Easy and Adorable: Felt Owl Halloween Costume Tutorial

// Originally posted October 2017 //

Halloween is coming!

In case y'all were confused about what's exciting around here.

Melanie wakes up and reminds me at least… seventy times a day.

// I may earn money from the companies mentioned in this post. //

Anyway, we've been focusing on Halloween costumes – Melanie is still deciding between Wonder Woman and Captain America.

Easy and Adorable: Felt Owl Halloween Costume Tutorial

I was at a loss for something for Finn until a friend suggested that I make him an owl costume.

YES!

Wanna make one for your kid, too?

Here's a simple felt owl Halloween costume tutorial (using my Cricut Maker).

Supply List:

• Cricut Maker
• 12″x24″ fabric mat
• (4) 1/4 yard felt pieces in different colors
• 1/2 yard felt piece
• 12″x12″ fabric mat
• 1 orange felt square
• Strong Grip Transfer Tape
• Brayer
• 1 tan felt square
• 1 white felt square
• Brown onesie
• Brown leggings
• Brown beanie
• Cricut Design Space
• Sewing machine
• Brown thread
• Scissors

Directions:

Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project.

Select “Shapes” and then “Square”.

Next, select “Shapes” and then “Circle”.

Now, move the circle over the bottom of the square until the curves perfect match the sides of the square.

Then, select both the square and circle (by “drawing” a rectangle around them) and click “Weld” from the bottom right menu.

This will connect the two shapes together into one feather shape.

Now, you're going to resize your welded shape.

Click on the feather shape and then click the small blue lock in the lower lefthand corner to have complete control over the resizing options.

Then, use the “Size” option in the tool bar above to make the shape 3″ wide by 4.25″ long.

Lastly, reclick the lock to secure the new measurement.

Click the green “Make It” button in the upper right corner.

This will send your feather shape to the mat. In the options for “Project copies” enter “15” and the click “Apply”.

This will tell the Cricut Maker to create 15 total feather shapes on your 12″x24″ fabric mat.

Next, under “Material Size”, select “12 x 12 in.”.

Now, click the green “Continue” button on the bottom right.

Now, it's time to prep and load your mat.

Take the protective film off the 12″x24″ fabric mat and adhere your a 10″ wide by 22″ long piece of felt on it.

Be sure to brayer it or press it down all over to make it stick completely.

Next, select the pink “Felt” option from the “Select Material” option.

Then, be sure to load your rotary blade (gears in, plastic cover out) securely into the slot on the right in your Cricut Maker.

Now, use the arrows button on your Cricut Maker to gently load the mat.

Once the loaded, the “Cricut” button on your Cricut Maker will blink – push it to begin cutting.

Repeat the cutting steps over and over until all of your 1/4 yard felt pieces are cut (3-4 per color depending on the width you bought).

You may need to buy and cut more felt pieces for a bigger child.

I'm basing this off of my son, who recently turned one.

To clean the mat after each cut, remove the cut feather pieces and then use your fingers to gently peel the scraps off.

Some people recommend cleaning the mat even more using a 12″x24″ piece of Strong Grip Transfer Tape (face down) on the mat.

Brayer or press hard to really adhere it and then peel it off to remove excess felt fuzz.

Next, you'll create the felt pieces for the owl's face.

Open Cricut Design Space and start a new project.

Select “Shapes” and then “Circle”. Click on the circle shape and then select “Duplicate” from the upper right menu.

This should make two identical circles – move them so they are side by side.

Select both (by “drawing” a rectangle around them) and click “Weld” from the bottom right menu.

This will connect the two shapes together into one shape.

Now, you'll click on the double circle shape and then on the small black circle to the right of the scissor icon in the layers menu on the right.

This will make a new box pop up with colors – pick a color (any color) and click on it.

Now, your shape will be that color (and, ultimately, set it up to be cut separately on it's own mat).

Select “Shapes” and then “Circle”.

Click on the circle shape and then select “Duplicate” from the upper right menu.

This should make two identical circles – move them so they are side by side.

Select both (by “drawing” a rectangle around them) and click “Weld” from the bottom right menu to connect the two shapes together into one shape.

Now, you'll click on the double circle shape and resize it.

Use the “Size” option in the tool bar above to make the shape 4″ wide (the length will automatically update for you).

Click the double circle shape, then click again on the small black circle to the right of the scissor icon in the layers menu on the right.

This will make a new box pop up with colors – pick a color (a different color than the larger circles) and click on it.

Now, your shape will be that color (and, ultimately, set it up to be cut separately on it's own mat).

Select “Shapes” and then “Triangle”.

Click on the triangle shape and resize it.

Use the “Size” option in the tool bar above to make the shape 2.5″ wide (the length will automatically update for you).

Then, click on the small black circle to the right of the scissor icon in the layers menu on the right.

This will make a new box pop up with colors – pick a color (a different color than the circles) and click on it.

Now, your shape will be that color (and, ultimately, set it up to be cut separately on it's own mat).

Select “Shapes” and then “Circle”.

Click on the circle shape and then select “Duplicate” from the upper right menu.

This should make two identical circles – move them so they are side by side.

Select both (by “drawing” a rectangle around them) and click “Weld” from the bottom right menu to connect the two shapes together into one shape.

Now, you'll click on the double circle shape and resize it.

Use the “Size” option in the tool bar above to make the shape 2.5″ wide (the length will automatically update for you).

Click the green “Make It” button in the upper right corner.

Prep and load 12″x12″ fabric mat by taking the protective film off and adhering the tan 12″x12″ felt square on it.

Be sure to brayer it or press it down all over to make it stick completely.

Next, select the pink “Felt” option from the “Select Material” option.

Then, be sure to use the rotary blade (gears in, plastic cover out) in your Cricut Maker.

Now, use the arrows button on your Cricut Maker to gently load the mat.

Once the loaded, the “Cricut” button on your Cricut Maker will blink – push it to begin cutting.

Repeat for each new cut and using your desired color of 12″x12″ felt square for each shape.

Big Fat Tip: Some people think that using a standard grip mat for this project is easier since you can clean it between uses with water or a baby wipe.

Use scissors to cut a semicircle from the 1/2 yard piece of felt.

Make sure that the long, straight edge will run from one wrist on the onesie to the other (in one long line). Set aside.

Set up your sewing machine with brown thread.

Create piles of the color of felt feathers.

Starting at the bottom of your semicircle felt piece, begin sewing all one color of feather one-by-one, side-by-side in a straight line.

Repeat over and over, using a different color of feathers for each row.

Repeat this step on the legs of the leggings ONLY (don't sew any feathers from the crotch to the waistband – this area just gets covered up).

Sew the beak (the triangle shape) on to the center front of the beanie (I just did a couple of stitches in the upper corners of the beak).

Next, layer the three colors of circles on top of each other starting with the biggest circle in the back.

Use brown thread to sew the smaller circles in place on to the larger circles behind them.

Repeat for the second set of three circles.

Then, sew each circle stack on the front of the beanie (overlapping the stitched corners of the beak).

Lastly, stitch the semicircle of feathers on to the wrists and neckhole of the onesie (just use small tacking stitches).

Insert baby/toddler/kid into leggings, put onesie on over the leggings (snapping the crotch area over the leggings instead of under), and add the beanie. SO FREAKING CUTE!

See more DIYs and tutorials here!