Sock Monkey Costume

Materials:

3 matching sweaters (a size or two bigger than person wearing the suit)
3 white knit scarves
2 white knit hats
2 pair white knit mittens
needle and thread (white and color to match sweaters)
sheet of 1" thick upholstery foam
two 8-1/2" x 11" sheets of red felt
8-1/2" x 11" sheet of black felt
long heavy-duty zipper (color to match sweaters)
pieces of black pantyhose
aluminum armature wire
polyfill or batting to fill tail
glue gun and glue sticks
sewing machine
scissors

1. Cut upholstery foam:

• Cut a 40" x 20" rectangle for the head.
• Cut two 8-inch half circles with 2" x 4" tabs on the flat side for the ears.
• Cut a 10" x 14" oval for the mouth.

2. Glue the short ends of the rectangle (head) together into a foam tube, keeping the glue seam to the back (figure A).

3. Cut out 8 to 12, 6-inch deep "V's" from the top of the tube to resemble a crown (figure B). Push the points of the crown toward each other and hot glue together to form the round top of the head (figure C).

4. Turn the head upside down and cut a 6 inch deep "V" out of the front and back and glue together to form the chin and the back of the head. Trim a little off the sides on the bottom to make the head fit over the shoulders a little better (figure D).

5. Cut a 6-inch slice in the oval foam down the middle lengthwise to create the mouth (figure E), leaving it connected at the ends. Cut a 3-inch deep "V" from the top and bottom and ends and glue.

6. Cover the mouth with the white knit hat, trim and glue (figure F).

7. Use the mouth to measure where to carve a hole in the head for the mouth and the eyes and cut them out (figure G).

8. Cover the head with the material from one of the sweaters (figure H), using some of the scrap to also cover the ears.

9. Glue the mouth over the opening on the head.

10. Stretch out the other knit hat and put it over the top of the head as a hat piece.