Charades Storybook Alice Children's Costume, Small
When planning a grouping of Alice in Wonderland themed costumes for my family, I had visions of dressing my 11-year-old niece, Claudia, as Alice. We’ve gotten lots of requests for sizing down Charm patterns for little kids, so this was the perfect time to experiment! For more images, measurements, and details, be sure to see pages 20-22 of Issue 7 of Vintage by Gertie Magazine. Claudia lives far away, so we really had to wing it for this one. Here are a few tips we learned while creating her Alice costume: Choose a Simple Pattern With Fewer Pattern Pieces Children aren’t shaped like small adults. They have different proportions, which means a fitted garment that uses an adult-sized pattern block won’t fit. Avoid patterns with significant shaping at the bust, or with details that emphasize a woman’s curves. For our Alice costume, we started with the Cinch-It Dress , a trapeze dress with a very loose fit, in the smallest size available (size 2, with an A-cup). Get Out Your Calculator Sizing a pattern up or down requires a bit of math, and you’ll need a few extra measurements. Compare the body measurements to the size chart and the finished measurements listed in the instructions. The Cinch-It Dress has significant ease built into it, so we were most concerned with the fit at the shoulders. Compare the bust measurements between your model and the size chart. In our case, the pattern is 4 inches larger. To find the percentage difference, the math is as follows: (Model’s measurement x100)/ Desired measurement= percent difference. When we plugged in the Cinch-It Dress measurements and Claudia’s measurements, we got a percentage of about 87%, so we found we had to reduce the size 2A pattern pieces by 87%. Print the Pattern Smaller and Correct the Seam Allowance Print out the pattern pieces using a printer with a custom scale setting set to 87% (or your desired percent difference). Check the test square: it should be .87 of an inch, or just a smidge smaller than 7/8 inch. Measure your pattern pieces to make sure they will fit your model. The shoulder fit is especially important (for kids as well as adults!). Before cutting out the pattern pieces, you’ll want to adjust the seam allowances. Our scaled down seam allowance measured just over 1/2 inch, so we added 1/8 inch to the cut line to get our usual 5/8 inch seam allowance. Of course, you could also just sew the garment using smaller seam allowances. Test the Fit With a Muslin Don’t skip this step! Make a full muslin of the garment, including the collar, sleeves, cuffs, pockets, belt, or whatever other details are included in your pattern. Not only will this help you test the fit of the garment and determine the correct length, it’s also a great tool to make sure the placement and scale of the details are correct. Complete the Costume The final Cinch-It Dress was sewn in blue cotton, with a white pinafore created by combining the Stanwyck ruffled bib (scaled down to Claudia’s size) with a simple gathered apron that tied at the back. White socks or tights, a pair of black patent shoes, and a black headband will complete the look— but I’ll let her mom worry about that! We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process. Dressing up in October is a time-honored tradition that never gets old. For some, it means dressing up as their favorite horror movie characters and make-believe monsters. For others, it means DIY-ing something creative and cool or paying homage to the movies, TV shows and books you love. While we've got ideas for TV and movie character costumes , this story is for all you bookworms. When it comes to choosing your favorite book character costumes , you can go classic a la Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , or go a bit more unique and pull inspiration from books from your childhood like If You Give a Mouse a Cookie or Captain Underpants . Luckily, whatever avenue you choose there are fun costumes you can buy or create yourself that adults and kids can adjust to their age, making them appropriate whether you're hitting up a Halloween party , dressing up for the office , or sending your little one off to school. Every book lover knows that stories have the power to transport us to exciting new worlds, and with one of these cool looks, your Halloween will be transformed into a magical night. You can create an adult or child version of this fairytale-based puppet. It's easier than you think. The long nose that grows when you lie? Not included. Get the tutorial from A Beautiful Mess » RELATED: Best Disney Couples Costumes We can easily help you find the perfect Goldilocks costume (and even a few onesies for the three bears should they tag along) but we have to caution against eating porridge (or in this case candy) without permission. SHOP BEAR COSTUMES At least this time when you (or your little one) dress up in a ball gown, you won't have to worry about having it turn into rags at the stroke of midnight. SHOP ADULT VERSION Take it back to the roaring '20s with a nod to an era of glitz and glamor, most famously referred to in F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic. Time to channel your inner flapper girl. The only thing you need? A male partner to play opposite to your Daisy Buchanan. SHOP MEN'S LOOKS "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk." And if you give a kid a piece of Halloween candy, he'll definitely be asking you for more! A pair of overalls and some mouse ears easily create this unique book character. SHOP MOUSE EARS SHOP THE BOOK Get the tutorial from The House That Lars Built » You don't have to like green eggs and ham to rock this Dr. Seuss getup. Follow the yellow brick road (and by that, we mean the trick-or-treating route), and you're sure to find some sweet treats along the way. Ruby red slippers would be nice, but we'll settle for a few candy bars. RELATED : Genius Halloween Costume Ideas for Big Groups Nancy Drew had great detective skills and great style. Since Nancy's sleuthing adventures are set in the 1930s and '40s, her style is classic and fairly modest, so a plaid skirt and cardigan should do the trick. If you really want to make it clear who you are, carry around a magnifying glass — hey, you might have to solve a case yourself come Halloween! SHOP PLAID SKIRT SHOP CARDIGAN SHOP MAGNIFYING GLASS Dress up as everybody's favorite kooky redhead in a pigtailed wig and patchwork dress. SHOP WIG You don't need next-level sewing skills to pull off this Shel Silverstein-inspired costume for Halloween — right down to the no-sew felt apple trick-or-treat bag. Get the tutorial from The House That Lars Built » It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes' famous deductive reasoning to understand why his character makes for a great Halloween costume. If you already own a houndstooth coat , all you need is a few detective-appropriate items from Amazon to complete the look. SHOP ACCESSORIES Prove that science is fun by getting into character as Miss Frizzle. Head down the rabbit hole — just make sure you're not late for any important dates! This costume is easy to put together with a few strategic Amazon purchases. SHOP BUNNY EARS Get the tutorial from Color Me Courtney » Anne Shirley has captivated readers for generations — and now you can channel her imaginative nature by dressing up as her in an Edwardian-era dress and pigtails. Calling all male teachers looking for an easy costume idea! Don Waldo's signature red-and-white T-shirt, then stand in a crowd and see if anyone can find you! Bonus points if you have your students call you Waldo for the day. RELATED: Best Men's Halloween Costumes to Buy or DIY For those on the hunt for a couple's costume, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan make for a pretty simple DIY. Get the tutorial from Brit + Co. » RELATED : Creative and Easy Halloween Couples Costumes to DIY Fans of Pete the Cat won't lose their cool in this Halloween costume inspired by the grade-level book. Journey into the realm of fantasy as you become the wizard Gandalf, thanks to some strategically draped gray blankets, a beard, a wig and a pointy hat. SHOP BEARD AND WIG SHOP HAT With you dressed as Miss Trunchbull and your daughter dressed as Matilda , you'll be an unstoppable literary duo this Halloween. The odds will be ever in your favor in this Katniss Everdeen costume — all you need is a toy bow and arrow to complete the all-black ensemble. SHOP BLACK JUMPSUITS RELATED: Best Movie and TV Character Costumes You Can Easily DIY Lauren (she/her) is the executive digital content director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group, where she oversees online content and strategy for Good Housekeeping , Woman's Day and other Hearst titles, including SEO, video, social media and e-commerce efforts. She has almost 20 years of experience writing and editing beauty, lifestyle, home, health, entertainment and product review content. She graduated from NYU with a degree in journalism and history. Win All the Awards With These Pop Culture Costumes 129 DIY Halloween Costume Ideas Halloween Costumes as Clever as Your Family 76 Best Halloween Costumes 80 Best Group Halloween Costumes of All Time The Best Halloween Costumes for Women Ready for It? 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