How to make origami invitation pajamas

These sweet pajamas are a great way to carry an invite for a special sleep over (or under) party

Originally published March, 2008

By Megan McChesney

Photo by Geneviève Caron

We used a cotton-poly blend fabric for these invitation jammies, but you can use anything that will hold a fold when pressed. If you desire, you can also starch the fabric as you press it with a warm iron to make it stiffer.

Shirt

The first time I saw this done was with a dollar bill (yes, when they still had those), so use the proportions of a five dollar bill as your guide. You can make the shirt as big or as small as you like. You can even trace the shape on a 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper.

1. Fold the long edges of the fabric in to meet at the centre. Press.
2. Fold the inside corners of the top side back to create the tips of the collar. Press.
3. Tuck the top outside corners underneath. Press.
4. Tuck the top part of the collar underneath. Press.
5. Fold the inside corners of the bottom sides out - these will be the sleeves, so make sure they're long enough. Press.
6. Tuck the bottom side up underneath the collar lip on the top side. Press at the fold.

Once you've allowed your shirt to cool, you can create a paper insert with the invitation details and tuck it inside.

Pants

1. Cut one long, thin strip of fabric.
2. Fold the edges in (this will be the size of your pant legs, so fold accordingly). Press.
3. Make one fold in the middle of your strip at a 45 degree angle to create a V-shape.
4. Glue in behind the shirt.

Decorate your jammies as desired with fabric slippers, pom-poms or fabric trim.