka dots. You may also consider a bow tie that matches the girl's costume.
- For the girl's costume, choose a nice shirt and a big skirt. Place a tutu or petticoat underneath for added fun. Choose tights, shoes and a headband in colors that match the boy's outfit.
- Buy a pail from a craft store in your town. Also buy acrylic paints and ribbon in colors that match the children's outfits. Ask them to decorate the pail or paint it with stripes and tie a ribbon to the handle.
- Buy gauze and paper tape if you do not already have it. Wrap the gauze around Jack's head to indicate he broke his crown. You can also buy a fake crown, make it appear broken and place it on his head.
Little Boy Blue Costume
- Comb your child's closet for pants, shirt, socks, shoes, hat and a coat in the same color of blue. Baby blue works best for this costume, because it stands out more than royal or navy blue.
- Shop for any missing pieces of clothing in your blue ensemble. If you want to go casual, you can have him wear jeans and dress him completely in denim. If you want to go fancy, have him wear a baby blue suit with a bow tie and straw hat.
- Find a toy horn at a toy shop. If you can't find a toy horn, draw a picture of a horn on a strong piece of cardboard. Draw an outline and have him decorate his horn on either side.
Muffin Man Costume
- Bake up a fresh batch of muffins. Your child will be popular in this costume, because there will be muffins to carry and give away.
- Dress your child in any type of clothing. You will cover up the majority of it with the costume.
- Find an apron. A white apron will create a more noticeable contrast than 1 with a saying or design on it.
- Find a chef's hat. These are available online or in kitchen stores. It is also sometimes known as a "Toque."
- Dust some flour onto your child's outfit, face and hands.
- Find 2 matching oven mitts. Keep the muffins in the muffin pan. Have your child carry around the muffin pan and give away muffins to other children and family.
Miss Muffet and Spider Costume
- Consider this costume if you want to dress up as an ensemble with your baby. You can also have your child dress up as Miss Muffet and find a fake spider and web to place on her shoulder.
- Find a frilly pink dress for your Miss Muffet. If possible place a tutu or petticoat underneath for extra effect.
- Include tights, Mary Jane shoes and a little hat to create a fancy outfit.
- Create a spider costume for your baby. Dress the baby all in black, from a small beanie cap to a onesie that covers the arms, torso and legs.
- Take 4 long black socks. They should be adult sized in order to mimic the length of your baby's arms and legs.
- Take a piece of thin wire about as long as the sock and surround it with batting. You want to make sure there are no sharp edges. Stuff the batting into the socks, adding more as needed.
- Sew the openings of the socks to the side of the onesie. Attach 2 socks to each side of the body. Bend the wire in the legs slightly forward, so it looks more like a bend in a spider's leg.
Tips
- Other costumes to consider are Humpty Dumpty, Little Red Riding Hood, Mary or her little lamb, a black sheep (Baa baa black sheep), old King Cole or Twinkle Twinkle little star.
Things You'll Need
- Dress
- Bonnet
- Bloomers/tights
- Mary Jane shoes
- Garden hook/plastic candy cane
- Ribbons and flowers
- Stuffed lamb
- Gauze bandage
- Pail
- Paint
- Blue outfit
- Toy horn
- Tutu/petticoat
- Muffins
- Chef's hat
- Oven mitts
- Apron
- Muffin pan
- Flour
- Fake spider/web
- Black socks
- Black onesie
- Wire
- Batting
- Sewing supplies
- Girl's frilly outfit
