DIY Star Wars Costumes for Halloween Rey and Baby Yoda
My dog, Peanut, and I decided to go for DIY Star Wars themed costumes this year! In this tutorial, I will show you how to make a Rey and Baby Yoda costume that is very easy and affordable. I thrifted many of the items used in the costumes. Let’s get started.
Tools and materials:
- White tank top
- Beige capris
- 2 brown leather belts, one fitted and one loose
- Philips screwdriver
- awl
- Tan fabric for sash
- Plain, white t-shirt (for arm wraps)
- Beige skirt (for baby Yoda costume)
- Tan towel (for baby Yoda costume)
- Seam ripper
- Fabric scissors
- Washable marker
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Rotary blade
- Yard stick
- Iron
- Twine fabric
Rey costume: Making the sash
Buy a large, beige colored, cotton fabric, keeping in mind your height when deciding what length you will need. Ultimately, the sash is just one, continuous piece. Center the fabric around your shoulders, then cross in front of your chest. You could even use old curtains or a flat bed sheet.
Making the belts
Using one of the belts, measure around your waist and add a hole if necessary, so that it fits snuggly. You can use a screwdriver and an awl to make the extra hole. Later, I will show you how to put them on and connect them.
Making the Arm Wraps
1. Prep your fabric
All you need is a basic, white T. If yours has a pocket, tear it off with a seam ripper.
2. Cut a continuous strip
Start at the bottom of the T, cutting through one panel at a time, and cut a continuous strip, until the fabric runs out, roughly 2-3” wide.
3. Halve the strip
Cut your long strip in half, and now you have 2 arm wraps. I’ll show you what to do with them later.
Baby Yoda costume
1. Make the collar
Measure your dog’s neck. Draw a rectangular strip from the tan towel using an erasable marker and cut it out. Make sure it will be long enough to go around your dog’s neck.
Then, fold the piece in half and sew along the outer edges and sew the short sides closed. I used a sewing machine since it’s faster and easier to go through the thick, terry cloth fabric.
2. Make the jacket
This process might require some trial and error. Since this will really be more like a cape, it should be relatively simple, even if you’ve never made a dog costume before. First, fold the khaki skirt in half and cut off the top portion:
Now it’s time to sew the top closed. Leave about a 1/2“ hem.
Pin the collar to the top of the cape, then sew it on.
Now try the cape on your dog. You might need to make some minor alterations if it seems too bulky in some areas. Notice whether or not your dog can walk comfortably.
This is the final shape that fit my dog:
Before cutting off the excess fabric (with a yardstick and rotary blade), I had to temporarily detach the collar.
Then, turn the fabric’s right sides together and sew along the edges, leaving an opening at the bottom.
To finish off the cape, turn it right-side out and iron the edges.
I also grabbed some extra fabric to create a tie so that I could tie the cape like a robe around my dog’s stomach. Here is the tie:
Finally, sew the collar back on the top of the cape.
How to wear the elements of each costume
1. Base layers
Put on your white tank top and beige capris.
2. Sash and belt
Next, drape the sash on your body and put on the smaller belt so that the buckle is at your hip, tucking the end underneath.
Next, take the looser belt and place it below the first belt, positioning the buckle on the same side as the other belt.
Cover up the buckles with a scrap of brown fabric. Also, this will attach the two belts together.
For an added detail, cover that with some twine-like ribbon.
3. Hair and inspiration from indigenous people
It seems to me that the makers of Star Wars got their inspiration from indigenous people for their characters.
For example, Princess Leia's double bun hairstyle is very similar to that of the Hopi's traditional, squash blossom hairstyle. Rey's triple bun hairstyle is very similar to that of the Navajo bun, which I decided to wear here:
4. Arm wraps
Don’t forget to wrap your arms with the white strips you made earlier. I had my mom help wrap my arms, which also brought up memories of her helping me wrap my moccasins.
The last connection with indigenous people is that in the recent Star Wars series, many indigenous people have claimed baby Yoda to be one of their own, relating him to our native youth today with memes and artwork.
DIY Star Wars costumes
Here’s a full look for the Rey costume:
And baby Yoda:
I hope you were inspired to make your own Rey from Star Wars costume. Show us in the comments below!
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Too cute!
This was great! You did an awesome job on your and Peanut’s outfit! And I loved how you tied it all together with indigenous people. Bravo!