Policeman Costume

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 why this costume is 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 navy blue windbreaker.

• Navy blue pants
• White collared shirt
• Square of gold felt
• 1 1/2 yards of navy blue canvas material
• Large gold buttons (about 10)
• Black boots
• Policeman hat
• Fake badge (for lapel)
• Fake wallet badge
• Plastic baton, handcuffs or other accessory found at costume shops

Policeman Jacket:
Take the 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. For strength and appearance, you can also stitch seams at the bottom of the jacket and the ends of the sleeves so that the threads in the canvas do not pull away.