How to Make Your Own Costumes- Jungle Bird













    JUNGLE BIRD
    MATERIALS:
    Measuring tape; 1 yard of colorful fabric for tail; yard-stick; marker or pencil;
    pinking shears (or regular scissors); red sweatshirt and sweatpants; red
    turtleneck; straight pins; needle and red thread; 1 yard of yellow felt;
    corrugated cardboard, large enough to cut two 15"-×-17" rectangles; craft
    knife; craft glue or low-temperature glue gun; 2 yards of ¼" red grosgrain
    ribbon; sun visor; 1 square of orange felt; 1 bag each of red, blue, yellow, and
    green feathers; 1 square of black felt; 2 yellow beads or small buttons for
    eyes; 1-quart milk carton; colored construction paper; small stick; artificial
    bird; 12" piece of 19-gauge wire.

    TO MAKE TAIL:
    1. Measure distance from child's waist to ankle. This will be the length of the
    longest tail "feather."

    2. Lay colored fabric on a flat surface, right side down. Draw a rectangle 27"
    wide and as long as the longest tail feather. Mark the center of the bottom
    line of the rectangle.

    3. From the center mark, make a V out to each side of the fabric (see
    diagram, above right).

    4. Using the top and bottom lines (27" across), mark off eighteen 1 ½" vertical
    strips. Don't cut them yet!

    5. Cut out the V shape and the top of rectangle.

    6. Cut out the 18 strips to make tail feathers.

    7. Starting at one side of the waistband of the sweatpants, pin tail feathers
    across back, overlapping strips slightly so they all fit. Sew in position.

    TO MAKE YOKE:
    1. Enlarge pattern (page 145).

    2. Cut shape from yellow felt. Slip over red turtleneck and sweatshirt.

    TO MAKE WINGS:
    1. Enlarge pattern (page 145) and trace two wing shapes onto cardboard.

    2. Cut out with craft knife.

    3. Trace four wing shapes onto yellow felt. Cut out.

    4. Score cardboard wings down center with craft knife by lightly cutting the
    top layer of the cardboard. Do not cut all the way through! The scored side will
    be the outside, where the feathers will be attached.

    5. Glue yellow felt on front and back of wings. Allow to dry. Bend wings inward.

    6. Cut grosgrain ribbon into four equal lengths.

    7. Fold wings over child's arms to determine where ribbons should be placed.
    Position one set around upper arms and the other above elbows. Make holes in
    cardboard with the craft knife. Push ribbons through holes from outside and
    secure with glue. Leave ends loose on inside.

    8. Cut two strips of cardboard, 1" × 5" each. Fold the ends under, ½" on each
    side. Glue folded ends to the edges of the inside of wings, near the bottom.
    These strips will hold the wings in a folded position.

    9. Glue feathers to upper half of each wing on the top outside.

    10. To wear, tie ribbons under arms to hold the wings in place.

    TO MAKE BEAK:
    1. Use sun visor as guide to cut out a beak shape from the orange felt. Extend
    the front of the felt beak about 2" longer than the visor. Cut a piece of yellow
    felt to fit over the orange felt.

    2. Glue yellow felt to orange felt. Glue the orange felt to the visor.

    3. Glue feathers to front and top edge of visor.

    4. Cut two small circles of black felt for eyes. Glue to beak. Glue yellow beads
    on top of felt.

    TO MAKE BIRDHOUSE TREAT BAG:
    1. Clean out milk carton and glue opening closed.
    2. Glue construction paper over entire carton to cover. Allow to dry.
    3. Draw a "bird hole" on top of carton, large enough to put candy through. Cut
    out with craft knife.
    4. Below hole, make a smaller hole to push small stick into, creating "perch."
    The stick should extend into the carton only about ½". Drip glue on the inside
    of the small hole to secure the stick.
    5. Glue or wire bird to perch.
    6. Make a wire handle by pushing wire through two small holes in the side of
    the carton. Bend ends upward to keep wire from falling out.