My son loves animals. But usually not things like dogs and cats. More like Bengal Tigers (cause they can swim), Pumas, Snow Geese and, wait for it… Flying Squirrels. One day he came up to me and said, “Mum, can you make me a flying squirrel costume?” I thought about it and decided I could. While my sewing skills are not phenomenal I have taken lessons from a lovely woman named Gloria who taught me enough to make a passable flying squirrel costume. I started talking to him about how and when we could make it. “No,” he said. “Now.”

“Ummm…,” more thinking; racking my brain. “Sure.”

Off we went to the baby’s room, got a little used receiving blanket and headed to the sewing machine. With a few stitches of elastic onto blanket we were done! There was a great deal of imagination needed on my part, but my son thought it was perfect. He played with it for hours and still uses it, a year later.

Supplies:

• Receiving blanket (or a small sheet, towel, etc. Basically it needs to fit your child’s wing span)
• Needle and thread or sewing machine
• Fabric elastic

Instructions:

1. Measure the elastic to fit from the blanket, around your child’s middle finger, and back around to the blanket, with enough space to stitch it into place. Cut.
2. Sew the elastic loop to the top corner of the blanket, repeat with the other top corner. I used my sewing machine for this step, but only because it was already set up. It would be sufficiently effective to use a needle and thread. 
3. That’s it! Thread child’s middle finger through the blanket with the blanket behind them like a cape. Warn them that they can’t really jump out of the tree!

Did your child like this? Post a pic! I’d love to see it!