Video:Costumes for Cats: Sailor

Transcript:Costumes for Cats: Sailor

Hi, I'm Jacob Taxis for About.com. In this video, you will learn how to make a sailor costume for a cat.

Materials for Sailor Costume for a Cat

You'll need:

• A hot glue gun or fabric glue
• White fabric or an old white t-shirt 
• Thin navy blue ribbon 
• Thin navy blue fabric marker 
• Velcro 
• Elastic band 
• Scissors 
• Thin cardboard 
• Nautical bead or pendant

This costume is for a small cat. Adjust the measurements according to your cat's size.

Creating the Hat for the Sailor Costume

First, measure and cut out a piece of thin, pliable cardboard 10 inches long by 1 1⁄2 inches wide. Using glue, cover it completely with white fabric. Connect the two ends of the cardboard with hot glue to create a closed circle. Pinch the sides of the circle to form the hat into an almond shape.

Then trace the almond shape of the hat onto a sheet of paper and add 1 inch on the sides. Cut and trace this onto white fabric and cut it out. Fill in one side of the hat with this piece of fabric. This will be the top of the hat. Glue the sides in, and gently push up the fabric to fill out the top of the hat.

Next, measure out a 10 inch long piece of thin navy blue ribbon and glue it around the bottom edge of the hat. Then, either draw a nautical symbol on the face of the hat or attach a gem or pendant, such as a small compass or anchor, with hot glue. 

To make a chin-strap for the hat, cut a 6 inch long piece of thin, white elastic headband. The size of the headband will vary slightly depending on the size of your cat's head – it should only be tight enough to keep the hat in place. Glue each end of the headband onto the inside of the hat at opposite sides.

Creating the Sailor Outfit

To make a sailor collar for your cat, draw an 11 inch-long trapezoid onto paper. The trapezoid should be 10 inches wide at the bottom and 6 inches wide at the top. Cut out an obround shape from the 6 inch side. This will look like a rectangle with a half-circle on one end. The shape should extend about 6 inches down from the top, and should be about 5 inches in width.

Cut out the whole trapezoid, including the space just described and trace it out onto white fabric. Cut it out and create a hem by folding over and gluing the edges. Line the fabric with navy blue ribbon and draw an anchor or boat on the back of the collar with a blue fabric marker. Glue velcro onto opposite sides of the arms of the fabric to hold the collar in place loosely around the cat's neck. 

There you have it! Your cat's sailor outfit is complete. Dress your cat up and prepare to sail on a sea of laughter. Thank you for watching. For more info, visit About.com.