GnomesticGoddess says: I had a ton of requests for a DIY for this costume, if had known there would be so much interest I would have taken more pics of the process! This is the first handmade costume I have ever made, I had no pattern, and I don’t really know how to use a sewing machine so I just used a little sewing kit. If anyone has questions or if I can better explain anything, just let me know. Thanks for looking and I hope lots of people make this! :)
Deconstructed Squirtle
In addition to a baby or child you will need: Light blue hooded and footed pajamas, a light yellow onesie, some light blue fabric for the tail (I used another onsie), a brown fabric pen, white fabric (I used a cotton undershirt), a stuffed sea turtle, felt (black, magenta, and white), fabric glue, sew-on snaps, Poly-Fil (stuffing), fabric scissors, and a needle and thread.
Find and dismember a stuffed turtle (sorry, buddy!)
I found this turtle at a garage sale for $1 (sweet!), but you can find similar ones on Amazon. The only part I needed was the shell, so I cut that off, saving the stuffing. I sewed a round piece of fabric to the bottom of the shell to hold the stuffing in. No worries if it isn’t pretty, it gets covered up later on.
The Tail
I used an old onsie for this part, but any similar cotton fabric will do. I didn’t have a pattern so I just used this basic shape and hoped for the best! Sew along the outer edge, leaving a hole at the base of the tail, turn inside out and stuff with Poly-Fil.
The tail! (I think this was the hardest part.)
This is the tail after stuffing. Tuck and roll the tail into a spiral and reinforce with stitches on the underside so it will hold its shape.
Shell+Tail
Unless you are lucky enough to find a stuffed turtle shell with the white edging, this has to be added. I cut a strip a little longer than the outside of the shell and about 2.5″ wide out of an old t-shirt. Sew along the edge to make a long tube, then turn inside out so the seam is on the inside. Stuff with Poly-Fil then sew to the underside of the shell, leaving the open ends at the base to leave room for the tail. Then sew the tail at the base of the shell and join the white border over the tail and sew up any holes. I used a sew-on snap at the top of the tail to attach it to the shell so it would stay up.
The face
The face was made with felt. I cut out all the pieces and attached with fabric glue. I was still worried it wouldn’t stay put so I reinforced it with some stitches just to be sure.
The Results
The Results
The Results
