Dress up your kid in a cute sailor outfit just in time for National Maritime Day. Follow these easy DIY instructions and sew the marine attire at home, without breaking the bank.
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In this article:
Learn How to Make a DIY Sailor Costume Using This Ultimate Guide!
Sailor Outfit Supplies
Before we dive into sewing, let’s gather all materials you would need for this crafty project, sorted by category:
General Supplies:
- Tissue paper
- Pencil or pen
- Dark marker
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Flexible tape (for measure)
- Sewing machine
- Pins
- Buttons (optional)
- Thread
- Iron
For the Cap:
- Thin cardboard
- White fabric or old tee (to cut)
- Coffee filter
- Stapler
- Glue
For the Collar:
- Carboard
- Dark blue fabric or old t-shirt (to cut)
For No Sew Garments:
- Marine shirt
- Slack pants
- Boat shoes
- Scarf
DIY Sailor Outfit Hat
Step 1: Measure Your Kid’s Head Circumference
Use the flexible measuring tape to get the right hat sizing.
This is an important step because you want the cute sailor cap to fit. You need to make sure the band won't be too loose, nor too tight.
Step 2: Make a Cap Band
Get the thin cardboard and cut a 2 inch wide strip with a length corresponding to your kid's head measurement.
Double-check if sizing is correct by circling the strip around your little one's head. Staple the circle to make a band.
Step 3: Create a Hat Base
For a hat base, use a simple coffee filter (or thin white fabric).
Place the filter inside the band with the open end upwards. Make sure you secure it by gluing and stapling it a few times around the cardboard edge.
Step 4: Embellish the Cap With Fabric
Carefully begin textile embellishments wrapping the fabric around the cardboard.
Fold any extra material down over the top and bottom band edge. Once done, glue in place and make a few stitches along the rim.
To make the best out of the children's hat, consider adding a blue trim and an anchor decoration.
RELATED: Celebrate Make A Hat Day With These DIYs For Kids
Make a Sailor Collar
Step 1: Make a Collar Pattern
Follow these simple instructions to make a DIY sailor collar pattern:
- Lay your tissue paper flat on the working table.
- Cut out a rectangular piece (with a length of 10-12 inches & a width of around 1/2 of the shoulder measurements of your kid).
- Fold the paper in half along its length.
- Leave a dot mark 1/2 inch from the short side's uncreased edge.
- Make another dot mark 4 inches from the top of the creased paper edge.
- Draw a curved line, connecting the dots.
- Take scissors and cut along the line until you cut the curved section out.
- Unfold the pattern.
Step 2: Cut out the Collar
Lay the blue fabric on a flat surface and put the collar pattern on top. Trace the pattern with a pencil or marker and make sure the lines are straight.
Now for the easiest part, slowly cut along your outlines. When you're down, add a white trim and hem around the outer edges to get your collar ready for attachment.
Step 3: Attach Collar to Sailor Outfit
Time to attach the collar to your kid's sailor shirt. You have two options—to sew the collar or make it detachable.
If you decide to sew, carefully go along the shirt neckline. Make sure the flaps are in the front and the rectangular element is freely hanging in the back.
Maybe you want your kid to be able to take off the accessory quite quickly and easily. In this case—if you want to go with a detachable collar, find a creative way to bind it to the shirt or tie the flaps.
Elements of Sailor Outfit
There are other important elements of a sailor's attire, except for the hat and the collar. We will briefly go over them, to sum up the optimal sailor outfit.
1. Marine Shirt
Shirt selection is essential to the whole outfit vibe. Good news is, you have plenty of choices available:
- Short-sleeved white or navy blue shirt
- White V-neck tee or long-sleeved shirt
- Wide neck baggy shirt in white or dark blue
- Horizontal striped shirt or tee
Tip of the day: Complement the look of a clear white or blue shirt by sewing sailor stripes on the cuff.
2. Sailor Pants
Make sure the color of your pants goes with your shirt and the accessories. I would recommend picking up slacks as a number one choice in kid sailor pants. A good alternative is loose cotton pants with no crease. You can iron them to get the sharp crease in the front.
3. Shoes
Need help choosing the perfect sailor shoes for your little one? Surely you have plenty of options at home, but the right fit also needs to match the style and colors of the costume. That makes the task a bit harder.
Well, if you have some loafers or boat shoes lying around, it's time you bring them out. They can help you totally pull off a cute DIY sailor costume. As long as you stick to the shades of main garments, the final outfit would be on point.
4. Scarf Accessory
Seal the deal with a fiche or thin scarf around your kid's neck. Choose an accessory of matching colors to the rest of the outfit. Push it under the collar and tie it in loosely with an overhand knot.
And there you have it, a complete sailor look!
Also, check out this sailor costume for girls tutorial by Zune's Sewing Therapy:
Are you excited to work on an adorable marine outfit? Let us know in the comments section below!
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