Autie from iCandy Handmade is here with THE most adorable DIY homemade bumble bee costume tutorial I’ve ever seen!
My daughter’s costume of choice was to be a Bumble Bee…So, here she is!
When Ivy said Bumble Bee, my mind went instantly to it’s stinger, and how cute she would be running around with a giant stinger on her little booty. eek!
So, I concocted a plan so that that thing would be out as plain as day! I wanted to bee sure to see the stinger! (hee hee, sorry!)
I chose to work with mostly felt because it’s cheap and so forgiving, and then embellished with a few different odds and ends. I had so much fun putting this costume together!
She’s layered to the hilt with knit leggings. Then a long-sleeve black leotard that I got at WalMart. I hand-stitched her stinger on (and it’s just a styrofoam cone covered with fabric). Next, her fabulously felt dress, and lastly her home-made felt wings. (antennae I bought at Joann’s)
If you’d like to make one of these dresses yourself (it’s actually very versatile, and would be a cute base for quite a few costumes, like a kitty or a ladybug, etc.
You can find the pattern{here}as a Google doc
Let’s get started:
Using about a yard of felt, on the fold cut out your pattern.
To make the stripes on the bumble bee, I cut a few 2 ½ inch strips, the length of the felt.
Using my clear rotary ruler, I lined them up about 2 ½ inches apart, all the way across the opened dress, making sure to line the top stripe close enough to the top so it goes over the arm pit concavity. {like the 2 pictures below}
{see how the arm pits are covered?}
Next stitch all the stripes down onto the black felt.
Flip it over to trip the neck hole and arm pits.
This is what you get.
Next, use some double-fold bias tape (I made my own because I didn’t have any plain black) to finish off all the edges. Simply sandwich the dress in between each fold and stitch it down.
After it’s bound, sew your buttons on the small tabs, as indicated on the pattern.
And, sew a button hole on the longer flaps, as indicated on the pattern.
Last, I felt like her dress needed a little bit of ‘pollen’ like fringe, so I added the pom-pom fringe to the bottom. I started where the dress criss-crosses in the back, and sewed it down, all the way around the bottom of the dress, and back up to the “X”
This is your finished product.
To put it on, just wrap it around they’re backs and hook the right button to the left button hole, and the left button to the right button hole. Voila!
If you’d like more info on how I made the wings, and the stinger, etc, check out iCandy handmade!
Comments & Reviews
Granny Lane Sewing says
I made the mistake of using felt for an all-felt Foofa costume about three years ago. Never again. Poor baby’s face got all red from the heat! If you’re in a warmer climate, felt is a bad idea–I now go for cheap cotton/poly broadcloth!
Vanessa@DesignsBySessa says
How adorable is THAT!!!!! LOVE IT!
Leigh Ann Phillips says
I love that SO much! Thanks for the tutorial!
Tanya B says
That is SO cute! I love it. Halloween is always freezing here so it is a great cold weather costume. You did an excellent job!
Cora R says
Love to know where you found the tights or leggings.
Donna B. says
love this. the felt I have used is very soft, how did you get it so stiff to stick out nicely like that? is there a stiffer felt to buy for this project?
thanks!
Buffy Walker says
Your tutorial was great! I made one for my granddaughter for insect day at school and your tutorial was super easy to follow and super cute! Thank you for sharing! I would share my picture, but can’t seem to figure out how to add it. LOL I would also like to tag you on my FB (Buffy’s Bowtiqe) page if you can give me the link to include. Thanks again. Buffy
Rebecca says
I’m so happy that I stumbled upon this tutorial! I made this for my 3 year old and she LOVED IT! I had to adjust the sizing of the template a bit but otherwise simply followed the instructions and it came out amazing. She received so many compliments and it made me quite proud to be able to say that I made it for her. THANK YOU!
LJ says
I didn’t see how you did the stinger. This is so cute. If I had seen it previously, I would have adapted my son’s costume. He’s going to be a wasp (“a bad bee”), and I will be a dandelion. I can’t seem to get the stinger right. This one is awesome.
Tina Travers says
I would love to know how you made the stinger. The page you reference doesn’t open up
Andrea says
Hi Tina,
Sadly I wasn’t the one who made it and my friend who did has taken down her instructions. Sorry!
Andrea