Build a unique scarecrow costume with a t-shirt from your closet and a thrifty find.
I shop the thrift stores regularly, searching for anything useful in building a costume. I’ve gathered up quite a collection of vintage clothing, hats, and quality costume pieces that I can weave into characters as needed.
On one trip, I picked up a skirt that can only be described as oodles of brown tulle. Knee-length with multiple, tightly gathered tiers, it is full and fluffy. Commercially made by Nita Smith (no relation), it was to be worn as a petticoat under a square dance skirt. This piece has been in my costume closet for years, and I think this scarecrow will be the perfect showcase for it.Â
So, now that I had a skirt for my scarecrow, I dove back into my stash to see what else I could find. I came across a brown conical hat by Jacobson Hats and decided to give it a quick makeover, which you can find the how-to for here.
Next up is a trip to the thrift (or your closet) in search of a t-shirt. I selected an oatmeal-colored tee with long sleeves because the weather here in October can be a bit chilly.
The t-shirt was a bit too plain, so, to give it a little somethin’-somethin’, I designed a crow for the front. It’s a simple silhouette that you can cut and apply in record time.Â
So, let’s see how this came together.
Materials:
- T-shirt
- Cotton fabric
- Wonder-Under
Tools and supplies for scarecrow t-shirt
Tools:
To machine cut:
- SVG Cut File
- Cutting machine
- Iron
NOTE: If using a cutting machine, be sure to secure your material to the proper mat for your machine. Select the appropriate cutting settings and install the correct cutting blade for the material.Â
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To hand cut:
- PDF Pattern
- Marking pencil (not shown)
- Scissors
- Iron
Before You Get Started:
Download the free Crow Silhouette Pattern PDF or SVG Cut File from the Haunted Library.
If you are going to use a cutting machine, upload the pattern file to your design software. To cut by hand, print, cut out the pattern, and trace onto materials.
Steps:
Bond Wunder-Under to fabric
1. First, cut a square from your fabric and the Wonder Under® large enough to accommodate the size of your crow and iron the Wonder Under® to your fabric per the directions.
Cut crow from bonded fabric
2. Next, cut the crow from your Wonder Under® backed fabric.
TIP: To save time and keep the cutting super simple, select the crow pattern without the leg cut-out. This especially helpful when hand-cutting or shrinking the pattern down in size.
Determine applique placement
3. Determine placement of your crow on your shirt.
I cheated and instead of measuring and finding center, I loosely pinned the crow in the position I wanted while wearing my shirt.
Iron the crow onto the shirt following the Wonder Under® directions.
Easy and unique scarecrow costume t-shirt
Now you are costume party ready!
DIY Unique Scarecrow Costume
