How to Make a Bunny Halloween Costume with Some Ears and a Tutu

I remember my mother making Halloween costumes for me. Throughout my childhood, one day a year I could be either Raggedy Ann, a witch, a pilgrim, or a clown. Growing up, it seemed like there was nothing I could ask for that my mother would not oblige. This year is special for me. This year I made my first Halloween costume for my own little girl. As I put it together I thought of my mom, wondering if she stayed up late after I went to bed, just as I was doing for my little girl.

I am not a great seamstress, so taking on the endeavor of creating my daughter's Halloween costume was approached with that in mind. I came upon an idea of making a costume out of a tutu by going through some auctions on eBay. I am forever going through things on eBay saying to myself "I know I could do that." This time, I actually tried and was pleased at the results.

I decided to make my daughter a bunny costume for Halloween. A pink bunny, no less. She had bunny ears left over from Easter, so all I would need were the materials for the tutu. After a bit of trial and error, I came up with a plan that worked well for me.

To make the tutu costume you will need nine to 10 yards of tulle and 1 and ½" wide elastic cut approximately two inches shorter than the chest measurement. I also used satin ribbon to tie around the neck, as well as part of a feather boa that I hot glued around the top of the costume to give it a more finished look.

To make tutu, cut the elastic and sew it (either by machine or hand) into a band. Then, cut the tulle into 36 inch lengths (you will have nine or 10, depending on how much tulle you bought). Fold the tulle at the halfway point over the elastic and pin. Repeat with all the tulle pieces until the entire elastic band is covered. Then pin two 20" lengths of satin ribbon adjacent to one another at the front to form the tie. Sew all the tulle and the satin ribbon onto the band (you can do this either by machine or by hand). This will yield a tutu that is approximately 18" long. If a longer tutu is needed, use longer lengths of tulle. If a shorter tutu is desired, simply trim the finished tutu to fit your child.

Add any embellishments you would like onto the tutu after it is sewn. I have made several of these for friends and family now, and have used marabou and feather boas, artificial flowers, sequins, and pom poms to make fairies, ladybugs, and bunnies. The possibilities are endless.

After finishing my daughter's bunny costume, I was proud to think that I'm continuing a Halloween tradition that began with my mother.