capes for kids

I have been wanting to make a cape for Andrew for quite awhile. So the other day when his Batman-loving friend Kenzie came over and got him excited about Batman, I knew what project had to be next. I found this simple little tutorial on how to make capes HERE. This project took a Saturday afternoon and cost me maybe 7 or 8 dollars to make two. Andrew now insists that while he wears the cape we call him "Batman" not "Andrew."

The above link has great instructions that are probably easier to understand than mine. I am posting my pictures and comments just so you have more than one place to look, but I would suggest using her tutorial if you make one yourself.

You start by picking up 3/4 yard of black fabric and 3/4 yard of red fabric (or you could do different colors). If you want the cape longer than the cape above, you will need more. On the tutorial, she didn't have a specific template for the it, but she gives good enough instructions to figure it out on your own. Fold the fabric selvage to selvage and draw your pattern, then cut.

You then pin it to the red fabric and cut out that piece.

If you want a batman/superman cape, go to the website above and use those templates. She also had a link for other templates if you don't want those. These are what mine looked like cut out.

Use heat n' bond fusible backing to attach the symbols to the fabric. If you do superman, remember to cut the bottom yellow piece slightly smaller than the top red piece so that the yellow doesn't show through.

Use a zig-zag stitch to keep it in place.

Your two pieces should look somewhat like this now.

Turn them right sides together and pin. Then sew around the outside leaving a hole to turn it out. Turn it out and do a top stitch all the way around it. Attach your small piece of velcro (I suggest doing that by hand. I had a heck of a time sewing velcro with my machine).

Ta Da! It's finished. My kids were in love with them. I can tell that Andrew feels really cool by wearing it. :) You can experiment with different colors of fabric or different symbols, there was even a princess symbol for all of you with daughters. I made one for Andrew and one for his friend Kenzie, but I would like to make another pink one for Olivia. I hope your kids enjoy them as much as mine!

-Megan