How to Turn a Stuffed Animal into a Baby Costume

Your Baby No Longer Has to Be a Pumpkin for Halloween

Finding unique Halloween costumes for a baby is not easy. Unless of course your idea of unique is a pumpkin, as there seem to be an abundance of these available. Since unique pre-made costumes are hard to find in baby sizes, and, unless you know what you are doing, altering a larger pattern to be the size you need can be very difficult and time consuming. One option is to find pajamas in some fun print, such as animal print, and dress your little one up in those. An even better idea is to turn a stuffed animal into a costume.

You don't need any real sewing skills or a lot of time to do this. All you need is a stuffed animal, zipper or Velcro, needle and thread or fabic glue, some ribbon, and a pair of scissors.

First find a stuffed animal that is around the same size or a little larger than your baby. Cut the stuffed animal open along the back seam and remove the stuffing. Depending on how rough the inside of the animal is, you might want to leave some of the stuffing in to protect your child from being scratched. Some fabrics used to make stuffed animals have thick plastic-like backs. You might also want to leave some of it in to help hold the original shape, depending on what animal you choose and how well your child fills out the costume.

Cut slits across the wrists and ankles of the stuffed animal and fold over the raw edges a small amount onto the inside. You can sew or glue down the edge if you want to. This allows the hands and feet of the stuffed animal to be folded over the baby's hands and feet, almost like a sleeper. Sew a zipper or use Velcro along the opened up back seam to keep it closed.

Remove the head completely from the stuffed animal. Open the back seam enough so that it can easily slip over the baby's head. Attach ribbon to the bottom of each side to use to tie the neckline closed. Cut a circle out of the face area of the stuffed animal and turn under the raw edge. Sew or glue it down. Now the baby's face can show through in the circle.

You can also sew a fleece lining into the costume for a nice touch or extra warmth.