Earlier this year, my son’s daycare had a Castles and Dragons-themed week. The kids were invited to dress up for the occasion. A few weeks prior, we happened to visit Medieval Times, and our son became obsessed with knights, specifically, the blue knight, which is his favorite color, and the section we were assigned to for the show. Fast forward to our Castles and Dragons-themed week, and he was still obsessed with the blue knight. So I decided I’d make him a blue knight costume!
What you’ll need to make a no-sew knight costume:
- At least two colors of fleece fabric, but possibly three – one for the main color of the costume, one for the shield, and one for the decoration
- Yardstick, or something you can use as a long straight edge
- Tape measure or ruler
- Rope or something you can use as a belt. You can get fancy braided rope when you get your fabric
- Scissors
- Fabric glue
- Permanent marker
- Matches or a lighter
Step 1 – Measure Your Child
- You’ll want to take your kid’s measurements from shoulder to shoulder to see how wide your costume needs to be. Take this number and add six inches to it. This is how much fabric you will need to buy.
You’ll want to add the extra six inches because sometimes things end up getting cut crooked or sloppily at the store. Sometimes you don’t measure perfectly. And sometimes, your kid grows unreasonably quickly. An extra six inches allows you plenty of fabric to work with to make sure the edges of the costume are straight.
Step 2 – Cut Fabric for the Body of the Knight Costume
Important – you’ll want the folded-over side of the fabric to be the top of your costume! Get it? It’s going to be like an open-sided tunic.
- Use your yardstick or straight edge to draw a line with your marker showing you where to cut the material to make the edges straight. Cut along the line down the end of the fabric to get the straight edge you need to work with.
- Once you have your first straight edge in the material, you can mark the length of your costume. For example, the one I made was 18 inches long. Don’t cut it yet. Just mark it.
- Next, you can use the shoulder-to-shoulder measurement to mark how wide your costume needs to be. Use your tape measure and marker to measure from the straight side you just cut off to how wide it needs to be.
Reminder– You’ll want the folded-over side of the fabric to be the top of your costume!
My folded-over fabric was 12 inches wide by 18 inches long.
I measured from the side I just cut straight across 12 inches and marked that with my marker. Then I measured the length of the costume to be 18 inches and marked that. Next, I measured from the 18-inch mark across 12 inches and marked it. Then I measured from the first 12-inch mark I made down 18 inches to see where the last corner of my costume would meet to make a perfect rectangle. Then I marked that spot.
- Now you can use your yardstick or straight edge to draw out where your costume needs to be cut and cut it out. Note- you are cutting through two layers of fabric.
Step 3 – Print Out These Knight Costume Patterns to Use as a Pattern
Here are some knight-related shields and shapes you can use for your costume! There are also some neck hole patterns with measurements you can use to make a perfect circle.
Have your child choose what they want their shield to look like and what they want on it. My son chose the Fleur de Lis because that is what the Blue Knight had when we saw him.
DIY No-Sew Knight Costume!
Step 4 – More Cutting, no Sewing
- Find the center of the top of the body of the knight costume fabric. Remember, this is the folded-over side!
- Once you find the center, you’ll need to find the center of the neck hole pattern you want to use and match them up, making sure you have the same amount of fabric on each side of the neck hole. Use your marker to trace where you need to cut, and cut the hole out.
- Using the shield pattern you picked out, trace the shield with your marker on the color material you want it to be. Cut it out and flip it over, so no marker will show on the front of the shield.
- Using the decoration pattern you picked out, trace it with the marker on the color material you want that to be. Cut it out and flip it over, so any marker won’t show up on the front of the decoration. Just like the shield.
Step 5 – Time to Glue
- Find where you want your decoration to go on the shield, then use the fabric glue to glue it on. Give it a few minutes to dry.
- Next, find the center of your knight costume body fabric and use that as a guideline to see where you want the shield to be. You want it to land on your child’s chest.
- Once you find where you want it, use your fabric glue along the back of the shield and place it.
Step 6 – Cut Fringe (Optional)
- I decided to cut some fringe along the bottom of the costume, you don’t have to, but I thought it gave it some character. I marked along the bottom every inch or two and cut into the fabric about 1.5 inches up to make the fringe.
Step 7 – Belt
- I found some fancy rope-looking thing at the fabric store, but any rope will do. Before you buy, you’ll want to measure your child’s waist and add quite a bit of extra rope so that it’s possible to tie the costume on.
- Hold your costume up to your child to see where you should cut the waist-height holes for the rope to slide through. Once you have marked that, make sure the holes are even on both sides of the costume since you will be cutting two spots for the rope.
- Fold your costume where you want the rope holes to go, and cut about half an inch in. Unfold the costume, and you will have your rope holes.
- Next, you’ll want to cut your rope to the appropriate length, if it isn’t already. You’ll need the matches or lighter here if your rope frays easily. Carefully use the matches or lighter to burn the ends of the rope so it won’t fray.
- Once the ends of the rope have cooled off, feed it through the holes you made for it in your costume.
Now you’re finished!
Hopefully, this quick DIY knight costume gives you a break from hunting for Halloween costumes or gives your child something fun to add to their playtime dress-up clothes! Tag us on Instagram @VTMom to show off your costume!
Check out these other easy Halloween costume ideas from the moms here at Vermont Moms:
- Easy Halloween Costumes – No Purchase Necessary
- Do It Yourself Ruth Bader Ginsburg Halloween Costume
- The Art of the Family Costume — Halloween Fun
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