Twink Costume Tutorial
Two years ago for Halloween I was Rainbow Brite and Creamie was my little sidekick. I first posted pictures of these costumes for Halloween 2009. And since then I have had dozens of requests for a tutorial, or for me to make costumes to sell. I have priced out what I would charge to make a Twink costume. And it is over $150 for time and materials. It isn’t a hard costume to make, but like most sewing projects, it takes a while. And I am not interested in working for free. I charge for my time for custom sewing (and so should you!). And a few people were interested, but not enough to pay for it. So, instead of selling finished costumes I thought I’d just write the tutorial and if someone is interested then they can make one themselves. And then everyone is happy.
This tutorial is just for a Twink costume. I didn’t make the Rainbow Brite costume. I borrowed it from my sister, and she and my mom made it years ago. It is a royal blue dress with a full skirt. It has a heavy interfacing petticoat underneath to make it stick out. Add white trim around the bottom (this is fusible fleece) and a red belt. The finishing touch is rainbow striped thigh high socks. You’ll need two pair. Cut the feet off of one pair and wear as rainbow sleeves. Add some killer red shoes and you are good to go. Now, onto Rainbow’s little Sprite named Twink.
For my twink costume I purchased rainbow striped tights (I found mine at a thrift store, but Rainbow Striped babylegs/legwarmers are pretty easy to find. This pair on Amazon is only $4. I also purchased a red long sleeved onesie for her to wear underneath her Twink costume. Now, onto the sewing!
The Twink costume is basically a white fluffy pumpkin. When I was talking to Scott about it he said “It’s a pumpkin in fun jeans!” (please tell me someone else remembers this episode of TheOffice…) I used this basic Simplicity pattern and combined the pumpkin bodysuit with the hood from the lamb costume (sans ears). Simplicity has renumbered their patterns and this is now labeled Simplicity 2788. It is available at Joanns, Hancocks, Hobby Lobby, Amazon or any number of different places. I bought mine at Joanns on one of their 99 cent sales I think. Use the measurements on the back for yardage required. I am not going to go into that here because it’s all right there in the pattern that I used.
The white fuzzy fabric I used is white Silky Furry Fleece. I got mine at Joanns (here it is). It comes in Red and Brown and Cream and Black and White. I lined the whole costume with regular white fleece. You’ll need to line it because the stuffing goes in between the two layers. Creamie was only 9 months old when she wore this, and I had to take about 10 inches out of the smallest size because it was so large. The costume has velcro at the shoulders and elastic around the bottom and it goes together pretty easily. I did modify the hood just a bit, besides leaving off the ears. I added about 1.5 inches to the length in the back so that it would be long enough to cover all of her neck and meet up with the bodysuit and to make it look like one piece.
The belt was really easy. 1: I used royal blue nylon webbing and a bit of Velcro to hold it together. After I had the bodysuit finished i measured around it while it was on Creamie and cut the nylon to length. I used less than 1 yard. 2: For the little pouch to hold star sprinkles I used a scrap of red felt (about 2.5″ x 6″.) Round the corners on the top flap a bit and then just stitch it together, no need to turn it inside out. Sew on a button and make a tiny slit for the button hole. 3: The star is from a sheet of stiff yellow felt (you can buy pre stiffened felt at craft stores.) It is 3.5″ across. I hot glued a belt loop onto the back so that I could thread it onto the blue belt. 4: Thread the star and the pocket onto the belt and you are good to go. I decided to make them all separate pieces so that I could wash the bodysuit separately if I needed to.
Her little star antennae are also separate pieces. Because I was sure the hood would need to be washed after she wore it.
Cut four stars out of the stiff yellow felt and hot glue a big fat fuzzy pipecleaner in between them. Then I attached the pipe cleaners to two alligator clips with a little hot glue and by wrapping the wire around the clips. I clipped the antennae onto the hood by sliding the bottom side of the clip through the fuzzy fabric. I could have made button holes or something but I just shove the clips through the fabric.
I tried to find cute little red shoes for weeks but in the end decided it would be cheaper to just have her wear socks over a pair of shoes she already had. I bought a pair of red socks and cut off the tops. I just zigzagged around the edge of them with my sewing machine and she wore them over her shoes.
Put all of that together and it is one of the cutest costumes I’ve ever made. If you have any questions, ask them in the comments and I’ll try to answer them here as well.
A few nuts and bolts things: 1: If you are traveling, take off the bodysuit before you strap your kid into their carseat. That one should be pretty obvious. 2: I am not affiliated with Amazon or Joanns or anyone else and I am providing links to products they sell as a convenience to you. I am sure similar items can be found other places. 3: If you want to make these to sell in an online shop or at a craftsfair or whatever, go ahead. But please provide a link back to this tutorial in your listing or on a tag attached to the costume. That’s just being nice. 4: I’d love to see any costumes you make, please email them to me at pinksuedeshoe at gmail dot com or leave a link to your post/picture/whatever in the comments. Happy Halloween!
Yep, still completely adorable.
Love, love and more love.
xox
this is seriously the cutest thing ever. love it.
Thank you so much for the tutorial! This is an amazing costume!
that was the cutest thing my eyeballs have ever witnessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! she is a doll, and you look gorgeous!
OMG!!!! That is the cutest costume duo ever!!! Both of you look fantastic!!!
it is way too cute. I still can’t believe she was walking then.
And hi friend! I miss you! We’re doing well… adjusting to life with two!
Good job! Creamie doesnt even look real in the second to last photo of her lol
you look both so lovely!
Thanks for sharing, you are very creative….
Since i only “met” you last year, this is my first time seeing this and I am completely blown away! But wait! The tutorial is for the baby’s costume! What about YOUR costume! Which is equally brilliant by the way!
Your pictures made me smile. The best Halloween costumed duo ever!
See 2nd paragraph. There is no tutorial because a) the costume was created before tutorials existed (hi, 2005) and b) it was dreamed up between my mom and I and a bunch of graph paper. We didn’t use a pattern or anything like that. The key is finding the rainbow-stripe thigh-high socks and buying 2 pair. Add a cobalt blue dress, a red belt, and you’re good to go. If you want to be fancy you can add white trim to the dress.
xox
Thanks for putting in the part about how much it costs to make things. I think a lot of people don’t realize that sometimes materials alone will put you at $50 before you even start cutting out anything!
I am a friend of Amy W. through our daughter Heidi. I love your blog, and frequent estate sales. I found a set of vintage sheets I would like for you to have. I can send them but will be in UT on Wed. for a couple of weeks. We have a new baby grandson and their parents live in Provo. This is a crazy comment, but didn’t know how to email you.
I saw this on Pinterest. It’s adorable !!!
Your the best! Thanks for posting this!
This was soooooo awesome! I love it!!!!
a super cool friend of mine posted your link to my page suggesting we do this for Halloween. Since the kiddo WON’T wear hats and hoods yet (she doesn’t remember the cold from last year) I’m thinking this is a next year costume. Did I miss a link for the Rainbow Brite Costume info? I’d like to do the whole shebang and other than not being Blonde myself we just might be able to pull this off. Any help (where did you get those awesome rainbow leggies and arm stuffs?) would be greatly appreciated. I LOVED watching Rainbow Brite as a kid! GO 80′S!! W00T!
There isn’t a tutorial for the Rainbow Brite costume. My mom and sister made it probably 6 years ago just drawing it out on newspaper and cutting it to fit. But really the key is the rainbow socks. Blue dress, red belt and awesome rainbow socks on your arms and legs (see the second paragraph of this post). I have seen them at a few Halloween costume stores this fall, but I just searched Amazon for rainbow socks and more than a dozen options came up ranging from $3 to $20. So they aren’t that hard to find with the right keywords. Good luck next year!
e.
Thank you so much for the tutorial! I just finished up the costume and we wore them out tonight for a party and got many compliments
I posted pics on flickr with a link back to you. Thanks again!
I was waiting for this tutorial!
Your costumes were my inspiration this year. Thank you for being so awesome and inspiring. Here’s what you inspired….
http://pinterest.com/pin/417448981/
Happy Halloween
The cutest thing I’ve seen in a long time…truly. Thanks for the pleasure.
Thanks for the inspiration! Here’s our (non-sewing) version!
http://reeceandandria.blogspot.com/2011/10/twink-no-not-that-kind-of-twink.html
Thanks for the inspiration. (I did not make my daughter’s Rainbow Brite costume. That is a vintage costume that my mother-in-law made).
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad347/kpagorek/DSC_0013.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad347/kpagorek/DSC_0005.jpg
http://i950.photobucket.com/albums/ad347/kpagorek/DSC_0021.jpg
so cute!
Thank you so much for the tutorial…i’m so excited for next Halloween
I remember how excited Heidi was to make this costume years ago…and I am so glad you reinvigorated it with your adorable addition. (Wasn’t this last year?) SOOOO cute. I can’t wait to make stuff like this for my little girl.
LOVE THIS.
I luv these costume I would luv for you to make me one for my baby
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why many adults end in therapy and send their old folks to awful retirement houses…. hahahaha…. just kidding, as a 80′s girl who dressed up as Rainbow Brite for her 5th birthday party, all I can do is salute you, it was amazingly cute!!! ^-^
OMG I shall die of cuteness! So happy I found this now – plenty of time to convince my nearly two year old that she should join me in rainbow explosion happiness! Oh you don’t even know how happy you’ve made me!
Love Love Love this idea!!! My oldest daughter wants to be rainbow brite (but with sparkles) and now I’m thinking of making a similar twink costume for the baby.
Thank you so much for sharing – this is awesome!
It won’t let me pin this page onto Pinterest
It says that there are NO pinnable pictures on the page… However I love this idea!
Love this costume were did you get the tights
I absolutely LOVE this! What a fantastic costume idea! I am just tickled right now, this rocks!
Do you make the Twink costume for sale and if so how much do you charge?
As I said in the very first paragraph I don’t make this costume to sell. It would cost about $100 for my time and materials and most people are not willing to pay that for a Halloween costume for a baby. So I wrote the tutorial instead, so if anyone was interested they could make one themselves. If you don’t sew yourself you are welcome to send this tutorial to anyone who does sew who is willing to make one for you. But I don’t have time to sew custom projects. Good luck!
e.
I loved this idea and was able to make the twink costume for my daughter just by looking at your photos. I am a beginner at sewing and it turned out awesome. The rainbow brite costume i had help with, and together we were a hit.
Here is my version: http://pinterest.com/pin/279293614362289006/
I used ribbon for the belt and and old headband with antennas from the Target $1 section.
The pic of this sweet little thing is now my screensaver!
In your tutorial you mention that you put stuffing between the silky fleece and the lining fleece. Stuffing is not mentioned in the pattern. Did you stuff it lightly or pretty tight? I am trying to sew this for my daughter and granddaughter this year. It is an adorable idea for Holloween. Diane
I just used a little bit of stuffing in between the lining and the fluffy outer layer to make it a little rounder. So pretty lightly stuffed.
good luck, I hope you send me a pic of them, I’d love to see it!
e.
Did you sew your dress or just got lucky and found it? Because I absolutely LOVE this costume idea but I would rather not spend $40+ on my outfit. If I do not use this this year (she will only be four months at halloween) I will next year!
That being said, do you have any other cute mom/daughter costume ideas?
Making this costume right now! Actually making 2!
Almost finished!
How do I order one? Email me if you have time to sell me one before Halloween. I LOVE it!!
So so so cute!!
Is there anyway you can make me one before Halloween? If not do you know where I can buy one? I am not real crafty so I much rather buy it then trying to make it. I absolutely love it. Will you let me something asap Thanks so much!!!
Sorry disregard my previous post. I just read where you do not make the costume to sell. Thanks for posting tutorial I guess I will try to make it myself! Wish me luck!
this is amazing!! i´m gonna copy for me and my baby hehe.. you make my day! or i might say my first halloween with my newborn!!! thanks for this amazing & cutes idea
Hi there,
Love the tutorial, thank you. I’ve bought the pattern and will attempt it for my daughter this Halloween. Quick question: did you use any sort of stuffing to make the costume puffy? The directions only instruct for a fleece layer between the lining and outer fabric. Was this all you did to get the rounded, fluffy look for yours? Thanks. Laranoelle@hotmail.com
Oops, just saw your previous post about the stuffing…nevermind!!!
I did use some extra stuffing in mine. I used about half of what was in an old living room pillow. A small package of poly fill (about $3-$4 I think?) should be more than enough. Be sure to send me a picture, I’d love to see it!
e.
Thanks so much for this tutorial! I spent hours planning a Twink costume design and then looked on the internet for inspiration…only to have found that you had done EXACTLY what I spent hours planning, but with a pattern. THANK YOU for saving me from tons of trial and error! I made a few tweaks to the tutorial, but overall followed the same formula. It turned out so well and will go great with my daughter’s homemade Rainbow Brite costume:
Twink: http://i901.photobucket.com/albums/ac220/crys0904/Random/100_2722.jpg
RBB: http://i901.photobucket.com/albums/ac220/crys0904/Random/100_2262.jpg
Your pictures are great!!! Thanks for sending me a link. Seriously, so great (:
Crystal, the Rainbow Brite costume is amazing! I can’t believe this is homemade! I wish I knew how to make these things… and had a sewing machine. Just love them!
Thank you so much! It was my first self-drafted pattern, so I was pretty impressed with myself. My peacock feathers were all kinds of fluffed, lol!
I just wanted to thank you as well for the twink tutorial!! I made it and we got first place in the costume contest!! Thank you so much for sharing!!–Jaime
Thank you soooo much for this idea! So cute! I cheated a little when making this for my 7 month old. I bought a snowman bunting costume and converted it instead of using the pattern to create my own. Here are the links to a couple pictures of my girls in their costumes. http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/tiffbwood/Halloween%202012/HalloweenCostumes004.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j291/tiffbwood/Halloween%202012/HalloweenCostumes005.jpg
Hi,
It’s almost midnight (UK) and my house is covered in fluffy twink material! I’ve been working on this gorgeous little costume since 3 this afternoon with a half break to feed the family. I’ve no idea why I’m attempting to do this having not picked up a needle and thread since primary school, but just couldn’t resist! I’m a complete novice so have a few questions (0please don’t laugh!) How an earth do I sew the hat together?! I’m contemplating just going for gold and hoping it works out, but I’m low on material and don’t want to risk having a twink with no hood! Did you use a machine to sew everything together, or by hand? My husband has bought me a cute little machine earlier today (and has since been hiding in the den!) but I’m not sure again, what setting to use etc? And finally, I guess I need to stuff with filling before sewing the hem up after I’ve put the elastic in?
I love the costume so much and my 21 month old daughter will hopefully be wearing mommy’s version this Thurs at her preschool Halloween party. Thankyou for sharing it with us
Thank you so much for the great instructions. We are getting the best compliments and it wasn’t hard at all. Rainbow brite was my favorite character as a child, so when a cousin of mine saw this she said I had to do it.
Would love to send you our pictures but can’t figure out how to post them?
I have been admiring this idea for a few years. I wanted to do this last year, but my daughter was only 7 months old and wasn’t walking yet. I saved it for this year and even got my husband in on the act! I was Rainbow Brite, my daughter was Twink, and my husband was Murky Dismal, the villain. Here is a link to my blog to catch my tutorial and some pictures. http://cutetutes.blogspot.com/2012/10/rainbow-brite-family-costumes.html
Found this on Pinterest and went right to work! This Halloween, our little lady is Twink, mama is Rainbow Brite, and dad is the Starlite pony. Thank you so much for the inspiration! http://dl.dropbox.com/u/22350413/Twink%26RBB%26Starlite.jpg
I am in LOVE with your Twink costume! Rainbow Brite was my FAVORITE cartoon when I was little. I was Rainbow Brite back in 2004. When I have a child I am so doing this! Also, I have a Costume blog and you should totally submit your costumes! They rock!
creativecostumesrock.wordpress.com
Thank you so much for sharing your tutorial! You are so creative! I took advantage and made the same costumes for myself and my tot this year. I’m not sure people knew who we were, but my little one was especially cute nonetheless! Thanks!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR POSTING THIS TUTORIAL!! My daughter, who is almost 2, and I were Rainbow Brite and Twink this year (today) for Halloween and we got so many compliments! Her costume was so cute!!
Thank you! I loved it…Unfortunately, my daughter must have a big head… I did the smallest sized costume and even took it in a bit, and the largest sized hat and even added a couple inches and yet, it turned out a bit smaller than I wanted… but thank you!
http://rosannerobertson.blogspot.com/2012/11/trick-or-treating.html
Thank you so much for the tutorial. I made twink for my grand daughter and rainbow brite for my daughter. They were awesome at boo at the zoo and several parties. Thanks again.
Thank you for your inspiration! I had a blast being Rainbow Brite!
http://www.kissire.com/2012/12/rainbow-brite-and-twink/
Wow…. its amazing, your girl look amazingly beautiful! congrats
I saw your picture before but didn’t realise there was a tutorial too, thanks for sharing. the costume and your little one is adorable!
I’ve just made a rainbow brite costume for myself and found this while looking for an image to see what I may have forgotten. so pleased I came across this as now I can re-use the costume and dress up my little girl as my side kick for Halloween.
Wow what a fab mum you are!!! We over in Australia don’t celebrate Halloween…unfortunately:( And your photos made me melt!!! I wish we did! You’re so talented! How fun:) And you’re little one is delish:) well done on the costume.. looks absolutely ridiculously cute! I follow your facebook page which brings back memories from my childhood which I frantically search online for, so my little girl can hopefully cherish and enjoy as I did:)