How to Make a DIY Shark Costume for Halloween

Materials Needed:

- Grey, black, or white felt fabric

- Foam sheets (grey or black)

- Scissors

- Hot glue gun and glue sticks

- Measuring tape or ruler

- White elastic cord

- Thread and sewing machine or needle and thread

- Optional: Polyester fiberfill, stuffing material or pillow form for body

Instructions:

1. Cutting Fabric and Foam:

- Measure the length from your shoulders to your feet. Cut a rectangular piece of felt fabric and two rectangular pieces of foam to match this length. The width should be about 3-4 feet, depending on your desired fullness.

2. Sewing Costume Body:

- With the right sides facing each other, fold the felt fabric lengthwise (widthwise) and sew a seam down one long side to create a tube.

- Repeat the process with the foam rectangles.

3. Stuff the Costume Body:

- Flip the felt tube inside out and insert one of the foam rectangles inside it.

- If you wish to add more volume to the costume, you can stuff it with polyester fiberfill or use a large pillow form.

- Repeat the process with the second piece of foam.

4. Create the Fins:

- Cut out triangular shapes for the dorsal fin and smaller triangular shapes for the pectoral and pelvic fins from the felt fabric.

- For the dorsal fin, you can create multiple triangular shapes and attach them overlapping to create a more realistic look.

- Attach the fins to the costume body using hot glue or sewing.

5. Headband and Eyes:

- Cut a strip of felt fabric long enough to wrap around your head like a headband.

- Cut out circular foam pieces as bases for the eyes and glue on larger felt circles as the main part.

- Attach these felt-foam eyes onto the felt headband.

6. Teeth:

- Cut zigzag-shaped pieces of white felt fabric to resemble teeth.

- Position them along the lower edge of the felt costume, hot-gluing each tooth securely.

7. Attach Elastic:

- Cut two pieces of white elastic cord long enough to comfortably hold the shark costume up on your shoulders.

- Attach the elastic cords to the inside corners of the felt headband.

8. Final Touches:

- Enhance your shark costume by adding details like gills (felt cutouts) or even red fabric as a tongue inside the mouth.

Remember, the exact size and proportions may vary depending on your body measurements. Feel free to adjust the patterns and measurements according to your preferences. Have fun crafting and rocking your DIY shark costume!