Using a few sewing skills and some imagination that great Halloween mainstay, the cape can be made. A cape is the 'must have' accessory for all ghouls and demons.
Here are some ideas for making capes.
Capes
The staple part of any Halloween costume is a cape. Whether the end result is going to be a witch, wizard, vampire or simply a scary ghoul, capes play an essential part.
A cape is very easy to sew, particularly if a large piece of fabric is used to avoid the need to sew panels together. A cape is basically a semi circle, therefore to make a cape it is simply a case of working out the correct measurement and cutting an even shape. This can then be decorated or left plain as required
Fabric: Any type of fabric is suitable for a Halloween cape. While black material is necessary for a wicked witch, or perhaps a deep purple for a vampire, fabric can be easily dyed as required. This means that old sheets or other large pieces of fabric can be recycled and used for these projects.
Hemming: Don’t let all that hemming put you off making a cape! Fabric that does not fray is readily available and is a good choice as this saves the need for a large expanse of hemming. Fabrics such as felt, although eminently suitable can be expensive. An alternative to sewing the hems is to bond them. This is quick and easy to do and means that capes can be made without the need of a sewing machine.
How to Make a Cape
First work out the measurements. Having decided how long the cape is to be, measure the length from the back of the shoulder to the required length. If the cape is to be full length then measure to the floor. Add 1 inch for hemming if required. This gives you the diameter of the cape. To avoid piecing the material together the fabric needs to be at least this width.
Take a piece of material that is at least this width and twice the length and fold it in two. Pin the edges of the fabric together to stop the fabric from pulling while cutting, resulting in an uneven finished shape.
Mark an arc on the square of fabric the required length, starting at a corner with a fold. To make an even shape, take a piece of cotton or yarn of the required length, fix this in the corner and use this as a compass using a fabric marker to draw the shape. If a fabric marker isn’t to hand mark the shape with pins.
Cut out the fabric and this forms the basis of a cape. Take up the hems if required by machine, hand or bonding. This forms the basis of a cape. The cape can be secured by a ribbon at the neck.
Tip: For a better fit a smaller semi circle can be cut at the neck. This can be secured with bias binding which will give a more robust and professional finish.
Further reading - Free Online Cape Projects:
- No Sew Cape Instructions
- Instructions for Making Capes
- How to Make a Custom Two Layer Cape
- How to Make a Cape - Project
- No Sew Cape Project
