Our October issue of Ranger Rick Jr. featured a cover story on puffins, with information inside about these bright-beaked birds. If your child is still looking for a Halloween costume, consider putting together this DIY puffin outfit. It’s perfect for trick-or-treating… or just everyday dress up!

Because we were making the costume simply for play at home, I skirted a few corners. But you can be more exact if this will actually be the Halloween garb of choice for your child.

First, make the puffin’s head. Fold a 20 inch x 12 inch piece of white felt in half. Draw the head shape (available from the online template) onto one side of the fold and cut out.

Add two “head top” shapes cut from black felt with fabric glue or a hot glue gun. Next cut the beak shape from orange construction paper and glue on as well. Let dry.

We added details like eyes and feathers with a marker. Here is my very serious puffin testing out the headpiece.

The piece of black felt I had at home was big, but not quite large enough for the suggested wings – a full 34 inch x 18 inch rectangle! So working with what I had, I traced on the wing shape from the template in chalk, and cut out. I added a ribbon to tie around Travis’s shoulders; if you are using truly large enough felt, part of the felt itself will become the tie.

Finally, we needed puffin feet. Trace the foot shape onto orange craft foam and cut out; add details with marker.

Poke a pipe cleaner (ideally orange) through the middle of each foot shape, and wrap around the thong of a flip flop. If you’re going all out for Halloween, make sure your pipe cleaners and flip flops are orange too! Yellow pipe cleaners and some old summer flip flops worked for us in a pinch.

Finish a true puffin costume with a white shirt and white pants.

My little bird was happy just to fly around the apartment.

What a cute idea this was!