How to Make a Cake Costume

When my daughter was 15 months old, she learned how to sing the "Happy Birthday" song. Almost a year later is was still her favorite song. So as Halloween approached I decided to make her into a Happy Birthday Cake!

Making this costume will require a trip to the local fabric store. You will need:
* Cream colored fleece, about 1 ½ yards will be enough for a small child
* Remnants of yellow and another color fleece. You could yellow yarn instead.
* 2 Very large embroidery looms. The cheap wooden ones will work just fine.
* Thread
* Decorations! Glow in the dark and colored fabric paint, ribbon, trim, beads, or whatever else you want.

You will need to make 2 patterns. The first will be of the loom. Lay the loom against a paper grocery bag and trace it. Cut out the circle leaving a generous seam allowance. Next you will make a hat pattern. Use a winter hat that fits the child. Unroll the bottom and trace around it. Cut out your hat pattern.

Using the loom pattern cut out a circle of the cream fleece. From the same fleece, cut out a rectangle wide enough to go from the child's shoulders to knees and long enough to go around the circumference of the circle. Make sure to allow for a generous seam. Sew the rectangle to the circle going around the outside of the circle. If you choose to use trim, you can attach it to the costume now.

Push one loom inside the costume to where the circle and rectangle meet. Cut an X in the middle of the circle to act as a head hole. Attach the second loom to the bottom by putting the outside of the loom inside the costume. Then bring the bottom of the costume through the inside of the inner loom and tuck it around the outside. Bring down the outer part of the loom over the inner loom and fleece and secure it in place. You now have the basic costume. Try it on the child and cut slits in the side to make arm holes. Then decorate your cake!

To make the hat use the pattern to cut out 2 pieces of colored remnant fleece. Sew them together leaving the bottom open. Turn it right side out and measure it on the child's heat. Hem it to the appropriate length. Next you will make the flame for the top of the candle hat. If you use yarn, just wind it around a piece of cardboard twice as wide as you want your puffball. Then slide it off the cardboard, tie it in the middle and cut it on the folded pieces. Instead of yard, I used yellow fleece. I painted it with glow in the dark paint. When dry I cut it into a rectangle twice as wide as I wanted my puffball. I cut them into strips and then tied it together in the middle. Attach the puffball to the top of the hat.

Now your little sweetie can trick or treat as a yummy birthday treat. Happy Halloween!