This week I took a much welcome break from the heat and humidity with my kids to try my hand at the easy DIY superhero capes that Jenn featured on our site last week. So as part of our fun collaboration with Martha Stewart and their Savor Summer Project, and our theme of “Play,” I’m sharing my results with you – the good, the bad, and the super.
Remember to get going with a cool summer craft that inspires play, and tag Cool Mom Picks and Martha Stewart with the results, using the hashtag #SavorSummer. That way we can both feature our favorites! Details below.
Two tiny crafters very excited to get their crafty on. And photobomb for Mom. Both equally important.
First, let me tell you, I’m no Martha. But even though I’m not the craftiest mom, this project was such a wonderful way to spend time with my kids. (Especially when they can actually do some of the work and I don’t just sit there doing it all then saying “good job, Honey!”) And that’s really the point of the #SavorSummer project – to shake us out of our routines and get us playing more. So went all in. Even glitter.
(Okay, there was no glitter involved in this project but I would have totally done glitter. Maybe.)
The best part about this superhero cape craft is that the final result is something your kids can immediately wear and play with. Or at least that’s what they would tell you.
See, they’re just so excited to craft they don’t care that there’s no glitter
To get started, I popped over to my local craft store for everything I needed for the DIY superhero capes, and away we went. Especially easy because this DIY calls for old t-shirts, not a sewing pattern. I grabbed large men’s t-shirts at the shop, but you can just as easily make these with old tees you’ve got laying around your house, making this a really affordable craft too.
I admit that instead of printing out stencils to make the designs perfect, I just drew a heart and “M” (for my daughter Margot) freehand. I’m crazy like that.
Rather than using a hot glue gun, I chose to use fabric glue, which actually worked well since this gave my kids something to do. A five-year old with blazing hot glue? Yeah, not so much.
I will say that if you’re going to go this route, make sure you spread the glue evenly over the felt ,which will make it much easier to attach to the t-shirt. I learned the hard way the first time around when we just lined the outside of the applique.
Please ignore the chipped nail polish.
Tip: Don’t be afraid to cut the cape to your child’s desired length. Margot specifically wanted hers to be much shorter than Bridgette’s, which makes it easier for her to fight imaginary bad guys without the cape dragging on the ground. And she was right.
Overall, I think the capes turned out fabulously. At least, I had no complaints from the little superheroes. So I’ll chalk that up to success!
Now it’s your turn: Give our DIY Superhero cape tutorial a try and share it on Instagram, Pinterest, or your favorite social media outlet (or hey, all of them) using #SavorSummer and tag @coolmompicks and @MarthaStewart so we can find them!
Or, try a different craft that inspires summer play and tag us, because we’d love to feature our favorites in our post next week right here on Cool Mom Picks.
And make sure to check out that hashtag for lots of inspiring summer crafts and projects and visit the Savor Summer page at Martha Stewart which is packed with lots of cool craft ideas because, uh hello, it’s Martha!
