Supplies:

• cardboard box (shown: 35 cm x 35 cm x 20 cm)
• cardboard piece for inside box (35 cm x 35 cm, adjust as needed for the box you’re using)
• 1 1/2 m fabric, felt or wrapping paper to cover box (vinyl works great!)
• variety of colourful trims (for box, hat outline, tunic)
• 4 pieces of (8 1/2” x 12”) felt in various colors (orange, green, pink, blue)
• 1 pkg. pom-poms
• 1 m stick-on Velcro
• 1 m fabric for tunic
• glue gun and glue
• pencil and ruler

 

Directions:

INSTRUCTIONAL PHOTOS BELOW

 

Box:

• Measure outer surface dimensions of box.
• Trace out the exact measurements on to the wrong side of your fabric, felt or wrapping paper, using a pencil and ruler. Cut out.
• Glue the fabric on to the box, making sure that all outside surfaces are covered, including the top flap of the box.
• Decorate the box with trims or colourful stickers. (Note: Hide all raw edges using cord trims)
• Create a center square for the “Jack” to pop out. Cut out a cardboard square to fit snuggly inside the box. Cut a circle in the center large enough for your child to fit through. Cover the square insert with fabric, folding the straight edges under and clipping around the inner circle to turn edges under (see photos below). Glue all edges down.
• Glue center square in place using a strip of excess fabric to attach square to the interior of the box sides

Hat:

• Measure child’s head and add 12 cm.
• Divide measurement by four and cut out four equal size felt triangular shapes to that measurement (see diagram above for shape). Save left over felt pieces for neckline of tunic.)
• Glue felt pieces together, overlapping edges by 1.5 cm. Wrap around child’s head to check fit; glue ends together so hat fits snugly.
• Outline the hat (and finish raw edges) with cord or trim.  Glue pom-poms to points.

 

Jack:

• Measure your toddler from shoulder to waist and across chest. Double the shoulder-to-waist length and cut a piece of fabric to this measurement.
• Fold fabric in half and cut a slit for the neck along this fold. Glue a pom-pom trim to the side edges of the tunic. Finish off the neck opening by gluing leftover felt triangles from the hat fabric, pointy parts down. Glue small pom-poms to points.
• Velcro or glue tunic to the under side of the square insert of the box at the waistline. The tunic will secure the costume (box) on the child.

Safety note: Use caution with pom-poms and small decorations/trims with children. These can be choking hazards.