Sewing Tutorial: How to Make a Fabulous Dragon Costume

Today I’m sharing with you some really cool ideas and hacks to sew a dragon costume for your kids!

If you have looked around my Everything’s Famtastic blog you have surely seen that I do love a good sewing project. Especially the type where I have sewn something really cool by modifying an existing pattern which didn’t fit exactly what I needed.

I tell you, THAT is the beauty of being able to sew! Have an idea of what you want to create and being able to find a way to make it happen!

What you might also have noticed around this site is the variety of kids’ costumes I have sewn over the years for my own 3. In Germany here we celebrate Karneval early in the year and then there’s Halloween in October. Add in any dress-up wishes and that all ends up being a lot of costumes that I’ve had to deliver! Hulk, animals, spooky, funny costumes … I’ve covered quite a range!

So, do you want to see that super dragon costume and take a peek at some other kids’ costume ideas too? Read on…

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.

The beauty of making your own costumes for your kids is that you can really make them to fit, they LOVE that you created something just for them AND they then can get a lot of use out of it! Hello saving money when Halloween next comes around!

One of my most popular creations is the Incredible Hulk costume I made for my son. It remains a hit, even though he has to squeeeeeze himself into it, LOL.

And of course the tiger costume is something that still comes out of the dress-ups drawer. Even if just to wear while doing homework 😂.

But let’s get back to this really cool flying dragon costume I made up a while back.

The beauty of this costume is that you can sew everything from scratch or purchase the basics and add in the flourishes! Again, with sewing you can modify anything!

How to Make an Adorable Dragon Costume for Kids

Step 1: What You’ll Need- Deciding on fabrics to use for the dragon costume

The foundation of this dragon costume is a hooded pullover.

Our dragon costume has spikes over the head and running down the back. My son really wanted wings too. And of course a tail. 😅

The wings and tail are optional, but they really do add that extra dose of *fabulous* the to a dragon costume!

Are you going to sew it all from scratch or are you going to buy a hoodie at the store and modify it? Fleece or sweatshirt are both good choices of fabric.

I actually sewed the hoodie myself as well as matching track pants using sweatshirt fabric and a pattern from Ottobre magazine.

Either way, for the hoodie you will need to choose something 1 size bigger than your child normally wears because some of the room will be lost to seam allowances when sewing the pieces back together.

You also need to decide what you are going to use for the dragon spikes.

My son had very clear ideas about colours and textures in his costume. We found an awesome black knit jersey fabric with a holographic print which looked satisfyingly like dragon scales.

If you are using a soft fabric like jersey, you’ll need polyester filling to stuff the spikes.

An alternative option for dragon spikes is firm pieces of felt. If the felt is stiff enough, you won’t need to stuff it as the spikes will stand alone.

Step 2: Prepare the main pieces of the costume for sewing

Using your sewing pattern instructions, cut out all pieces of the hooded pullover: front, back, hood and sleeves.

Remember to allow a 1cm seam allowance down the centre of the back piece instead of cutting on the fold (you’ll need it for dragon spikes later 😉).

Cut the down the middle of the back piece so you now have 2 symmetrical pieces for the back of the pullover.

Cut out the triangle spikes. We used jersey that we later stuffed, so we needed to cut every spike on a doubled layer of fabric.

To decide which size spikes to use, my son and I doodled on paper for a while until we settled on triangles with 8 cm long sides, including the seam allowance. But this is just personal preference; take a look at how big your child’s hoodie is going to be and play around.

We made 5 slightly smaller spikes for the hood, 4 spikes down the back plus one more for the tip of the tail.

Step 3: Sew and stuff the dragon spikes

Sew one pair of triangle spikes, right sides together. Only stitch 2 of the 3 triangle edges. Leave the 3 open for turning and stuffing! Repeat with the remaining spike pieces.

Before turning right sides out, without snipping into the stitches, carefully trim the top tips from the spikes. This reduces the bulk inside the spikes once they are turned out. My special tip to you. 😉

Once the spikes are right sides out, fill them with polyester stuffing and tack closed across the opening.

Step 4: Stitch the main hoodie fabric pieces together

Lay one piece of the hoodie back right side facing up. Lay spikes with raw edges aligned along the edge (tips pointing away from the edge).

Lay the other half of the back, right side facing down, on top with edges aligned. Pin and sew in place. When flipped right way out the spikes should all look like this. 👇

Follow the sewing instructions to add trim (e.g., ribbing) around the face opening of the hoodie.

Lay the hoodie pieces right sides together. Between them add some spikes around the curve, with the raw edges aligned with the hoodie raw edges and pin in place. This step is similar to sewing the back pieces (above).

Stitch the layers together with the spikes pointing inwards.

Flipped the right way out the hood will look like this. 👇

Follow the sewing pattern instructions to stitch the front and back pieces together at the shoulders.

Similarly, follow your instructions to stitch the sleeves in place at the shoulders and attach the hood.

Don’t want a tail or wings? Then the fanciest work is done now. Follow your instructions to complete sewing the sides of the pullover together and trim or seam the ends and you’ll be done!

If you DO want wings on the costume, stop sewing right now and read on!

Step 5 (Optional): How to sew dragon wings

So, you’ve decided you dragon costume needs wings? Which fabric/s do you want to use?

Even if you have used fleece or sweat for the hoodie itself, you don’t have to use the same fabric for the wings. You could use a matching colour stretch fabric which would be more *fluttery*. You can also choose whether you make the wings single layered or lined.

My son, of course, went for the fancy, lined version of dragon wings. For the outer I used the same sweatshirt fabric and for the lining more of that holographic stretch jersey fabric.

Like the spikes, we didn’t have a pattern for the shape of the wings. We measured the length of the arms and also the side length from armpit to bottom of the hoodie. After a few sketches we decided on a scalloped shape and used my chalk wheel to sketch it on the wrong side of the fabric.

Again, the wing shape and size will be specific to your wishes and hoodie size. But once you are happy with your design, cut 2 symmetrical pieces of fabric (one left wing + one right wing).

If you are using a lining fabric too, repeat this step with that fabric.

If using lining, lay one piece of lining right sides together with the corresponding piece of outer fabric and stitch together around the scalloped edges only. Repeat with the other wing pieces.

Flip each wing right sides out and top stitch along the curved edges.

Now to get the wings in place….  Lay the hoodie flat out so that the right sides are facing upwards. Take one wing, align the straight arm section along the length of one sleeve. If you are using lining, make sure it is facing the correct way.

Fold the sleeve in half lengthways so that the wing is between the 2 right sides of the sleeve fabric. Pin in place.

Align the other raw edge, straight section of the wing along the raw edge length of the right side of the pullover back. Top with the front of the pullover so that the wing is between the right sides and pin to hold in place.

Repeat with the other wing, sleeve and side of the pullover.

It’s going to look like a bit of a jumbled mess, but it’ll work out! Trust me!

Stitch all seams together to enclose the wing, from wrist along the arm and down the side of the pullover. Repeat with the other side.

Don’t want a dragon tail? Follow your sewing pattern to finish the pullover around the waist, either with a hem or ribbing and you’ll be done.

Need a tail too to complete the costume? Read on!

Step 6: How to sew a tail for a dragon costume

Like the wings and spikes, we started with no tail pattern, just ideas. My son and I agreed that we wanted a tail with some form that didn’t just droop. The best way to design a tail is measure how long you wish it to be and simply sketch with chalk directly onto the fabric.

Once you are happy with your tail creation, cut 2 pieces on fabric with right sides together.

Pin the 2 layers along the long, curved edges and sew together. Leave the 2 ends open!

Insert the tail spike into the open end of the tail, pointy spike inwards between the right sides and raw edge aligned with the raw edge of the tail fabric.

Pin the spike in place…

… and stitch the opening closed, with the spike inside between the right side of the tail fabric.

Turn the tail right sides out.

Fill the tail with polyester stuffing and tack the opening closed.

Now to attach the tail to the pullover.

Our sewing pattern instructions were to finish the hoodie with a band of ribbing around the bottom of the pullover.

You want the tail on the back of the hoodie, right?!? Have the pullover right sides out, lying face down. Place the tacked end of the tail atop the raw edge at the centre of the pullover and pin in place.

Pin the ribbing band to the rest of the hoodie so that the tail end lies between the right sides of the pullover and the ribbing.

Stitch the pieces together.

And your child’s hoodie dragon costume is D.O.N.E. Hooray!!

I hope you had fun sewing along with a project that doesn’t really have a pattern but YOU CAN CREATE IT ANYWAY! Some imagination, a lot of pins and a pair of little helping hand can be invaluable when sewing!

Now to some important questions: Who will you sew this dragon costume for and in which colours?