Make Your Own Felt Raccoon Mask

A gal I work with volunteers at the Audubon Society every week and they were having a fun activity last week where all the volunteers were supposed to dress up like their favorite animal. She asked if I could help her create a Raccoon mask for her costume and this is what I came up with. It is super easy, inexpensive, and can be whipped up in about 30 minutes!

To make your own Raccoon Mask you will need:

Felt sheets: Grey, Black and White
Scissors
pen/pencil for tracing
fabric glue or needle and thread
Elastic or string/ribbon
Raccoon Mask Pattern

Start by printing out the pattern and cutting out the pieces. Arrange them on your felt squares and trace with pen; or pin them down to the felt and cut around the pieces if you find that easier. To make a true to life looking raccoon the base piece should be grey, the middle piece should be white and the eye/nose banding should be black. You can jazz it up for the kids and make any color of raccoon for them though - I think I might make some to send my nieces and nephew for Easter!

Once you have all of your pieces cut out, sandwich them together so the eye holes match up. You may have to do a little extra trimming to get the edges of the eyes nice and neatly matching up. Pin all 3 pieces together and stitch the outline of each eye. This will hold all of the pieces together so fewer pins are needed when stitching around the outer edge of the black and/or white pieces. If sewing isn't your thing, use fabric glue to stick your pieces together. Allow plenty of time for your mask to dry before wearing.

Once you have stitched the pieces together, it is time to add some elastic or ribbon so it can be tied on and worn. You could also make an adjustable strap using more felt strips and some velcro. I opted for some bright ribbon, I just think it looks cheery and fun :)

Then you are ready to show off your new mask around town. These are easy enough to whip up as party favors for your child's next birthday, but still look nice enough to be part of a special costume. If raccoons aren't your style, don't forget to check out my pug mask here, modeled after my Cousin's pug, Tottie.

Happy crafting!

Wrecking Ball Dog Costume

I have bragged about my pretty awesome cousins in the past, and they have impressed me with their cleverness yet again. McKenna made this "Wrecking Ball" costume for her pug, Tottie, for Halloween and I just had to share it with you all. I'm not a Miley Cyrus fan by any means, but talk about hilarious!

I love my cousins!

To make this costume you will need to measure your own pet to get exact measurements. Supplies used were:

an old Barbie doll
polyester fiberfil
1/2-1 yard dark grey fabric (depending on dog size)
scissors
needle and thread
Length of chain
A dog that is fine and dandy with wearing awesome costumes

A lot of trial and error went into this, but you start by cutting out two circles from the grey fabric to serve as the main wrecking ball shape. Cut leg holes based on your dog's dimensions, and leave holes for the head (and tail if necessary depending on your dog breed).

You will sew your circles together (as show above, leaving a large hole for your pups head. Tottie is kinda into wearing costumes, so she actually climbs in the neck hole. If your pet is not so into the dress up, you may want to cut the bottom circle open and add a velcro closure. Attach your chain to the center of the top fabric circle. You will add your Barbie to the chain after cutting her hair and dolling up her makeup. McKenna used red nail polish to paint on bright red lipstick.

As you can see above, the chain was sewn onto the wrecking ball with several overlapping stitches (you could also use a chain leash attached to a harness if your pet needs a better leash option--you would make a small hole in the top of your wrecking ball and pass the chain leash through). When attaching your Barbie to the chain, you can use some thin wire or twist ties if necessary.

This baby is stuffed up with plenty of fiberfil to make a nice stiff round ball shape. Don't skimp on this! See that silly grin on Tottie's face? She loves her new Halloween costume :)

Note: Take care to watch your pets when in costumes, do not allow them to ingest any kind of fiberfil. Pets should not be in costume for long periods of time to prevent any overheating. Be responsible.

I don't know about you, but I want to be Tottie for Halloween. Learn how to make your own Tottie the Pug mask here.

Zombie Makeup Tutorial

With Halloween fast approaching, I thought I would share this tutorial with all of you on how to apply your very own zombie makeup.

I myself am not exactly gifted with the whole makeup thing, so I had to pounce when my cousin, Carli, posted it on her tumblr. Try not to be intimidated, she has step by step photos and instructions to help you out (Though I am sure her amazing skills as a comic book artist don't hurt in the drawing/makeup department).


For those of you in Wisconsin, specifically the Green Bay area, Carli and her sister, McKenna, can both be seen spooking you out at Terror on the Fox.