The post A Halloween Reveal: Kash’s DIY Angry Birds costume appeared first on The Dreamhouse Project.

And when he sees the finished product and his face lights up like this??

Look at that face!

Well every second of that sleepless night and all the hot glue gun burns are suddenly all worth it.

Wondering how we pulled this one off?

How to make a DIY Angry Birds Costume

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 2 round plastic mesh food covers
• black fabric (we used flannel for some added warmth, but really any black will do)
• foam craft sheets (white, black, orange, grey & yellow)
• small strip of tan coloured fabric (we used burlap)
• brown adult sized t-shirt
• black ski mask
• black pants & black long-sleeved shirt (for your child to wear)

Tools:

• rotary tool w/cutting blade & drill bit
• hot glue gun
• duct tape
• 4 cable tie fasteners

NOTE: I’m gonna try to use lots of pics & keep the wordy explanations to a minimum while still covering all the steps.  I said I’ll try.  I’ll probably fail.  But in case I miss anything, if you have any questions on any part of the DIY feel free to ask away in the comments below and Kes & I will try to answer as best we can. Here goes…

1. Your 2 food covers are going to become the body of the bird – top & bottom, joined in the middle.  You’ll need to cut openings for your child’s head, feet & arms. We started out using a heavy duty scissors, but after the scissors broke we quickly realized the plastic is stronger than it looks.  So out came the rotary tool, which made pretty easy work of it.  If there is one thing we learned about this step it’s measure, measure and measure again.  And when you’re done taking super accurate measurements, make sure you mark them correctly before you start cutting. Or you could end up having to do a little hot glue repair. Which TOTALLY didn’t happen to me.

   Its a good idea to keep the openings small to start, then dry fit & adjust the sizes as needed.

   Side note: Doing the actual dry fit is MUCH easier than getting your child to stand still long enough to take a picture of it.

    

2. Attach the top & bottom pieces of your bird by first using hot glue to hold it in place. Then using the rotary tool, drill holes at 4 opposing points & secure with cable ties.  Another dry fit for comfort at this point is probably a good idea. And it gives you a chance to laugh at your child as he runs around the house like a giant globe.  Or maybe that’s just us…

   TIP: Use duct tape to cover your cut edges.  It’ll provide extra support and also make them nice & smooth to keep your little one from getting scratched by raw plastic.

3. Cover your bird body with fabric.  If you’re making the traditional Bomb bird, you’ll need to cover the entire sphere.  If you’re set on the awesomeness that is the Obi Wan Kenobi bird, then you can be lazy go the easy route & only cover the front half.  Obi’s cloak will cover the back (more on that later).Once all of the black fabric is attached to the body with hot glue, you’re ready to make Obi’s tunic.  Cut the tan fabric in half, and drape each piece across the body, criss crossing in the front and hot glue it in place.
4. Use the foam sheets to make your iconic Angry Birds face. I used the duct tape roll for rough sizing on the eyes, but really its best to just eyeball it & experiment using a picture for comparison until you get the proportions just right.  I also doubled up on the eyebrows so they would be nice & thick & stand up nicely.  Once you’re happy with the pieces, simply attach them to the body with hot glue.

   

    

5. As any Angry Birds enthusiast (or 4 year old in our case) will tell you, the black bird is a bomb. So that little antennae looking thing that sticks out the top of it’s head?  Well that’s the fuse of course! Duh! And we can’t have a Black Angry Bird  costume without a fuse… So to make the fuse – which will essentially be your child’s head – we simply got a black ski mask for Kash to wear, then used a couple of yellow foam sheets to make him a ‘crown’ of sorts to sit on his head.
6. For Obi’s cloak, I simply used one of Kes’ old t-shirts & cut it open starting at the bottom, cutting up the side seam & through the under side of one sleeve.  Be sure to leave the neck hole in tact so that it can go over your child’s head.  Attach the edge of the open sleeve to the top of the bird’s head.  I used a couple of foam sheets inside the sleeve to prop it up to give it that ‘hooded overhang’ feel.

   ***I apologize for the lack of progress pics for the last couple of steps but by this point I was a little craft-happy & excited to be almost done.

And there you have it!

DIY Obi Wan Kenobi Angry Bird Costume

As an added touch I gave him a little lightsaber. Because…you know, I had to.  To make that, I just took one of Kash’s foam glow sticks that he had from last Canada Day & added a couple of grey foam sheets to it to make a handle & a little red foam dot for the button.

That’s one Angry Bird! And one HAPPY kid!

So what do you think?  Is he worthy of the force? Ready to bust some Piggies?

The post A Halloween Reveal: Kash’s DIY Angry Birds costume appeared first on The Dreamhouse Project.

The post S#*t our kid says appeared first on The Dreamhouse Project.

So we thought we’d share with the world a few of the cute, quirky & random conversations we find ourselves engaging in with our son.

During his first visit to see the (pre-reno) Dreamhouse to show him where we will be moving to and he walks in, takes one look around, looks up and says..

Mommy, I got a gweat idea! Wet’s get a new kitchen!

Seriously?! Ok you definitely know you’re in need of a remodel when that is your 3 year old’s first impression.

To Nana (who is suffering from a pinched nerve in her back), as he rubs her hand after she told him she was in pain…

Awww…Don’t worwy  Nana.  I’ll make you better.  I’n da best medical doctor EVER.

Ok, I know, that is super sweet.  But really….medical doctor!?  What 3 year old talks like this??

Singing…

Heeeeeeey…pwetty Mommmeeey. O – O – O – O – Oppa Kashton style!

Yea…he went there.

To a family friend who has just arrived at Nana & Poppa’s house to spend the night.

Hi! I’n Kashton. You want to watch Tweehouse wif me?

To Poppa, 5 minutes, after greeting said house guest, who has now gone upstairs to put his bag in the guestroom…

Poppa! Dere’s a man upstairs in Nana’s house!

Geez Kashee….I guess it’s a good thing Nana isn’t up to any funny business…or she would TOTALLY get sold out!

While watching a dinosaur show and running around and practicing his “Roooaaaaar,”

{Kash} Are you scared of me?

{Mommy} No, I’m not scared of you…you’re my monkey  man!

{Kash (who looks up with an expression like Mommy has just said the most ridiculous thing ever)} I’n not a monkey man! I’n a dinosaur man…I’n Kashtonsauwus Wex!

Duh…OBVIOUSLY, Mommy.

Upon seeing his completed ‘scaaawy dwagon’ costume for Halloween…

Mommy: Look bud! See your cool costume!?
{Kash (pointing at the head)} I don’t wike DAT!
{Mommy} WHY?!?
{Kash} Cause I’n scared of it!
{Mommy} No no bud, there’s nothing to be afraid of. It’s just pretend. Remember you told Mommy you wanted to be a scary dragon??? You’re gonna look soooo cooool and scaaary!
{Kash} Yea…you’re wight! Ok…wet’s go to da Hawoween party!

Phew! Now if only only solving all problems were that simple…

While exploring the Animal Flower Caves in Barbados – upon entering the cave among all the “Wows,” “Oohs” and “Ahhs,” Kashee’s awed faced reaction…

Oh. My. SHIT!

Ok, maybe not our finest parenting moment, as the words reverberated and echoed through the cave walls and every other tourist within earshot turned to gape at our potty mouthed toddler.  We tried to quietly yet strongly suggest that we don’t use that word, to which he gave us the Bambi eyed nod…clearly having NO idea what he’d just said.

And the BEST one yet (that he will thank me for sharing with the world someday, I’m certain)!

While sitting on the potty with the Olympics blaring on the tv in the background…

Mommy, you know what I wike about pooing?  It’s sooooooo peaceful.  All you hear is da sound of da wympics.  I can just sit and fink and fink and fink and fink!

Yes Kashee. We like to sit and think too. Smh…

The post S#*t our kid says appeared first on The Dreamhouse Project.