DIY: Gnome Costume

Today is the first day of HALLOWEEN WEEK here on the blog! I thought I would kick things off with a costume DIY. This is a seriously simple costume to make and as far as I'm concerned, simple is the way to go... I mean, you're only going to wear it once or twice anyway, right?

There are two parts to this costume: the items you make and the items you buy. Of course you could always make your dress, but I took the easy route and bought mine. I think I found it at Forever 21. You're also going to need a pair of boots. I decided to use my rain boots. The only thing I'm missing is a belt!

So, let's talk hat and beard. These are the parts I made.

What you'll need:

• poster board
• red felt
• white felt
• ribbon
• hot glue
• sewing machine

To make the hat... roll a piece of poster board into a cone shape and make sure it fits your head. Wrap red felt around the cone and hot glue it into place. Hot glue two pieces of ribbon on to opposite sides of the inside. Use these to secure the hat on to your head.

To make the beard... either draw a template or find a photo of a beard and mustache that you like online and print it out. Trace the beard on to the white felt twice and cut out both pieces. Sandwich two pieces of ribbon (one on either side) in between the beards. Sew along the edge.

Pretty simple, right? If you don't feel like sewing a beard, you could always just hot glue some cotton balls on to a white piece of fabric and wrap it around your face like a bandana.