Super Hero Capes

Today is Will's 5th Birthday Art Party. Amongst other things the most ambitious activity will be to get the kids into their personalised Super Hero Capes and photograph them 'flying'. These pictures will then be converted to Black and White Colouring pages and then taped to canvas boards for them to paint and colouring in to take home. 

The Super Hero Capes are made from 8 thrifted T-shirts. If you want to play along at home then you need one large T-shirt per child. It needs to have a ribbed collar and should have a least one side with no print (unless the print works with your design).

Step 1: Cut up each side of the T-shirt curving inside the sleeves all the way to the shoulder about one inch from the ribbed band.

Step 2. Turn the T-shirt over and cut around the ribbed band (as above).

Step 3. Remove the sleeves and reserve for potential head bands, arm bands and masks.

Step 4. Continue till all your capes are cut.
Step 5. Use the fronts of the T-shirts to cut out the designs for your capes. I cut a simple background shape in a contrasting colour and then the child's initial in another co-ordinating colour. (I was lucky to have 8 shirts worth of offcuts to choose from- if you don't you can use scraps/rags/fabric stash or purchase another item from the op-shop that will suit.

Step 6. Pin your design to the back of the cape and then stitch around the edges. Because my sewing machine has some cool fancy stitches I used a contrasting thread and funky zigzag. But you could just as easily use a matching thread and straight stitch.

Then admire your handy work! (3 out of 4 of the girls coming to the party have names starting with M)

♥