Five DIY Book Character Costumes That Are Simple to Create
Celebrate storytime, Book Week, or classroom skits with these simple and fun DIY costumes inspired by Mo Willems' beloved characters, The Pigeon and The Little Chicken. Here's how to create these costumes for your child.
**The Pigeon (from Mo Willems’ Pigeon Series)**
Materials: - Gray hoodie or sweatshirt - Gray, white, and yellow felt - Scissors - Glue or fabric glue - Headband or plain cap - Optional: Googly eyes or craft foam for eyes
Instructions: 1. Base Outfit: Have your child wear the gray hoodie or sweatshirt as the main body of the pigeon. 2. Wings: Cut two large, simple wing shapes from gray fabric or felt and glue them onto the sides of the hoodie. 3. Feet: Draw and cut out two simple pigeon feet shapes from yellow felt and glue these to the bottom of your child’s shoes or socks. 4. Head: Use the headband or cap as a base. Cut out a large white circle and a smaller yellow diamond shape from felt. Glue the white circle onto the headband as the eye, then glue the yellow diamond (pointed end down) as the beak. Add a black marker dot in the center of the white circle. 5. Optional Extras: Add a tail from gray felt if desired. Your child can carry a sign that says, “Let me drive the bus!” for a finishing touch.
**The Little Chicken (from “The Little Hoot” or Other Mo Willems-Inspired Chicken Designs)**
Materials: - Yellow or light brown sweatshirt or T-shirt - White, orange, pink, and red felt - Scissors - Glue or fabric glue - Plain headband or hat - Optional: Feathers (craft or real), pipe cleaners for antennae
Instructions: 1. Base Outfit: Have your child wear a yellow or light brown sweatshirt or T-shirt. 2. Wings: Cut two simple wing shapes from white felt and glue or sew them onto the sides of the shirt. 3. Beak: Cut a small diamond from orange or pink felt and fold it in half. Glue the folded beak to the front of the headband or cap. 4. Feet: Draw and cut two chicken feet from yellow felt and glue these onto the bottom of your child’s shoes or socks. 5. Optional Features: Add a comb made from a wavy strip of red felt to the top of the headband for a chicken comb. Use pipe cleaners attached to the headband for antennae, and glue a few craft feathers around the edge of the wings or head for added texture.
Quick Tips: - Use felt or fabric glue for quick, no-sew assembly. - For The Pigeon, focus on big, expressive eyes and a simple beak. - For The Little Chicken, emphasize bright colours and simple shapes to match the playful Mo Willems aesthetic.
These costumes are perfect for school activities, Halloween, or book character dress-up days, and they can be assembled quickly with materials you likely already have at home or can get easily from a craft store.
These DIY costumes can extend beyond Mo Willems' beloved characters, offering a fashion-and-beauty twist on the Little Chicken with the addition of real or craft feathers and pipe cleaner antennae. For those who enjoy home-and-garden projects, constructing a set for a school performance or personal storytime event can be an education-and-self-development activity, allowing for self-expression and creativity.
