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Zelda Link Costume
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
As Halloween grows closer, the big question in every child’s mind are how much candy will they get and what should they be for Halloween! The choices are endless but they only get to choose one costume and they want it to be the perfect one. My son decided months ago that he wanted to be Link from Zelda for Halloween this year. He’s been showing me pictures of what Link looks like and reminding me ever since he decided.
For the most part, I prefer putting together a costume with my children rather than buying a premade one because it will last longer and be more comfortable. This year my son’s costume is a mix of store bought and handmade items. The store bought or preowned part of the costume include khaki pants, sword, brown shoes, gray undershirt and 2 brown belts. I made the hat, tunic, gloves, boots, shield and arm guards.
Supplies:
2 extra large boy’s green shirt
secondhand brown leather jacket
secondhand small leather gloves
foam board
elastic
hot glue gun
thin, stiff plastic
sewing machine
thread scissors
craft knife
printer
glue
First, I cut off the collar and buttons from one of the green shirts so that it became the tunic.
I cut the second green shirt along the side seams to make 2 large rectangles of fabric. From the rectangles, I cut 2 large triangles, which I sewed together to make a pointed hat. I cut a long, narrow rectangle from the left over green fabric and sewed the short ends together to make a headband. I sewed the headband to the opening of the hat.
Next, I worked on making leather “boots,” which are actually more like leather leg warmers. I cut the arms off of a secondhand brown leather jacket, removing the buttons and lining. I cut a small slit up from the bottom of the leather sleeve and cut the top straight across.
To wear the boots, my son slid the prepared leather sleeve over his pant legs and then put on a pair of brown shoes. We pulled the leather sleeve down so that it covered the laces of his shoes. The slit is in the back and makes it possible for the leather to fit over the shoe. We folded the top of the leather sleeve down to make the upper cuff of the boot.
I cut the fingers off of a pair of secondhand leather gloves. Then, I sewed a piece of blue leather to the top of each glove to make a blue cuff. This step is optional, but since I had some blue leather on hand, my son really wanted me to add it.
I made the basic shield with photo editing software by starting from a coloring sheet I found online. Then, I cropped the image into 4 sections and printed the shield sections on 4 separate full-size pieces of paper. I cut out the shield sections and glued them to a piece of foam core. Using a craft knife, I cut out the shield. Next, I hot-glued a piece of elastic to the back of the shield for a handle. For added security, I hot glued a square of foam board over each end.
To make the arm guards, I cut 4 pieces of leather in an arm guard shape. I wanted the arm guards to be stiff, so I cut out pieces of thin plastic from a folder that were slightly smaller than the leather pieces. I laid 2 strips of elastic on a piece of newspaper and topped them with one piece of leather. On top of the leather, I layered one of the pieces of plastic. I drew up the elastic ends, and hot-glued them to the plastic. Then, I hot glued the final leather piece over the plastic. This process made it so that there are 2 elastic bands to hold the leather arm guard in place. I repeated the process for the second arm guard.
My son is very happy with his costume and can’t wait to wear it to school for the fall party. Now, I need to figure out some fall treats and crafts to make!
pruttybird says
I follow on pinterest 🙂
pruttybird at comcast dot net
pruttybird says
I don’t really have a favorite Halloween costume as I haven’t dressed up in years 🙂 and my kids are way beyond that too 🙁
pruttybird at comcast dot net
Teresa says
Love your costume, especially the boots you made. What a clever idea. My favorite costume as a child was a put together gypsy costume that was put together from my mothers old dresses and costume jewelry.
Laura says
Fantastic!!!!! One of my best friends is a huge Link fan. He’d love this. You did a great job figuring it all out. Our favorite costumes here are handmade too. Somehow I got off luck this year and only have to make a cape and a tunic for a King. 🙂
TalesFromEwe says
So creative and ingenious Tonia! This is the best I’ve seen in a long time that’s not only for a boy but one that also has that ‘cool’ factor! You rock 🙂 Thanks for sharing.
PS we are trying the sicilian pizza rolls tonight too! So glad to have stumbled upon your blog and am going to follow it now. Thanks again.
Lorinda
Anne @ Domesblissity says
That’s a great costume Tonia. I can vaguely remember that game from when my niece and nephew played it. Mine haven’t discovered it yet. You’re so clever. Are you kidding? Orange Kit Kat? I’m going to have to check out my candy warehouse. They stock a lot of American candy and the Halloween stuff has been coming in thick and fast.
Anne xx
Paula says
My favorite costume was Porky Pig. It had a huge mask that was too big for me to see out of the eyeholes, so I would get the candy and fall off people’s porches. Good times!
Donna says
I tweeted https://twitter.com/DonnaONeil/status/253230991672487937
Donna says
I follow you on twitter
Donna says
I follow you on Pinterest
donna_oneil
c8ergirl(at)gmail.com
Donna says
My daughter has a great Rapunzel costume that my mother in law made for her last year.
Ginger says
Shared on facebook. 🙂
http://www.facebook.com/Ginger.Snap.Crafts.blog/posts/426249537437507
Ginger says
I follow you on twitter. 🙂
Ginger says
I follow you on pinterest. 🙂
Ginger says
Love those “boot”! You are so creative. I have lots of favorite costumes…let’s see I guess my favorite right now is my 3 year old son’s monkey costume. Mainly because he is so excited about it. 🙂
Talitha says
I followed you on pinterest!
Talitha says
My favorite costume was one I saw where the wife was dressed up as a fairy and her husband was a tooth!
Christy says
I follow on pinterest as Christy’s Cuties. [email protected]
Christy says
I think this yearmy daughter’s halloween costume will be my favorite. She is going to be a butterfly and I get to paint her face and spray her hair. FUN! [email protected]
2busy says
I follow you on pinterest
2busy says
My favorites were always the ones my mom made. She made me a Pocahontas costume one year that was pretty slick.
Danni Baird @ Silo Hill Farm says
Tonia, I don’t need any chocolate, thank you, but this Halloween costume just rocks! Love the way you made the boots!
Reecea Henderson says
Love this costume. Thanks for sharing!
Our Pinteresting Family says
That is such a cute costume! It’s very creative and looks like a lot of fun to make.
Maggie Massey says
I follow you on Twitter!!!
Maggie Massey says
I follow you on Pinterest!
Maggie Massey says
Oh my gosh…that costume is AWESOME!!! How smart to use the old leather jacket for those “boots!” So clever…I think my favorite all-time costumes were the ones that were around when I was a kid…you just wore a plastic poncho and had this huge bubble hat thing…do you remember those? They were unbearably hot…and weird…but so cool! Thanks so much for the chance to win, Tonia!
carpe diem says
I love handmade costumes, yours looks great!
Lynn says
I follow you on pinterest
Lynn says
My favorite costume I did for my daughter was when she was
“Pick of the litter” she wore a puppy costume and then was “inside” a box with all of her stuffed animal puppies attatched to it.