Superhero Capes {Creative Gifting}

I made these reversible superhero capes for my kiddos last year with the help from this Free Superhero Cape Tutorial by Georgia Leigh Designs.

It is a really easy project to do and cost me under $3.50 per cape to put together. Perfect for a beginner sewer (yourself or an older child) and the kids love theirs. I loved how I could personalize it any way I wanted. Georgia does a great job on breaking down the instructions on her tutorial and even includes some templates for the Superman and Batman appliques. She even sells the pattern (I bought it for less than $5 last year) in her Etsy store so you do not have to make any guesses on the sizes/shapeof the cape and has templates for many other appliques…i.e. letters, shapes, Super Y, etc. (If you do not see the pattern in her store, just email her). This will make a perfect gift, Halloween costume or a great addition to any child’s dress up clothes. Seriously, it really is easy!

Here are my versions and variations:

For my daughter’s cape I used Georgia’s Superman applique and then I created the SUU T-Bird the same way I did the applique for the Pirate T-Shirt Tutorial and similar to Georgia’s instructions, but just a few more layers. I found the SUU Thunderbird logo online, copied it into word so I could enlarge it (and reversed it), and then printed it out (and yes, it was a little pixilated, but I had the basic outline I needed). Then I traced the main layers, ironed them on one layer at a time and once completed secured each layer/section with a zigzag stitch to the cape. So the purple layer is across the entire back of the bird, then the dark pink on top, then the light pink/yellow and then another layer of dark pink, then purple for the “SUU”. It is a lot of layers, but totally worth it! I think it turned out really cute and it is the side my daughter loves to show off the most! This cape was her Christmas present last year.

For my son’s cape, I used Georgia’s Batman applique and then again I created the Thor Helmet applique the same way I did the Pirate T-Shirt applique (thanks again, to my mom’s ability to sketch and scan it to me). I wanted to create a Thor logo for my son and looked a lot online, but could not find anything that did not include the mallet. I was a bit afraid to go put a mallet on this boy’s superhero cape for fear what he would interpret his powers to be! lol So the helmet with wings was the choice and I think it looks pretty good. The helmet overlaps the wings just a little bit. My son actually prefers the Batman side most of the time. I think red just isn’t his first preference!  I made this cape for his Batman costume for Halloween.

Tips and Suggestions:

• Make sure you use something like a think paper towel to put between your iron and the felt when using the Heat n Bond Lite. I got a little of the adhesive on my iron and it started sticking to all the felt and I have not been able to get the color off of it since. No bueno! It is not my craft iron only! 🙂
• I used Iron on velcro to fasten the cape at the neck. It was awesome for getting it to line up just right, but I do recommend doing a quick stitch around or through it to secure it on. It is really easy to do once it is ironed on!  The iron on velcro came off of my daughter’s cape and I have yet to fix it. So do it first, while you have your sewing machine out, so you do not forget, like me, later!
• Enjoy it! I just love the feeling that one of their favorite things to pretend with is something I made for them!

I have yet to get a totally awesome picture in their capes, because they are always too busy playing to stand still!

I am linking to these parties!