Total Time Needed: Afternoon Or Evening
Expect a rousing a response when your child heads out in this colorful number.
Materials
- Red top (turtleneck, sweatshirt, or sweater)
- Red skirt
- Socks
- Sneakers
- Pom poms (often available at party supply stores)
- White and blue duct tape (about 2" wide)
- Red, white, and blue plastic or electrical tape (about 3/4" wide)
- White felt (1/2 yard)
- White and blue yarn (about 90 yards each)
- Cardboard square (4" x 4")
- Adhesive Velcro strips (about 10")
- Double-sided foam mounting tape
- Posterboard sheet (usually about 22" x 28")
Instructions
To make two-piece felt bib, first determine its size as it corresponds to Cheerleader's shirt. Bib width should match (or be a little less than) the distance between sleeve seams on shirt. Bib length: each half of bib should be long enough to curve over child's shoulders and extend down to about 3" above child's waist (this can vary).
Cut out a curved collar or neckline from the top edge of bib. The curve should be about 4" deep in the center. Now the bib shape will look like a tank top.
Starting about 4 1/2" up from the bottom edge. Cut bib down to a centered point, so the bottom of the bib is triangle-shaped.
Test bib size by draping it over your child's shoulders. Trim if needed. If it fits correctly, trace bib shape onto felt to cut out a second identical piece.
Apply wide blue duct tape across bottoms of both bib halves. Trim edges. Apply narrow white tape through middle of blue tape. Trim.
Trim pieces of red and blue plastic tape to spell out U-S-A. Affix letters to front bib piece.
Apply a few (3-4) strip of double-sided tape to undersides of each bib half (to keep them from moving around to much when they're worn).
Affix 4-5" corresponding Velcro strips to shoulder straps of both bib pieces. Stick one set of Velcro to underside of front bib piece and the other set of Velcro to the top side of back bib half.
To wear bib, first remove backing from double-sided tape on both pieces. Drape back half over child's shoulders (so Velcro strips are facing up) and press double-sided tape onto shirt. Then drape front bib half over shoulders. Press Velcro strips together to keep shoulder straps in place.
Apply wide blue, then narrow white tape across bottom edge of skirt.
Make four pom poms. Start with one strand each of white and blue yarn. Hold each in your hand, and wrap them about 70 times around cardboard square (not too tightly). Carefully slide the looped yarn off of the cardboard. Lay the looped yarn over two 12" pieces of blue and white yarn. Tightly knot the 12" pieces around the middle of the loops, so yarn loops stick out above and below the knot. Use scissors to cut open all the loops (but take care not to cut off the tips of the 12" strands -- you will use those to tie each pom pom around your ponytail, or onto your shoelaces). This should result in one pom pom. Trim if needed. Make 1-3 more.
Cut a large semi-circle (diameter 28") out of the posterboard sheet. Roll it into a funnel shape. Use wide duct tape to keep paper edge in place. Cut an 8" strip of duct tape and fold it in half lengthwise, to create an 8" long plastic strip. Tape this onto megaphone to make a handle.
Use narrow plastic tape to spell U-S-A, and stick it onto the megaphone.
Crafts
