Lasso The Moon

Dress-Up Days : Man in the Yellow Hat : Guest Post by Rose M

My friend Rose has the cutest little boy, "C".  He was the absolute sweetest dressed up last year as the Man with the Yellow Hat. Isn't that a great costume idea!  Here's Rose with some details on putting together a costume by visiting the thrift shops and doing a little stitching.

Our little guy was the Man in the Yellow Hat last year. Other than some spray painting and felt stitching, the main DIY aspect of this costume is the collecting. I love the thrill of the hunt (but did not anticipate the shades of yellow challenge). We ended up with quite a variety of yellow pants and shirts before I found two that matched enough to satisfy my perfectionist self. Dying a shirt and pants may be a more time and cost effective (but not nearly as fun!) route to go. I was happy we went with the long sleeve polo and sweatpants. It made for a comfortable costume to run around in, but still had the right affect.

After acquiring yellow pants and a shirt, I found the perfect hat at a thrift store and spray painted it yellow. We safety pinned some balled-up fabric into the top so it didn’t swallow his tiny head. There are also easy tutorials on the internet for hats if you are unable to locate the right one.

I made the tie out of one piece of yellow felt and one piece of black felt.
Nothing fancy, just circles that are stitched on and a safety pin to attach it.

I found some used black high-top shoes to use as ‘boots’ and some knee high socks (that I can’t track down) from the girls’ clearance section at Target. Pants tucked into socks and a basic black canvas belt (that I also can’t find-sorry!) finished it off.

If I remember right, I used a cheap adult one with D rings from the thrift store and cut it shorter.
And don’t forget his friend George!

I have to say, the tie is my favorite bit.  She blanket-stitched each black dot!  Thanks for taking the time to share your amazing idea, Rose!

Dress-Up Days : Toy Story Jessie Costume Tutorial : Guest Post by Abby B.

My sister Abby is super-creative.  We used to have craft days together, and she would complete an entire project while I spent most of the day talking.  (That made me so mad!!) Yesterday was her birthday, and for the occasion, she has a gift for YOU!  She wrote up a great tutorial for her daughter Ellie's "Jessie from Toy Story" costume.  She made what looks like a complicated costume from simple supplies and steps, so I know you'll love it.  Enjoy! --Anna

 

 

When Ellie was 2 she was crazy about Toy Story. She received a Jessie doll for her birthday that year and had to be Jessie for Halloween. The costume couldn’t have been easier to make!

You’ll  need a pair of jeans that you don’t mind altering, a white button-down shirt (we thrifted ours), ¼ yd of cow-print fabric, red cording and about ¼ yd yellow fabric (mine was flannel because I had that on hand), black leather (or suede, fleece or felt) scraps, and two over-sized buttons.  For the hair you need 1 skein of red yarn, a yellow ribbon and a stretchy headband. We were lucky and were able to borrow a hat just like Jessie’s. :-)

 

To make the braid, follow the same instructions for the rapunzel braid. You just want to make it thicker and shorter. Jessie’s braid is pretty thick so make it according to the size of your little one’s head.   

To make the shirt start by cutting two pieces of yellow in a        shape. This will go on the shoulders of your shirt. You can cut both pieces at the same time - you’ll just need to flip the second one over. The size of this piece depends on the size of your shirt. My shirt is a 3-4 and my yellow pieces are about 4.5” at the widest point and about 6” from the top to the point. Pin these onto your shirt - you can fold the edges under if you don’t want to see the raw edges. I didn’t want to take the time to do this - it’s just a costume! I zig-zagged around the edges in red thread.
Next cut a  shape from the yellow fabric. This is for the top of the backside of the shirt. Zig-Zag around the edge.

Take the red cording and loop it down then up and then down again, pinning as you go to the top left shoulder. Repeat on the right shoulder. Set your zig-zag setting to the about the width of your cording zig-zag along the cording, carefully removing pins as you go, to secure it.

Sew on the two over-sized buttons. I sewed mine between the original buttons. Have your little Jessie try on the shirt for the best placement.

For the cuffs of the sleeves, cut two rectangles from your yellow fabric long enough to go around the cuff or your shirt plus ½” and wide enough to cover the cuff plus ½” if you want to finish the edges. Cut 2 squares from your black leather (or whatever material you’re using) the same width as your cuff. Line up the edge of the square with the edge of the yellow. Fold the yellow rectangle in half with right sides together and pin along the edge, securing the black square between the layers. Repeat with the second cuff. Sew along the edge of the cuff. Flip the cuff right-side out. Cut ¼” slits in the black squares to create fringe. Attach the cuffs to the cuffs of your shirt by top-stitching or zig-zagging along the edge.

To make the chaps, fold the cow-print fabric right side out and trace one leg of your pants (starting below the pocket) onto it adding ½” to the outer edge. Cut out.

Fold all the edges under ¼” and sew to hem. The chaps are sewn across the top of the jeans under the pocket and ⅔ of the way down the inseam. The outer edge is left loose. To do this, begin by pinning the top edge of the chaps, right sides together, to the front of the jeans below the pocket. Sew. Next, pin the the inner edge of the chaps, right side down, to the inseam of the pants.

This will need to be hand sewn. I used about ¼” stitches and it worked great. Repeat this process on the other leg. Lastly, cut 2 rectangles, about 2.5” x 2” from your black leather and sew about 2.5” from the bottom of the outer edge of the chaps. Cut ¼” slits to make fringe.

 

 

Oh my gosh! Isn't Ellie the cutest thing?!  Thanks, Abby for showing us how you made this costume.  It looks so much like the real thing.  For those of you who are a little nervous around the sewing machine, most of the sewing could be replaced by careful glue-gunning.   We were also just out shopping at a costume shop, and saw that they had the perfect Jessie hat, so it's good to know that they are out there.

 

So, are you finished with your costumes for this year?  If so, you are WAY ahead of me.  I've gathered supplies, but I have yet to sew or glue a single thing!  Come back soon, because I have yet another guest post lined up, as well as my own family costumes. 

 

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Dress-Up Days : Group Costumes--How to Train Your Kids : Guest Post by The Weisse Guys

Hey, friends!! I cannot express through typed words how excited I am about today's guest post.  You know that I am a sucker for group costumes, and today's guest, Mary Weisse, is a genius at getting her gang together with a group theme.  She has agreed to share some of her tips for brainwashing getting the kids to agree on a theme, as well as some excellent eye candy to serve as inspiration.  You are going to love this!! --Anna

For some kids Halloween is all about the candy, but for me it was definitely all about the costumes.  As a kid I would dream about what I was going to be and always secretly hoped I could get a group of friends to coordinate some great group costumes. But alas, I could rarely get my siblings or friends to go along with this (not really sure how hard I tried, honestly). Let me tell you it is not that fun dressing up like Morticia from the Addams Family without the rest of the family (Not to mention when you are 11 you don't really have the bod for it and nobody really knows what you are supposed to be).
However, eighth grade changed Halloween forever. I convinced my three best friends from school to dress up like the Ghostbusters. We made our own costumes out of brown sweat suits and colored tape.

I still remember how proud I was when I came up with my ingenious design for our Proton packs that involved putting a backpack inside a cardboard box. Well, we won the “Best Costume” prize at our church Halloween party and the joy of that night must be what continues to drive me to crafty insanity every October.

In college I helped convince about 10 of my dorm mates to dress up as female Disney characters. Other years it was Scooby Doo, Josie and the Pussycats, Peanuts, or Gilligan's Island. I don't know exactly what it is about group costumes, but Halloween costumes just seem more fun with friends. Perhaps this shows some kind of deeper insecurity in me, but let's not get too psychological here-- I just love playing dress up.

My sister, Emily, and I obviously fell from the same tree because she started a group costume tradition with her friend, Allie, when their kids were very little. They are both pretty crafty and Allie's mom helps out a lot since she is a great seamstress. When I had a baby, I was gladly welcomed into the tradition. The first year I was involved we did The Chronicles of Narnia. Since my son, Jimmy, was only just turning one that first year, he had little say in the matter; I made him a very simple Reepicheep costume that took me weeks. It didn't help that is was super hot (we live in Phoenix after all) and we couldn't even put the bottom half of his costume on him. The best part was, of course, the sword because having a prop with your costume is so much more fun. The other kids would agree since they also got swords, bow and arrows, and cordials. The best prop by far was the red umbrella I found for my nephew, Finn, to be Mr. Tumnus. My sister was looking everywhere for something and suddenly I remembered that stored away at my Dad's house was my American Girl doll, Molly, who just so happened to have a little red umbrella. Sometimes, being a pack rat pays off. Here are the kids from that year:

Via Weisse Guys

The next year was Peter Pan, which was already a favorite movie of Jimmy's so he was
more than happy to play the part of “Baby Michael” as he liked to be called. I searched everywhere online for the perfect pink jammies and found them at the Gap. All I did was sew buttons on the bum, so I deserve little credit on that one. However, this did give me more time to come up with costumes for my husband, Zach, and myself. A lot of the adults got in on the costumes that year, which I always appreciate.

Via Weisse Guys

The following year the older kids decided on Alice in Wonderland which Jimmy had never seen so I knew it would take some convincing of my almost three-year-old. I brought up a few of the character choices such as the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Cheshire Cat, or the Caterpillar. He immediately wanted to be the Caterpillar before I even showed him the pictures (this probably had something to do with a very loved children's book and also that little boys like bugs). At first I said, "Yeah, that would be great!" because I was excited that he wanted to do it. Then I looked at a picture of the caterpillar online and realized how complicated making a costume of it would be. As we stared at the computer together, I said, "Uhhhh, Buddy. That might be too hard for mom to make." He seemed sad and kept asking "Why?" I said maybe he should pick one of the easier ones. Then that night at dinner he told his dad in a sad little voice he was just going to be the cat because "The caterpillar was too hard for mom
to make." Of course, it broke my heart and I said, "You can be the caterpillar! It's okay. I can do it!"  That kid sure knows how to play me. To top it off, I gave birth to his little brother 6 days before  Halloween that year, and was still adding pieces to the costume the day of. He better remember that  thing forever!!! ... Okay, it was totally my own doing because I just couldn't resist. And he didn't just love the costume, he was obsessed and wanted to sleep in it. It was worth the grief just to see him run to get his grandma at the airport with all his little arms and legs waving in the air. I guess pregnancy makes me do crazy things. The nesting bug must have really kicked in that October because I also
managed to have a costume prepared for a baby whose sex was yet to be determined and was possibly not even going to be born come Oct 31. I did a purple Cheshire Cat because I figured that would work well either way and it would look funny when we held the baby up in the bushes. I got some major kudos that year, but I wouldn't recommend it for your sanity. Sometimes I have a tendency to take on too much.

Via Weisse Guys

Last year, the inevitable happened. We couldn't get the kids to agree on something for months (and believe me when I tell you that this decision is in fact discussed and agonized over for months by all children involved). I had suggested to Jimmy that he and his brother Gus could be Jaq and Gus Gus from Cinderella. I should probably have known better because once he has a plan in his mind there is really no changing it. So then when his cousins decided to do “How to Train Your Dragon,” he was already very set on our idea. Now if we had all planned this a little better, then I am sure I would have
had no problem convincing Jimmy to be Toothless the Dragon (although, I was daunted by that task without months to prep), but like I said, he is set in his ways. He takes after me so much, that I think God has some good laughs about it. Such is life. It turned out great just the same. We all still did Halloween together and we just had two different groups.

Via Weisse Guys

It is definitely more important to keep all the kids happy then force something on them, but you can at least try to get them all to agree. I would like to say I learned my lesson, but Jimmy decided months ago that he was going to be R2-D2 this next Halloween. We shall see if anyone else wants to tag along on that idea. I guess my years of brainwashing him into doing what I want are already gone. At least I have trained him well.

So if you are interested in getting your own kids in on this crazy tradition where do you begin?  Brainwashing does help, but for the sake of being good parents we should call it “cooperation.” I suppose if you start doing it young enough they think coming to an agreement is just part of the deal.  If they are older then perhaps you could show them pictures of other cool group costumes (e.g. ours). I hope we can be inspiring to you in some way and perhaps you can live out your own childhood dreams through your children just like me.

Mary Weisse is from Phoenix, Arizona. She is a mother of two boys, Jimmy (4 ½) and Gus (1 ½) and a wife to a loving science teacher named Zach. She has a BA in Drama from the University of Dallas and a MFA in Scenic Design from West Virginia University. She is currently an Adjunct Faculty member in the Theatre Department at Phoenix College. She writes a blog about her family called The Weisse Guys .

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Tune in tomorrow for another costume tutorial!  The countdown is on!

Dress-Up Days : Duct Tape Boots : A Tutorial by Brown Paper Packages

Happy Friday, Friends!  You are going to love today's tutorial.  I found a picture of these amazing boots on Pinterest, and just had to meet the maker of these incredible dress-up accessories!  With all the duct tape colors there are now, you could make a pair for every dress-up occasion!

Hello there!  My name is Leisel and I blog at Brown Paper Packages.  I love creating costumes for my three little girls and a few years ago I made Barbie Musketeer costumes that included hats, boots, pettiskirts, capes, corsets, tops and skirts.  Below is the tutorial for the duct tape boots.  For the other tutorials, you can visit my blog here.  http://sugarnspicecreations.blogspot.com/search/label/Musketeers

 

Thanks for letting me visit.  Happy sewing!

 

 

The boots-- they totally finish the outfit, don't you think?  And really, it is not too hard to make your own.

Materials needed:

Pair of ballet flats that fit your little Musketeer

3 yards of gold shoes laces trim

satin scraps to match (optional)

scraps of Peltex extra stiff interfacing

(you will need a yard for the hat-- scraps from that work just fine)

a pair of old knee high socks

approximately 30 gold eyelets and tools to set

at LEAST 1 roll of Duck tape in matching color (I have found them at Wal-Mart, Target, Home Depot, etc.)

(You will need at least two rolls for an adult pair.)

And you are going to need your little Musketeer for part of the construction process

Getting Started:

First we are going to make the cuff of the boot.  This made using the Peltex interfacing.  You need two pieces that look like this:

The inner curve should measure about 2 inches short of your child's calf circumference.  It should be about 4 inches wide.

This needs to be covered with fabric.  I used double-sided fusible interfacing, ironed satin on both sides according to the directions on the interfacing then used my rolled hem edge to finish the two sides and the outside curve.  You need to leave a little extra fabric on the inner curve, about an inch or two.  If you would rather, you can also just use your Duck tape to cover the cuffs. Again, just make sure that you leave a little extra tape on the inner curve, like so:

Now we are ready to start constructing the boot.  You will need your little Musketeer in a standing position.  First put on the flats.

If your flats have a little strap like ours, cut it off first.

Next, put the sock OVER the shoe, up to a few inches below the knee.

Tape the cuff on to the top of the sock, as shown in the picture:

Use the excess from the inner curve to tape it to the sock.  It will fold down after you finish the boot. 

Start covering the rest of the sock with the Duck tape.  Use short pieces, about 10 inches.  It's just like wrapping an ankle, if you have ever done that before.

Make sure you cover the entire sock.  You will also want to add at least one extra layer.  The more layers you have, the sturdier the boot.

When you are satisfied with your taping, cut the boot off.  Of course you will want to do this with extreme caution.  I suggest you use surgical scissors, like these:

They will of course be the safest way.  Cut straight down the front from the top of the boot to the edge of the ballet flat.

Now we are going to finish all the exposed edges.  Tape the inside top edge where the cuff attaches to the boot.  (I also sew one line across in the same place to secure the cuff.  My needle gets a little sticky from the tape, but otherwise, it works great!)

 

Put a strip along each cut edge as well. 

And just about there!  Now we are adding eyelets.

Measure along the cut edges of the boot, marking where you want the eyelets.  I usually have about 7 per side, 14 per boot, 28 total. 

Using your little eyelet tool, put holes in each of your marks.  Insert the eyelets.

Add your gold lacing and you are all set to go.

A big thanks to Leisel for taking the time to share this how-to with us.  I love these boots so much!  They would have been perfect for Emma's Violet Incredible costume last year!  Tune in next week for more amazing costume ideas.  Do you have your plan yet?  It's getting close!

Dress-Up Days : Fish Costume from Pattern Shmattern

Happy Monday!

How is your October going so far?  We've had the sickies around here, but we're getting better, and the change of weather is putting everyone in good spirits.

Have you decided what your kids will be for Halloween this year?  Are you going to dress up with them?  Well, I have another fun post to help inspire you and get you on your way to a fun, creative, homemade costume.

I caught up with Julie from Pattern Shmattern, and she agreed to share her tutorial for an adorable costume she made for her son, without a pattern of course!  But first, let's meet the woman behind the sewing machine:

"I'm a stay-at-home mom of 2 little ones with one on the way.  We've lived in large cities and middle sized towns, but we're currently living in a small town in the rural mid-west US, and it has it's challenges, mainly boredom.  I miss being able to take my kids to the zoo or the museums whenever I want to, so I put my sewing machine to work and make crafts with my kids to fill my time.  I love getting inspiration from other people's blogs, so I started one of my own.  It's mainly a collection of things I've made in my sewing room, grown in my garden, and cooked in my kitchen.  I have memories of my mom making costumes, and I still have a crayon costume I wore as a toddler that she sewed for me.  I want my kids to have those same memories of me."

"My daughter wanted to be a mermaid for Halloween and I found a mermaid tail at a store, so then I thought my son has to have a coordinating costume, right? "

"Here's what I came up with. I googled "fish costume" for inspiration... ok well I first googled "fish costume" to see if I could find a cute affordable and good quality costume for sale, because I really haven't ever made a costume before, but no such luck. So with a few photos in mind I went to Walmart and bought a couple of yards of felt and some ping pong balls."

"I spent at least an hour cutting out scales by hand, but my husband and I are on a Battlestar Galactica Netflix kick, so I cut them while watching those and the time went by quickly."

"I used one of my son's sleeveless summer onesies as an idea for the general shape, but I made the costume much larger than the onesie to fit over any cold weather clothing he might need to wear. Then I cut the body out of felt and sewed on the scales. I used some of my daughter's glittery tulle left over from her tutu to give the tail some shimmer. The eyes are ping pong balls cut in half with sharpie marker circles on them.  I used hot glue to attach them to the cap."

"The basic shape is this- A tank top like shirt with a tail in the back.  I just winged it on the fin size and shape in the back and on the head piece."

I asked Julie if she had any tips about making the head piece and she did!

"I used a measuring tape to measure from the front of my son's head to the base of his neck and and the width of the head.  I cut a rectangle with those dimensions.  Then I cut two circle shapes for the sides and sewed them to the rectangle.  I took a few inches of 1/4 inch elastic and stretched it out, laid it against the neckline, and sewed to the inside of the neckline with a zigzag stitch.  I used another length of elastic to make a chin strap.  Out of the darker blue felt I cut a fin shape and attached it to the top of the cap with a straight stitch.  I cut one ping pong ball in half with a saw, and then I used hot glue to attach them to the felt cap."

Thank you, Julie! Can you believe she got a result like this on her first costume attempt! I'm amazed. If you are just starting out in the dress-up or costume game, felt is a wonderful fabric to use.  It doesn't fray, it cuts easily, and hot-glues like a dream.  Plus, the colors are great!

For more great ideas from Julie, check out her blog, Pattern Shmattern.  It is full of inspiration!

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Dress-Up Days : Hippy Baby Costume : Guest Post by Life as a Thrifter

Welcome to dress-up days at Lasso the Moon!  We have devoted the entire month to dress-up and costumes that you can make yourself.  Check back often for tutorials, tips, and ideas for making your own disguises for your kids.

Today we're bringing you a wonderful costume tutorial from Holly at Life as a Thrifter.  Enjoy!!

Hello! My name is Holly and I blog over at Life as a Thrifter. For years I've been obsessed with thrifting and creating a home out of it. I love mixing the new with the old and bringing out the bold in the bland. A few years ago I realized I loved it so much that I started a blog all about it.

Today, I'd love to share one of my most favorite Halloween costumes, and I made it for practically nothing!

This was my little girl 2 years ago at Halloween . . . our little, hippy baby.

I loved this costume. If it were up to me, I'd put her in it every year for the rest of her life. :) It was cheap and easy to make, and even better, comfortable for her. It doesn't get much better than that.
Here's what I did . . .

First, I created a pattern out of card stock/poster paper to use for the vest portion.

Next, I ironed pieces of my fabric to iron-on adhesive paper. (You can find this at any craft store. It's sold in rolls and is great for appliques. If you're confused with how it works, just ask somebody at the store. Don't be ashamed. I had to.) I ironed the paper on before I cut my pattern, because it makes the fabric stiff and easy to cut.

Then, trace and cut your pattern. Peel off the adhesive backing from your iron-on paper and iron it on your onesie. (I sewed around the edges of the vest just to make it look a bit more "finished.")

I did the same thing with the peace sign.

Sew some rick rack around the neck to act as the "necklace" . . . . . .

then, again peel off the adhesive backing from the back of the peace sign and iron it over the rick rack. 

Add a homemade headband and a pair of holey jeans from the Goodwill . . . then, sit back and smile.

Thanks so much for allowing me to share today! If you you'd like to see more simply, thrifty ideas, be sure to stop by Life as a Thrifter!

Huge thanks to Holly for taking the time to share this costume with us! Take a few minutes to check out her blog--I know you'll be hooked like I was. 

Thanks for visiting Dress-Up Days!

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Dress-Up Days : Share your costume posts! Linky Party

 

Since we have dedicated the whole month to homemade dress up and costumes, now it's your turn to inspire us! It's a Dress-Up Link-Up Party!

Here are the rules:  Please only link to the actual post, not your main blog address.  Please only link posts that have tutorials and pictures of handmade costumes and dress-up ideas.  Please no links to items for sale.  Please include a link back to this blog from your linked-up post.  Thanks!!

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Remember this is a family-friendly blog, so please keep costumes appropriate for kids.  But feel free to show off your kids, grown-ups, group, and even pet costumes!

 

Dress-Up Days : Easy DIY Bug Costume : Guest Post by The Costume Cafe

Welcome to dress-up days at Lasso the Moon!  We have devoted the entire month to dress-up and costumes that you can make yourself.  Check back often for tutorials, tips, and ideas for making your own disguises for your kids.

Hello dress-up fans!  I'm so happy to bring you this guest post by Sara from The Costume Cafe on Etsy.  Sara lives in Austin with her husband and little girl.  She made an adorable bug costume for her daughter, and is here to tell you how to make one for your own little one.  It uses a hoodie--one of my favorite costume bases! --Anna

Materials:
1 Hoodie
1 Pair of Leggings
1 Pair of Tights
1 Pair of Socks
2 Large Pipe Cleaners
2 8" Circles of White Felt
1 14" Circle of Felt- maybe larger
Stuffing or Tissue Paper
Buttons
Rick Rack


The first thing I did was to make the extra set of legs for the bug. I took a pair of tights that don't fit anymore, snipped the crotch area and then stretched that out a bit so it would go over my daughter's head. Make sure you leave the waistband intact. I put stuffing in the legs- you could use tissue paper scrunched up. Once stuffed, I pulled on some socks to give the legs feet. Easy.

Next, I moved onto the wings. I cut the 14" felt circle in half. You could reinforce the half circles with poster board or cardboard to make them stiff. I just overlapped the points and stitched them near the tag in the back of the hoodie. I added a large button on top of that. Since I left my wings floppy, I attached them at the shoulders with a needle and thread just so that they would stay in place. You could use glue for this.

You can really get creative with the wings. I just glued on some large rick rack but you could do felt polka dots, use pom poms, or add buttons.

Now for the eyes-- I did a gathering stitch along the edge of the 8" circles and pulled the threads tight to make stuffable eyes. I added button pupils before hot gluing them to the center front of the hood. In between the eyes, I stuck 2 large fuzzy pipe cleaners. The hot glue works really fast and easy for this- it also helps the pipe cleaners stick up. You can do this step with a needle and thread, but it's a little more work.

Thanks so much to Sara for sharing this great costume idea!  Whether or not you are the DIY costume type, take a minute to stop into The Costume Cafe and check out her darling handmade dress-ups.  (She even has costumes for adults and dollies!) Keep in mind that it is already October, so she'll stop taking custom orders for Halloween by October 5th!

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Dress-Up Days : Make your Own Rapunzel Braid

 

Welcome to dress-up days at Lasso the Moon!  We have devoted the entire month to dress-up and costumes that you can make yourself.  Check back often for tutorials, tips, and ideas for making your own disguises for your kids.

Today, Emma and I are going to show you how to make your own Rapunzel braid!  This braid is so long that your little girl can run through the house, dragging her braid behind her, just like in the movie.

Gather supplies: 1-2 skeins of acrylic yarn, and 1 knit head band

You'll also need a pair of scissors, two chairs to wrap the yarn around, a tape measure, and a big dose of patience.  This is not the fastest project I've come up with, but it's worth it. Every kid who has seen our braids has wanted to wear them for hours. 

Set your chairs about 10-11 feet apart.  This will be the length of your braid, minus a couple feet of shrinkage due to the braiding. Our ten foot yarn became an 8 1/2 foot braid.

Wrap one entire skein of yarn around the chairs.  If you are adding a second color for highlights like we did, wrap 10-12 times in the second color.  A little variegation goes a long way.  A note about the yarn: You might be tempted to get a higher-quality yarn for this, that looks more like real hair. If this is for a child, just opt for the acrylic.  Ours has gotten so much wear, that we have washed it a couple times in the washing machine.  Nicer yarn would not withstand that.  Something to consider!

After you have finished wrapping, find the center point of your wrapped yarn, at the opposite side of your cut ends.  Tie a piece of string at that center point to hold all the strands together.  Slip the circle off of the chairs, holding at the tied point.  Stretch the circle as straight as possible, and cut all of the strands oppoisite the tie.

Keep the tie at the top, folded point of the "hair" and grab your headband.  Poke the bend of the yarn through the headband, forming a loop, and pull the bulk of the hair through that loop, attaching the hair to the headband securely with no tying or sewing!

Next, loop the headband to something sturdy for braiding.  I used the arm of a chair.

Finger comb the strands of yarn slightly, and separate it into three equal strands for braiding. (Don't be OCD on this. The braid will look great even if they are not perfectly even!)

Here comes the tricky part.  If you just start braiding, the yarn will turn into a tangled mess.  So before you start, roll your three strands into three balls for easy handling.

Then start braiding quickly and very loosely for about  2-3 feet.

Set your strands down, and go back to the top of the loose braid and braid them again tightly, smoothing with your fingers as you go.  This is the only time you want to be a perfectionist, since this is how the final braid will look.

Once you get to the un-braided part, pick up your balled-up strands and loosely braid the next section, going back to tighten and smooth the braid after a few feet.  If your balls keep coming undone, use a hair band to keep them together.

Once the entire length of hair is braided, tie it tightly with a piece of yarn, and cut the yarn even with the shortest strand.

As a grown-up, you may look at this braid and think it doesn't look real enough, but I assure you, kids can see past that stuff. If you want, make it to match your child's hair and braid hers around the headband for better blending.  And if you have more than one child, you might want to make as many braids to keep "hair" pulling at a minimum!

If you use this tutorial to make your own dress-up Rapunzel braid, send me a picture, and I'll feature it here on the blog.  I LOVE seeing different interpretations of my ideas.

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