Halloween DIY: Three Musketeers Costume

My boys have been enamored with the Musketeers since they were in preschool. (We made simple Musketeer costumes for their 4th birthday party.) After reading modified versions of Alexandre Dumas’ book, The Three Musketeers and watching the updated witty action film, The Three Musketeers (1993) starring Charlie Sheen, Kiefer Sutherland, Oliver Platt, Chris O’Donnell, Tim Curry, Rebecca De Mornay and Julie Delpy, my boys still love this adventure.

We made these updated Musketeer costumes last year for Halloween. The boys wore them again for “Dress as your Favorite Storybook Character Day” during Reading Week at school. Love when costumes live on.

Getting started

We researched online to find a photo of a Musketeer.

I made a sketch of how we could adapt the authentic outfit into something we could make easily. We searched the house for things we already owned and bought the rest of the supplies at the fabric store and thrift shop.

Supplies

• silver duct tape
• blue felt (for smock)
• brown felt (for boots)
• white shirt (found in girl’s section of thrift shop)
• brown fleece (for cape)
• ribbon (to attach cape)
• khaki pants
• scissors
• needle and thread
• chalk
• yardstick
• safety pins

optional: sword, hat (bought at party supply store) and plume feather (bought at Michael’s Craft Store)

How To

• Use yardstick to measure child from shoulder to thigh.
• Fold blue felt in half. Use chalk to trace shape of smock. (To avoid sewing, use fold line for shoulders and head opening.)
• Cut out smock. Cut small opening in fold for head.
• Use silver duct tape for center cross and edging.
• Optional: Cut out flaps from blue felt to cover arms. Stitch into shoulder section of smock.
• Cut out rectangles from brown felt and safety pin around child’s leg under knees leaving 3-4′ of felt on top to fold over for top of boot.
• Safety pin or sew ribbon to brown fleece for cape.
• Get dressed.

All for one and one for all!