DLTK's Holiday Crafts for Kids
No Sew Cloaks

If you use fleece, you don't need a sewing machine as you don't need to hem (yay!).

If you don't want to use fleece, then when you're at the fabric store, ask for a material that doesn't fray easily and you won't need to hem (yay again!)

I use fleece as it's nice and warm -- we live where it's cold (yay Canada!).  You could use this pattern with any material.

With this cape, you could be:  a princess, a vampire, little red ridinghood, a witch, a queen, a superhero.

A cute idea:  Kyla's grandma wrote in that she made her granddaughter's favorite doll a matching doll cape!  Just follow the same directions using some of the scraps from the child's cape.  What a wonderful idea!!

• Buy a square piece of fabric (the square should be twice the length you want your cape to be -- measure from your child's shoulders to an inch or two above the ground -- make sure you don't make it too long!) 
• 
  blue dot is center corner
  Fold it into quarters.  One of the corners will be the center of your material' figure out which this is!! We'll call it the CENTER CORNER
• Measure a string the length of one side, tie a pen or chalk (I use sidewalk chalk) to one end and hold the other end at the top of the CENTER CORNER.  Use your string to mark a quarter circle.
• Cut off the bottom along your chalk marking (if you opened it up now you'd have a big circle of fabric)
• Cut up ONE of the folds right up to the CENTER CORNER' this will make an opening. -- be careful not to cut two folds!
• Make another quarter circle mark about 2 inches from the CENTER CORNER and cut off the CENTER CORNER along this quarter circle (this will be the neck).
• Open it up and drape it over the child.
• You can hem the edges or use fusible hem (you just iron it and the hem sticks) or just leave it unhemmed (depending on the material you're using' the fleece stuff doesn't fray).
• Hot glue or hand sew (it's only about 6 stitches!) a thick ribbon or velcro on each side of the opening so you can tie it closed.
• Decorate your cloak as desired (you can sew or hot glue fake fur on the edges, kids can glue on jewels, use fabric paint or reflective tape).

Printable version of these instructions