How To Make A Pterodactylus Costume

So, my daughter cam home from school the other day out-of-her-mind excited because for one day this week she can go to school dressed as a dinosaur. I like a challenge so was well up for making the costume. Then she tells me she wants to go as a Pterodactyl. I tried explaining that a Pterodactylus (the correct name for what she was referring to) was actually a Pterosaur not a dinosaur but she had already set her heart on it.

I sent the Mr out to get some materials and then set to work...

You will need:
1 Hooded top & tracksuit bottoms OR a hooded onesie
1m fabric (or more if it's for a big kid)
Yellow, white & black felt
Sew-on velcro
Big piece of card
PVA glue
Sewing machine & thread
Scissors
Newpaper (for templates)

Use whatever colour of tracksuit/fabric you like. We used grey but orange, brown, green, red - all would work well. You could even have wings in contrasting colours for a funkier outfit.

How to:
Start by making the wings  - measure from the cuff of the hoodie's sleeve along the seam to the armpit and then down to the waistband then add 2inches. On the kid's top this came to 18" + 2" + 20". We'll call this 'A'. Draw the shape below onto your newspaper and use as a template to cut two wings. For Ashleigh's costume side B was about half that of A, but you can make yours really big if you like.

Fold the edge of side B over about 1cm and press, then fold over another 1cm and press again to give a neat hem, repeat on one long side and pin if necessary. Sew a straight stitch from one corner, along side B, turn the corner and along side A being careful to keep the corner as neat as possible. Repeat for the other wing.

Fold the remaining un-hemmed side over 1cm, pin to the hoodie and sew along the side seam and down the arm. This will be tricky but trust me it is possible. Repeat on the other side and hey presto, flappy wings!

Next make the beak/head. Cout a big triangle out of your card. Probably best to make it shorter than the wearer's arms so they can still open doors. Bend the cardboard to make a lovely beaky shape and then coat one side in PVA glue and cover in fabric. Leave to dry while you make the teeth - simply a zig-zag cut from the white felt. Once the glue is dry on the beak glue the teeth along the edge. Sew a strip of the hooky side from your velcro right through the fabric and card along the short edge of the beak. Sew the other half of the velcro to the inside of the hoodie hood. You'll probably need your little Pterosaur to model at this stage o get the positioning right. Cut two big circles from the yellow felt, two slightly smaller white circles and two black ovals. Layer and sew together to make the eyes. Glue or sew these to the hood on either side.

And you're done! See, wasn't too hard was it?!