The Gingerbread Boy Costume

When you're out strolling this Saturday at Hudsons Annual Holiday Winter Walk, don't forget to say hello to the Gingerbread Boy.


This is a costume I made here at Five and Diamond two years ago ---especially for the Winter Walk event.

Of course I can't say I designed the basic pattern--a cookie cutter did that-- but the construction details were all my own idea, and -if I do say so myself- my Gingerbread Boy costume is better than anything I can find anywhere in the google universe.

(for example, hmmm):

And --all for about $40 (try and rent one for that!).

First, I drew my pattern onto two layers of interfacing (I had a big roll of it lying around, but it probably would have only cost about 5-6 bucks). Then I got 3 yards of Brown felt (ack! Wal-Mart again!), and 3 yards of 1-inch-thick polyester batting from a local upholsterer. The interfaced cut-out became the pattern for the felt and batting cut-outs, and became the lining that keeps the itchy batting off the wearers skin.



Then I sewed all three layers together on the sewing machine, leaving about 1+ inch seam allowance. When the brown seam allowance is trimmed away, the batting becomes the edge icing!. (This part was a real bitch, however, because you need a lot of space to move a big costume like that through a sewing machine - I did it on the floor).

Then I sewed the front to the back at the head only. The rest of the costume gets attached together with plastic pricing-gun bullets. After that, it's just decorating; stuffed buttons and eyes made out of felt, attached with a glue gun...and of course an opening at the mouth so the wearer can see and breathe.

This costume turned out to be very flexible, warm and cozy.
Last year, I made a snowman costume in the same manner. Look for him too.





Dec 2 update. Me and my boys:
Special Thanks to Alex and Evan for doing such a great job in the costumes. I hear the gingerbread boy got chased all night...