Fire Hats & Tutus: Halloween Costumes for My Littles

Happy Halloween, my friends! This time of year is like one big dress-up playdate for children of all ages. Whether you are looking forward to trick-or-treating, marching in a Halloween parade, or just waiting for costumes to go on sale November 1^st to stock up on dress-up clothes for the Littles, many of us have had costumes on our minds for weeks.

I have noticed an increase in the Littles’ independence and desire to share their own opinions lately.  So, I decided to let them decide on their own Halloween costumes this year.

My calm, matter-of-fact Little Boy was rather easy to please:

“What would you like to dress up as for Halloween,” I asked.

“A fire fighter,” he replied without even looking up from his Magna Tiles.

“Duh, Mom!” I chuckled to myself.

 (If you’ve seen some of my previous posts, you know that Little Boy has quite the affinity for fire hats – hence his bright red plastic helmet that debuts in almost every photo he appears in. 🙂 )

Little Boy’s costume request was easy to grant. My mom found the perfect fire fighter outfit in Marshall’s for less than $25. Little Boy was ecstatic to have a shiny new fire helmet, and I was excited that half of my Halloween costume stress was alleviated. Perfection!

Little Girl’s costume, on the other hand, required some creativity. In recent months, she has surprised me by ditching Dora the Explorer and Doc McStuffins and finding herself a new best friend: Minnie Mouse. So naturally, she had her heart set on being Minnie Mouse for her Preschool Halloween Parade.

“Little Girl had her heart set on dressing up as Minnie Mouse for her preschool Halloween Parade.  Who was I to disappoint her?”

I searched around online, but was not in love with any of the Minnie Mouse costumes I came across. Never being able to accept defeat, I turned to my good friend Pinterest, where a simple search for “DIY Minnie Mouse tutu” provided the inspiration that helped me bring Little Girl’s dreams to reality. Here is how I did it:

As much as I love a good trip to A.C. Moore, I have been rather busy lately being back to work and all. So I turned to trusty Amazon and ordered the materials I needed:

• Elastic
• Paris Pink Tulle
• Light pink ribbon with white  polka dots

I also used materials I already had at home:

• White felt
• Hot glue gun
• Needle and heavy thread

First…

I started by measuring around Little Girls’ waist and using the elastic to make the waist band. I sewed the ends together with heavy thread.

 Next…

I cut 24-inch strips of tulle.

Note: You can easily adjust the measurement depending on the height of your child. The number of strips you need depends on the size of the waistband – the bigger the band, the more tulle you’ll need. I ordered a 100-yard roll of tulle. I still have a ½ roll left after completing this project.

Then…

I folded the strips in half and made simple loop knots to attach them to the elastic. I kept going until I covered the entire waistband with tulle.

With the ribbon, I added a simple pink bow to the front of the tutu.  It is a matter of preference, but I felt that it made the perfect accent.  I also added a matching bow to Little Girl’s Minnie Mouse ears.

Last…

I cut small circles (polka dots) from white felt and used my hot glue gun to attach them to the tutu.  There was really no rhyme, reason, or pattern for my polka dot placement.

And that’s it!

Bonus Tip:  Simple white gloves and a few strips of black felt can add a sweet final touch to your Minnie Mouse costume!

This easy costume project was completed in under an hour!

Do you dress your littles up for Halloween? I’d love to hear about your creative costume ideas in the comments.  Happy Trick-or-Treating!

Thanks for reading!

Pin me! 🙂

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