This DIY Frodo Costume will make your heart swoon when you see your little hobbit. Kids make for the best hobbits. My son absolutely loves his DIY Frodo costume. Doesn’t he look stinkin’ adorable??? My kids LOVE Lord of the Rings even though they have never seen the movie. My oldest has read the book and we are working on watching Fellowship of the Rings with him. But because Dad likes to show You Tube clips and we have a Lord of the Rings chess set the kids chose Lord of the Rings for our family theme. In case you missed our DIY Gollum costume you might want to pop over and take a look. Whether you think my kids are super cool for wanted to dress up like Lord of the Rings or super nerdy, you will love these pictures.
Yoda was the perfect pick for Frodo. He’s smaller for his age and he has a good heart! A little lover for sure! We told him that he is the most important person in the whole series. He loves wearing his ring and turning “invisible”. And even though we have a long time until he can read this book, let alone watch it, I am glad that he is developing a love for literary characters. And being the youngest of three boys he is always interested in what his older brothers love. Right now he his favorite library picks are Pigeon Books and Scaredy Squirrel.
My husband is thrilled with our Halloween Theme this year. He loves sharing his love for his favorite books with our kids. And not just our sons. Just wait until I post our daughter’s costume!!! No surprise I am running behind on my sewing this year. But I wanted to share this simple costume idea in case any of my readers needed a Halloween Costume idea for their child or baby.
And his sword Sting will be perfect for Trick or Treating! I heard Orcs really like Reese’s. And everyone knows, those are for mom. The little details on this DIY Frodo costume really make it! Okay, enough pictures, on to the tutorial…
DIY Frodo Costume
Materials needed:
- Green felt
- Brown material
- Cream material
- Buttons
- Hook and eye
- Leaf Clip
- One Ring to Rule them All
- Thread
- Sewing machine
- Elastic
- Plastic Sword
I started with some brown shorts. Your kid might already have a pair. But if not they are easy to make with a little elastic. You can click over to my DIY Alexander Hamilton Costume to see the instructions. The next thing to make is your vest. And Although Hamilton also wears a vest the cut is a little different.
I like to grab a shirt from my son to use as a pattern. I tuck in the sleeves to make it easier. Frodo has a higher neckline and the bottom is square. I use chalk and then cut two pieces for my vest. Then I flip those pieces over, mirrored, and cut another two pieces out. I then lay those pieces of a single layer of fabric to cut the back of my vest. I used Pinking Shears for the back piece to not have to hem the edges.
Attach your two matching pieces to each other and sew them, with right sides together. Leave enough to turn it out. I like to start on the side that will be attached to the back of the vest. Repeat with the other side. Turn them out and press them. Then attach to the back piece on the sides and on top, leaving the arm holes open. I used an eye and hook to attach them at the top and sewed on buttons for decor. You could actually attach the button properly, but I am making 6 Halloween Costumes and I don’t have time for that.. 😉
You can use a church shirt or you could check out how to make this shirt yourself by clicking over to my Han Solo Costume from last year’s Return of the Jedi Family Theme. The best part is I used an old sheet. I love saving money and it reminds me it’s okay to hoard fabric.
The Cloak really makes the costume!!! I wish I would have just ordered these adorable clips, but I lucked out and found a leaf button. To make your cloak (the most expensive part of the costume) you need some felt or wool if you have a bigger budget. I cut out a half circle for my cloak. Just remember to cut out another smaller half circle where it will go around his neck. I measured his height and where I wanted to his cloak to land. Luckily felt length is usually longer on the bolt. You may even wait to cut your smaller circle after you try it on your child.
I then cut out a hood to attach to his cloak. You can create a square and cut it on a fold. Sew it together and then turn it out. Attach it to your cloak, matching right sides. Totally spaced on getting a picture of this! If you have a square, you want two sides stitched together, one side attached to your cloak, and one side open for your face. Attach am hook and eye. But to give it that Elven Cloak look you also want to attach a leaf pin. It’s probably cheaper. Or you can pick up a leaf button. I painted mine green.
And you have an adorable little hobbit! But if you are going as Frodo you need to order a ring and pick up a small plastic sword. My son insists. They really make the costume.
And if you need some help to get this Hobbit Hair, I would recommend growing it out. We started in the summer (we pick our costumes at least 9 months in advance) and honestly it’s been driving my crazy. Did I mention I’m also a hairdresser? But it’s all worth it to get those little hobbit curls. I went ahead and rolled his hair with gel and perm rods. Sponge rollers would also do. Let them dry and fluff them up. If you are in a pinch for time you could use a curing iron or flat iron just to get some bend in their hair. He was not a fan of going under the dryer. I told him girls have it a lot worse. And then I let him play some games on my phone.
There you have it!!! An easy DIY Frodo costume for your child, or yourself. He’s going to look so cute running around the neighborhood as Frodo Baggins. And it is quite possible that kids his age won’t have the slightest idea, but he’s a confident kid. He will be able to tell them. And if you haven’t read the books (guilty!) or seen the movies I would suggest you at least check out the movie. Frodo is a hobbit, a race smaller than humans. But he has the courage and goodness that middle earth needs. Remember that “even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”
Thanks for reading!!! Be sure to follow along on social media with us by clicking our social buttons. And if you would like to read about more ways you can encourage your child to read check out this post. Or check out our past Halloween Family Themed Costumes.
What was your favorite part of Yoda’s costume??? Leave a comment below.
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