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kallie214 May 18, 2007

I volunteer in my son's class every Thursday...today when I walked in, his teacher had that look, you know the one, the one that says "you, ya you...your the one I wanted to talk to!" I thought oh dear, what has my son done.
Pheeew, it was nothing bad other then the fact that the kids are putting on a play in 2 weeks and she needs costumes...ugghhh! Anyways, I need to make 3 squirrel tails, a pair of eagle wings and a frog hat. She said last year they just took brown paper and crumpled it up in the shape of a tail for the squirrel, had nothing for the frog but green flippers and they used paper bags for the eagle wings.
I know I can do better then that and I do have some ideas in mind, but I knew you ladies would have TONS of ideas! These can be really simple, but I know for sure I dont want eagle wings that are paper bags...maybe painted and varnished paper bags, but not just an ol' brown bag!

Any ideas or suggestions would be great!!!

Bear Hugs,

Kim

Little Bear Guy May 18, 2007

Hi Kim

Well for the squirrel tails, I'd just use a nice fluffy faux fur and put a piece of wire in it so you can curl it upwards nice and easy and next to no sewing.

For the Eagle wings,  why not cut out the wings from Bristol Board or card board, you can pick up bags of feathers at Michaels or some place like that fairly cheap as well and just brush glue on to the cardboard and then just stick the wings on, they don't have to be perfect just to give the idea that they have wings.  You can cut holes in them to run some string or elastic through to attach them around their sholders.

For the Frog , I would make like a hood for the head (but so you can still see the childs face) and put big bulging eyes on the top of it,  make a green cap that just kinda of hangs down off the shoulders.

Just my thoughts but I'm sure you will get tons .

big hugs

Shane

kallie214 May 18, 2007

Thanks Shane!  I had a lot of the same ideas you had....especially with the frog. I thought i would give it big bulging eyes, but the cape is another great idea!

Thanks for taking the time to give me your thoughts!

Bear Hugs,

Kim

Little Bear Guy May 18, 2007

My pleasure Kim,  sheesh I don't even have kids  :lol:.  YEah I think the bulging eyes will really make it look like a frog.

hugs

Shane

chrissibrinkley May 18, 2007

Ewwwww cool, I LOVE costumes and all that stuff!! 

Shane, I adore the hoodie idea for the frog!  Could be a green sweatshirt.

I was a duck one year for halloween at work...(our wild and whacky team picked a Old McDonald...it was old mcdonald :doh: theme and I was the duck, ok... ).  Anyway.....    I made wings of plain thin white poster board (it bends or "bows" and makes moving around easy).  I just cut out the shape of the wing, and I used Sheets of crepe paper for feathers.  I cut them like the "feathered" stuff they use on pinatas.  I'd make one long strip and then cut all the "feather" strips up width wise just to about the final inch.  That inch of uncut paper was what I  glued down and it was then hidden under the next layer of "feathers".  Then I just took 2 strips of elastic and glued/stapled them  on the inside of the wing.... right above my wrist and where my mid upper arm would be.  I just slid my arm down through those 2 elastic pieces and had full wing control!   

:hug:
~Chrissi

EDIT...big bulging eyes could be ping pong balls cut in half...that's what a lot of puppeteers use

BearBottoms May 18, 2007

Kim, I am PMing you....

Kimberly W.

kallie214 May 18, 2007

Ohhhh PERFECT idea about the wings Chrissi!!! Easy and inexpensive!

Thank you!!!

Hugs,

K

Little Bear Guy May 18, 2007

Yes excellent Idea about the wings,  very inexpensive and easier than what I was thinking  , love the ping pong ball idea as well for the eyes

hugs

Shane

kallie214 May 18, 2007

Good Idea! I have several half eaten ping pong balls around here too! (my dog likes 'em)

Thanks Chrissi and Shane!!

Jodi Moisan May 18, 2007

I bet what ever you come up with , as talented as you are and the help you have gotten so far, these costumes will be amazing!!! you may just have become there permanent costumer 

kallie214 May 18, 2007

uhhhhh...no! Im not into sewing clothes at all...yuck, yuck, yuck and a big fat booooring!
I am a little excited to get started just because I will be stepping outside my comfort zone.

I do want to extend a

HUGE

thank you to Kimberly of Bear Bottoms. She has generously offered to send me some faux fur for the three squirrel tails! Thank you!!!!!!

Bear Hugs,

Kim

Shelli Retired Help Advisor, Banner SponsorMay 18, 2007

I want to see the finished costumes AND Chrissi in a duck costume!  Anybody else?!!!

Another idea for wings might be to cut them out of fabric, line them with batting, and quilt them into shape.  Sounds complicated but with a machine doesn't need to be, and they may be sturdier for little folk use than something with attached feathers, whether real or crepe paper. 

Here's a small pic of some quilted wings I found online that were used in an art doll application. 

The shape might not be exactly what you want but this is the general concept.  You could shape the wings as Chrissi suggested and have the same elastic strips she mentioned, for arms to slip through, allowing the kids full wing control.  They'd be comfortable and soft and pretty indestructible and if you used something like buckram as well as thin batting to line them, they could be made somewhat stiff as well.  And I think you use an airbrush to shade your bears, if memory serves; they could be put to good use in shading around the machine quilted feather areas.

Just another thought!

kallie214 May 18, 2007

You guys are the best! Thanks for all the ideas....Im excited to get started!
Now the hard part is decided which idea will work best for their needs. I want these to last for several years.

Bear Hugs,

Kim