What age group is this costume for?
Preschool and Younger
Elementary School

Estimated time required to make this costume:
2 DAYS

Difficulty level:
Almost as easy - some sewing

Items you will need: (Hit your return key to start a new line)
DARK GREEN SWEATPANTS
BLACK HOODED SWEATSHIRT
VERY LARGE LATEX BALLOON, 30-INCH AVAILABLE AT PARTY STORES
LG ROLL OF ORANGE CRAPE PAPER
BLACK TWINE
BLACK FELT - TWO SHEETS
PINK FELT - ONE SHEET
NEWSPAPERS
FLOUR
2 BOTTLES OF GLUE - ELMERS IS FINE
WATER
4 BLACK PIPE CLEANERS
GREEN CONSTRUCTION PAPER
(INSTEAD OF FLOUR AND ONE BOTTLE OF GLUE YOU CAN PURCHASE PAPER MACHE MIX AT A CRAFT STORE)

Instructions:
BLOW THE BALLOON UP LARGE ENOUGH TO FIT AROUND CHILD'S HIPS. MIX FLOUR, 4 CUPS, WITH BOTTLE OF GLUE. ADD WATER UNTIL PASTY. CUT NEWSPAPER INTO 2 INCH STRIPS LONG ENOUGH TO REACH FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF BALLOON. RUN STRIPS THROUGH THE PASTE AND PLACE ON BALLOON VERTICALLY. COMPLETELY COVER BALLOON (MAY LEAVE 8 INCH HOLE AT TOP AND 12 INCH HOLE ON BOTTOM UNCOVERED). REPEAT WITH PAPER HORIZONTALLY, THEN VERTICALLY AGAIN. LET DRY COMPLETELY BY PLACING IN DRY, WARM ROOM ON TOP OF MORE NEWSPAPER. DO NOT PLACE NEAR HEAT SOURCE AS IT MAY POP BALLOON. WHEN COMPLETELY DRY (1-3 DAYS), POP BALLON. GLUE STRIPS OF ORANGE CRAPE PAPER VERTICALLY ON THE PUMPKIN PART. CUT OUT EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH FROM ONE BLACK FELT PIECE AND GLUE ON. ATTACH TWINE TO THE PUMPKIN TO MAKE SUSPENDERS (DUCT TAPE ALSO WORKS WELL).
FOR THE CAT PART, CUT TWO
2-INCH LONG BLACK TRIANGLES AND TWO 1 1/2 INCH PINK TRIANGLES. GLUE TOGETHER AND SEW TO TOP OF HOOD. WIND THE 4 PIPE CLEANERS AROUND EACH OTHER AND POKE THRU THE BACK OF PUMPKIN. TAPE ON INSIDE FOR TAIL. ADORN THE SWEAT PANTS WITH GREEN PAPER LEAVES ATTACHED TO SOME TWINE.

Other information to consider:
THE CHILD WILL BE UNABLE TO SIT WHILE WEARING PUMPKIN BUT IT CAN BE REMOVED. ALWAYS STEP INTO PUMPKIN -- DO NOT PULL OVER HEAD. THE SIZE OF THE HOLES MAY NEED TO BE ENLARGED FOR A BIGGER CHILD. ONE GOOD THING IS THE PUMPKIN BECOMES A DECORATION FOR THE HALLOWEENS TO COME! AND YOUR CHILD WILL LOVE HELPING APPLY THE NEWSPAPER. MINE WAS 2 1/2 AT THE TIME WE MADE IT.