superhero capes

Here's little peak at another fun project for the dress-up bin.

...and a little tutorial for you in case you'd like to make some for your little superhero(es).

So what do I love about these?

They're fairly easy to make. Fun. And best of all, they don't wrap around the neck (creating a potential choking hazard).

So here we go. 

What you need:

Sorry I have no exact dimensions, but there's really a lot of flexibility with this pattern. You can make it whatever size you want. I like mine to come down to the back of the knees on a toddler/preschooler.

 

- 2 pieces of fabric (I like to use a shiny fabric with a flannel or quilting cotton)

-12-18 inches of elastic (1/4 inch to half inch width will work well)

- Safety pin, thread, sewing machine

Cut out the shape of your cape, using the 2 fabrics.  The top part of the cape can be anywhere from about 6 to 12 inches.

Optional: Cut 2 strips of the shiny fabric for the arm straps (at least 2 inches wide, and 10 inches long). Again, there is a lot of flexibility in the measurements here but you want the fabric to be a few inches longer than the elastic so that the fabric can stretch along with the elastic.

If you prefer, you can skip these steps of encasing the elastic and just attach it to the cape as is. 
 

Fold the strip of fabric lengthwise - with the right side in. 
Sew a straight line down the edge, making a tube with both ends open.
Then feed a piece of elastic through the tube and invert the fabric so that the good side is facing out and the elastic is encased. Top stitch the ends to keep the elastic in place.
They should look like this when you're done:

Pin the 2 cape pieces together, with right sides facing in. Also pinning the straps in place.

Sew along the edges, leaving an opening along the bottom for turning.

Reverse, so that the right sides are facing out.

Iron.

And top stitch along the edges, closing the opening.

I find it helpful to sew with the shiny fabric on top so that the feed dogs don't snag or pull the fibers.

You're done!

Enjoy!

As serious as he looks in this picture, my little ones actually love these capes. 
But you should know that really young children might actually believe they can fly (adult supervision required!)!