In keeping with our yearly Halloween tradition, I’ve spent the last few weeks brainstorming a solid theme for our family costumes. After feeling entirely proud and satisfied with my picks over the last two years, finding a strong theme ended up being quite challenging! Pinocchio won my heart this year, and I’m happy to report that everyone in the family was just as excited as years past! Let me introduce you to the Blue Fairy, Figaro the cat, little Pinocchio, and Geppetto. 🙂
Let’s get down to the DIY, starting with our star: Pinocchio. This costume was very simple to throw together. Here’s what you will need:
Pinocchio Shorts: I started with some red leggings and cut the legs off. I hemmed the cut part (or you can leave it raw if you want, it won’t really fray). I bought some red ribbon for the suspender straps and sewed that on, and then measured Poesy’s shoulders to properly place the buttons. The last detail was adding the trim to the sides of the shorts. I glued those on with Tacky Glue and sewed the top and bottom so the trim would be extra secure.
Pinocchio Collar: For the collar, I measured Poesy’s neck and cut a collar shape from felt. I cut two rectangles of blue fabric, sewed them both into tubes, and then attached them to each side of the collar ends. I did it this way because I knew there would be many layers along her neck and shoulders, so I was trying to keep the costume as comfy as possible. The very last step was cutting a simple vest from felt. For costumes, you really can’t beat the simplicity of felt!
The Blue Fairy costume was simpler than expected. I looked around for an existing dress that I could just alter, but no dice on short notice. The next step was to find the perfect fabric, and you can’t really beat shimmery baby blue crushed velvet! Here are the steps for the dress:
Blue Fairy Dress (top): The first step to creating this dress is to pick an existing dress that fits well. Trace around the top portion of the dress (plus 1/2″ all the way around for hemming purposes). Sew the bodice and measure the armholes. Measure out your sleeves to fit the armholes and pin in place. Stitch those in place with your machine (or by hand sewing), and flip rightside out.
Blue Fairy Dress (bottom): To finish out the bottom, trace around the bottom of your existing dress (plus 1/2″ all the way down) with your added inches for length. Stitch the sides up with your sewing machine and finish the waist using the same method as this tutorial.
I kept the top portion and the bottom portion unattached and simply tucked the top into the skirt. It seemed to work out nicely.
Last but not least, the cat costume! Here’s how I made the Figaro top:
Figaro the Cat Jacket (front): The simplest way I found to create a pattern for a fur jacket like this is to fold your fabric in half and have the person who will be wearing it just lay down on the fur. Trace around the person (arms and all) and cut out the shape. Stitch up the outside and inside of the arms, shoulders, and sides. Add a little white fur embellishment to the middle.
Figaro the Cat Jacket (back): After you get the general shape stitched up, cut straight down the middle of the back. Add ties (as shown above) to the back for a simple way to open and close the jacket.
The cat ears are from this tutorial.
I truly love homemade costumes and this one might be stealing the slot for most favorite so far. Piecing together things from your closet along with handmade items can be so whimsical! I definitely can’t wait to wear these to a Halloween party this year.
You can check out our family costumes from last year and the year before right here and here! xo. Katie
Credits // Author: Katie Shelton. Photography: Janae Hardy and Katie Shelton. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
44 Comments
Katie, you always do the cutest costumes! I actually remember the Peter Pan themed one from last year. I’m in no rush to have kids, but Halloween with youngsters is so much fun. I have a dream of dressing my kid up like Max from Where the Wild Things Are, haha.
Cat
http://oddlylovely.com
She is so cute!!! look at those shoes!! beautiful family, you´ll look fantastic!!
So cute, you’ll have to borrow someones dog or baby and dress them up as Jiminy! haha
This is SUCH a sweet idea. I played the Blue Fairy in a show last year, but I like your costume way better than what I wore! 🙂 And such a good way to use that star headband that you already had! You all look adorable.
xox Sammi
http://www.thesoubrettebrunette.blogspot.co,
Oh my goodness, there is too much cuteness in these shots! Heart exploding!
Xx from the Girl in the Houndstooth Coat
Katie, your family is so lovely. All of the costumes are amazing!
xo, Sarah
Wow, awesome! I wish I could talk my family into having themed costumes that match, but no dice. My hubby won’t dress up and my kids have very adamant ideas about what they want to be. My son wants to be “Dark Fader” (Darth Vader), and my daughter wants to be who else? Elsa from frozen – I bet there will be a hundred bagillion of those running around. But, I decided to match her and be Anna, can’t wait!!!
soooooooooooo nice!! and that’s amazing because i just watch this cartoon with my youngest son sunday morning! I love that old fashioned Disney.
Ha! Very cute! Wish we had Halloween here. I really think I’d get into it. x
Madeleine, The Daily Mark
They’re all so well done, but the Pinocchio costume is my favourite! It’s too cute.
M.
AH! I adore this! Your annual Halloween costumes are seriously some of my favorite things!
this is just ridiculously adorable 🙂
Ooh, what a great idea, brilliantly executed!
I hope Figaro collects her treats with a goldfish bowl that has Cleo the goldfish painted on it. These are so so so cute!
These are so CUTE! Everyone looks amazing!
I LOVE these! Everyone looks so perfect, Poesy is so, so cute, and… ah! Love!
xo
Kristina
http://www.eccentricowl.com
This is seriously perfect. One day, I’ll copy this!!
XO Chloe
such a fun family, do the girls have a hard time choosing a theme with you?
My mom always made my costumes when I was a kid and helping her was the best part of Halloween for me. Such a great family costume idea!
A lovely costume for a lovely family 😉
What amazing pictures & costumes!! I cannot believe you made them yourself, what talent!
You seriously have the cutest family 🙂
http://www.littleblackshell.com
I love themed family costumes for Halloween, and you are definitely one of the very best at that Katie!
Poesy is looking adorable, the pictures of Hope and her together are the sweetest.
Once again Katie, you nailed it! Great idea (I love the story of Pinocchio!) and great work from you. Now I’m anxious for next year’s costumes! Have fun at the party!!!
Wow these are amazing! You did a great job! xxx Tales of The Puffin K
what a cute idea, and the photos are just lovely.
Very cute costumes! I love it!
Katie, such great costumes!!! Cute idea! And oh my god…Posey IS the spitting image of her papa!! You’re all adorable! 🙂
Love it, we always dress up for Halloween I feel we may put a little too much effort in sometimes but it looks like we are not alone! Unfortunately my 9 year old daughter would never entertain a family theme – boo hoo – she’s far too cool to dress in anything remotely the same as her parents!
how perfect katie!!
This is great! love how they turned out. I actually wanted to do a pinocchio running costume and there’s some great ideas here. Thanks!
These are all just so so adorable, such a great theme too, so cute yet clever x
holljc.blogspot.co.uk
So absolutely, stinkin’ cute!!
Such a cute idea! Disney is inspirational in so many ways!
Love it! I especially love that Poe is dressed up as a boy character. I have a daughter and for her first two Halloween’s I dressed as boy charecters. This year she is going to be a dragon. But I’m putting a tulle skirt on her to girl it up a little bit.
These costumes are so great. Your family always looks like so much fun.
Posey is adorable! Well, your entire family is, Katie. Beautiful customes.
I am always in awe at your creations! I think it’s great you choose a family costume theme…super mom Katie 🙂
so cute!
xx nikki
http://www.dream-in-neon.com
This is such a clever and creative idea. The costumes turned out wonderfully! You’re such a crafty lady!
So cute! x
https://www.marjorievie.blogspot.com
Seriously, that is the cutest Pinocchio of all time!
Adorable!!! I want a family like this!!
http://brunabruneta.blogspot.com.es/
What a magical family set of costumes! The kitty one looks especially warm, which would be lovely for any other Halloween, but gosh, it’s been so warm out this October, I wouldn’t doubt Halloween will call for T-shirts and shorts!
I absolutely adore Poe’s shoes!!!!! Love the themed costumes! Yall are one of my favorite families.
The Pinocchio costume is so cute! That kid knows how to werk it 😛 -Audrey | Brunch at Audrey’s