Lay the pillowcase flat and trace the desired shape with a pencil before cutting. Center the half-moon along the edge. For a young child, the half-moon should be about 6 inches (15 cm) long by 3 inches (7. 5 cm) tall. For an adult or older child, measure the width of the wearer’s neck to determine how long the neckline needs to be. You can use a flat, round object, such as a plate, to trace the half-moon or half-circle. Ask the intended wearer to slip the pillowcase on over his or her head. If the wearer’s head cannot fit through the neckline, make it a little larger and try again. If you want to save time, use a tan or brown t-shirt instead of a pillowcase. This will save you the effort of creating necklines and armholes, but you will need to cut the sleeves off of the shirt before proceeding.
The armholes should be evenly positioned and approximately 1 to 2 inches (2. 5 to 5 cm) down from the top of the pillowcase. For a young child, the half-moon shapes should be about 3 inches (7. 5 cm) long and 1/2-inch (1. 25-cm) wide. For an adult or older child, measure the thickest part of the upper arm to determine how long the hole needs to be. Instruct the intended wearer to slip the pillowcase on. If his or her arms do not fit through the holes, make the holes bigger.
You can also glue small strips of store-bought fringe around the arm holes.
If the pillowcase extends below the mid-calf, trim it with scissors. Otherwise, your child may trip over it.
Be sure to make slits around the entire open bottom of the pillowcase so the fringe spans the entire hem of the tunic.
Attach the fringe by applying the fabric glue to the non-fringed portion of the fabric strip. The fringes should face down and away from the neck rather than up and over it.
For a simple look, decorate the open bottom of the pillowcase with a row of upside-down triangles. Place the row about 4 inches (10 cm) from the open end, and space the triangles about 1-inch (2. 5 cm) apart from one another. Give your tunic more color by adding a row of right-side-up triangles above your first row of upside-down triangles. Use a second triangle-shaped sponge and a different paint color. Make sure to position each right-side-up triangle between two upside-down triangles. Whatever pattern you choose, repeat it on both sides of the pillowcase. Be sure that the first side is dry before decorating the second, though.
If desired, you can slim the pants by having the intended wearer try them on and pinning along the sides to desired tightness. Turn the pants inside out and sew along the pin-line. Finally, cut off the excess material and turn the pants right-side-out again.
The strips should be about 1. 5 inches (3. 8-cm) wide. If you’re short on time, you can also use store-bought fringe.
Glue or sew along the 1/2-inch (1. 25-cm) wide section of the band that does not have fringe on it, and apply it over the side seam on each pants leg. If you prefer to wear a skirt with your costume, add the fringe all along the hem of a brown or tan skirt instead.
If you do not expect to walk through mud puddles, you can also wear moccasin-style slippers. Simple brown sandals could also work as long as they are not embellished with other decorations.
If you cannot find a brown wrap-around headband, cut a strip of stretchy brown fabric that is long enough to fit around the wearer’s head and add an extra 1-inch (2. 5-cm) to the length. Loop the strip of fabric around to create a band, using fabric glue or hot glue to secure the extra 1-inch (2. 5-cm) of fabric over the other end of the band. If you want to give your headband extra flair, decorate it with wooden beads, colorful seed beads, or craft paint.
A fringed leather belt can add an attractive touch to your costume too.
If you want the shirt to stand out, use gem glue to add decorative craft gems to the neckline and bottom hem of the tee.
Choose a bold color for your fabric. Jewel tones, such as emerald, ruby, or sapphire, are attractive shade options for a sari.
When you tuck the fabric into your waistband, the hem should cover your feet but rest above the floor. Aim for approximately 7 to 10 pleats when you’re tucking in the fabric. The pleats should fall straight and point to your left. When you drape the remaining length of fabric over you, it should be somewhere between knee-length and floor-length. If you’re worried about your sari coming loose, secure it in place with pins. Compliment your sari with gold or silver bangle bracelets, gold or silver hoop earrings, and flat sandals.
