DIY Superhero Cape!

With San Diego Comic Con approaching, we wanted to share a fun way to become a superhero at home. Using only a T-shirt and the help of an adult, kids can design and create their very own superhero cape! This no-sew tutorial will give you the simplest way to transform into a crime-fighting hero in only 5 minutes. You can make this cape not only for Superhero Summer at the Museum, but for fighting crime around the house or for a cost-effective Halloween costume!

What you will need:
Large Cotton T-Shirt
Scissors
Velcro Strips

1. Lay the shirt front down on a tabletop and smooth out the fabric as straight as possible. Using a ruler,  draw a line from the bottom right corner of the T-shirt up to the right corner of the neck hem. Repeat this on the left side of the shirt.

2. With your scissors, cut the lines that you have drawn on the shirt. The cotton of the T-shirt shouldn’t fray, but roll underneath the cape fabric instead – no need to sew the material!

3. Cut around the neck of the T-shirt, leaving about half of an inch around the hem.

4. To avoid dangerous scenarios, cut the middle of the collar of the shirt, cutting away about an extra inch or two from the neck hem. Attach the self-adhesive velcro to either side of the collar so that you can attach (and remove) the new cape simply by pressing the ends together. It might be more secure to sew these velcro pieces onto the cape so that the hero can wear their new accessory time and time again.

5. Now you can decorate your cape with whatever logo or emblem that suits your hero best. Using felt material, fabric markers, or rhinestones, create a design on the back of the cape to let every villain know who is flying around and stopping crime!

Members, be sure to wear your new cape at the Members Only Hullabaloo Superhero Concert on July 30th or at our Superheroes’ Night Out family party (presented by Honda) on August 12th! We can’t wait to see all of you superheroes singing, dancing, and flying around the Museum!