How to Make a Pilgrim Costume
Whether for a boy or a girl, a Pilgrim costume is one of the easiest costumes to make.
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You Will Need
- A basic black outfit
- Black shoes
- Thick white knee socks
- Several yards of white fabric or felt
- Scissors
- Needle and thread, or a glue gun
- A white half-apron
- Four large gold buckles
- A top hat
- A plain black belt
- A 36-inch white shoelace
- Gold spray paint (optional)
- A white or black handkerchief (optional)
Steps
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Step 1
Begin with black
Begin with a basic black outfit: An ankle-length, long-sleeve, collarless dress or a plain skirt and top for a girl, and a long-sleeve shirt and pants for a boy. Both should wear black shoes, preferably loafers.
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The boy's pants should be thin enough to be tucked into thick white knee socks.
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Step 2
Add a collar
Create collars out of white fabric or felt: Measure the wearer from shoulder to shoulder across their chest, then map out a rectangle on the fabric using this measurement as the height, and double it as the width.
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Step 3
Cut it out
Cut out the rectangle and fold it in half towards you, horizontally. Mark a half circle along the fold approximately half the size of the biggest part of the wearer's head. Cut out this half circle; you should now have a rectangle with a round hole in the center.
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Step 4
Cut a triangle in front
Cut out a narrow triangle at the front of the collar. Sew or hot glue this collar onto the top of the boy's shirt or the girl's dress or top.
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Step 5
Accessorize
Cut three-inch wide white cuffs out of the fabric and sew or hot glue them onto the shirt sleeves. Add a white half-apron to a girl's costume, and tuck the boys' pants into white, knee-high socks.
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Step 6
Buy some buckles
For a boy's outfit, get four large, picture-frame style gold buckles. If you can't find gold ones, spray paint them. Put one on a plain black belt, glue one on the front of each shoe, and glue one on the front of a top hat.
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Step 7
Make a bonnet
Cut a 16- by 16-inch piece of fabric and lay it on a flat surface. Stretch the shoelace across the center horizontally. Affix it to the fabric with a few stitches or the glue gun. Fold the fabric in half twice so you have a square. Sew the side opposite the shoelace together; this will be the back of the bonnet.
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You can also use a white or black handkerchief.
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Step 8
Don the bonnet
Shape the bonnet and use the shoelace to tie it under the chin. That's it! Now go find some turkey and cranberries!
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There was no dessert at the first Thanksgiving because the Pilgrims had run out of sugar.
