Cute as a Pumpkin Costume

Quick, easy Halloween costumes, like this Cute as a Pumpkin Costume from Heather Mann, make last minute costume ideas a breeze!  Allow for maximum trick-or-treat time with this easy and cheap no-sew project.

Materials:

• 1 orange t-shirt (a few sizes larger than your child)
• 1 sheet black felt
• 1 sheet green felt
• 1 sheet green self-stick craft foam
• ¼-inch wide elastic (length depends on the size of the shirt)
• 1 green pipe cleaner
• 1 green pom-pom
• Scissors
• Safety pin
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Recycled corrugated cardboard (6x6-inch piece)
• Recycled plastic grocery bags (optional)
   

Instructions:

1. Make the T-Shirt: Cut eyes, nose, and mouth shapes out of black felt. Make your Jack O' Lantern facial features any shape you like. I cut 2 triangles for eyes and 1 triangle for the nose; I used a half-moon shape for the mouth, with a rectangle cut out of the flat side of the half moon to form a tooth.
   
   
    
2. Cut triangular pieces from the green self-stick craft foam to border the t-shirt collar. Cut 4 to 5 triangles, depending on the size of the collar.
    
3. Attach the green triangles around the collar of the t-shirt as a border.
    
4. With hot glue or craft glue, attach the facial features on the front of the shirt, just below the green triangles.
   
   
    
5. Cut a small slit in the inside layer of the waistband of the t-shirt.
   
   
    
6. Attach the end of the ¼-inch elastic to a safety pin, and thread the elastic through the waistband until it goes all the way around and comes back out through the slit.
   
   
   
   
7. Then, cut the elastic at the end so the length fits the t-shirt. Cinch the elastic so the waistband is slightly gathered, but not uncomfortable. Tie the ends of the elastic together and clip excess. Tuck the knot inside the waistband.
   
   
    
8. Gather the sleeve in the same way you did the waistband, but cut two slits, one on either side of the seam on the bottom of the sleeve. Thread elastic into one hole and out the other, and tie knot over seam. Repeat for second sleeve.
   
   
   
   
9. When your chid child wears costume, stuff the shirt with recycled plastic grocery bags for a rounder pumpkin shape. Avoid this step for younger children.
    
10. Make the Hat: Cut a 6-inch circle out of recycled corrugated cardboard (I used a bulk cereal box). Use an old CD or plastic lid for a template, if desired.
     
11. Cut an 8-inch circle out of green felt. Use a bowl for a template, if desired. This circle doesn't have to be perfect, because the edges will be hidden.
     
12. Express a circle of hot glue around the outside of the cardboard circle, close to the edge.
    
    
    
    
13. Fold felt over around the entire edge.
    
    
     
14. Measure a piece of the ¼-inch elastic around your child's head going under his chin. Cut so the elastic is snug but not too tight. Glue raw edges of elastic flat to middle of cardboard circle.
    
    
    
    
15. Cut circle of black felt slightly smaller than the cardboard disc (about 5 inches). Hot glue over exposed cardboard and elastic.
    
    
    
    
16. Wrap green pipe cleaner around a pen to make it curly. Hot glue pipe cleaner curl to the green top of the hat. Hot glue pom-pom over the center of the pipe cleaner.