The fireman and policeman costumes are very popular with boys. This costume is time consuming and may require some serious scavenger hunting. But that’s part of what makes this costume so fun to make! After you’ve perused the thrift stores, you may need to hit the costume shop for some essential accessories (the hats and badges), but the rest can be created by you. Here’s how:

*Note: Because you will be working with canvas, you will need to use a sewing machine. If you don’t have a sewing machine, you can buy a red windbreaker and remove the elastic around both the waist and the sleeves.

FIREMAN

Supplies:

• Red pants and sweatshirt
• 1 ½ yards of red canvas material
• ½ yard of yellow light-weight canvas material
• ½ yard of “wonder-under”
• Black, yellow or red rain boots
• Fireman hat
• Fake badge
• Black face makeup

Instructions:

Fireman Jacket:
Take the red canvas and fold it in half width-wise. You should have a wide rectangle. Draw a half circle on the center of the fold -- this is the neck of the jacket. Next, draw wide arms and the body, which leaves two small rectangles at the sides of the folded fabric. Cut out the body of the jacket. Stitch the underside of each arm and the sides of the body, leaving the bottom of the jacket, the sleeves and the neck open. Turn inside-out and let your child try it on. If sleeves are too long, trim them (you will be adding yellow canvas strips to the ends, so don’t worry if the sleeves are too short). For strength and appearance, you also can stitch a seam at the bottom of the jacket so that the threads in the canvas do not pull away.

Next, measure the width of the jacket (lay it flat to get an accurate measurement). Multiply that number by 2 and add an inch (write the number down so you don’t forget!). Measure the width of the bottom of each sleeve, double it and add an inch.

Stripes for Homemade Jacket or Windbreaker:
Draw two 3-inch wide strips on the yellow canvas. Be sure to make them as long as the first measurement figure you wrote down. These two strips will go around the body of the jacket, under the arms. Next, draw two 3-inch strips for the sleeves, using the measurements you have.

Place the strips on the “wonder under” and cut the amount needed. Follow the directions on the wonder under package, if you’re not familiar with it. You’ll need an iron, ironing board and a damp cloth. See picture to see where strips should go.

Once you’ve attached the strips, the jacket is complete!