Candy Rings

1. Cut a 14" x 25" rectangle of foam. Hold the short ends together to form a tube. This seam will be the back of the costume. On each side, make a mark 3" down from the top edge. Lay foam flat, and using the marks as their centers, cut two 2" diameter armholes in the foam.

2. Cut ten 3" x 30" strips from the colored felt  -- two strips from each color. Working with one strip at a time, fold the edges of the felt to the center of the strip and secure with glue. Repeat with each strip. You will now have ten 1½" x 30" strips. Lay the strips out in the order you desire.

3. Lay the silver fabric over the bottom 2" of the foam rectangle and glue in place. Turn the foam and the fabric over, and cut the fabric 3" from the edge of the foam. Turn the foam back over. Glue the excess fabric to the back of the foam. Glue the first colored felt strip, seam side down, onto the foam overlapping the silver fabric by ½". Glue eight more of the strips onto the foam leaving the last one for the hat. Make sure the strips are touching each other and the excess felt hangs off the sides in equal lengths. When you get to the armholes cover them with the strips. Turn the foam over and glue the excess length of the strips to the back. Trim off any foam that sticks out past the top of the last strip. Using the sharp point of your scissors, poke a hole in the felt that covers the armhole. Cut slits from this center hole to ¼" from the edge of the armhole and glue the felt to the inside foam around the hole.

4. Cut letters for the name of the candy rings from the white felt and glue to the front of the foam.

5. Using the scissors, poke five evenly spaced holes down each short side of the rectangle and lace the ribbon through from the bottom of the roll to the top, as you would lace a shoe.

6. Measure around the crown of your baby's head. Cut a 2½" wide strip of foam this length. Lay the silver fabric over the bottom 2" of the strip and glue in place. Turn the foam and the fabric over and cut the fabric 1" from the edge of the foam. Glue the excess fabric to the back of the foam. Using the last colored felt strip that you made earlier, glue it on to the foam overlapping the silver fabric by 1". Trim the felt strip so it can be secured to the back of the foam piece by no more than 1" on each side.

7. Glue this foam ring to the bottom edge of the hat, silver fabric upward. As you glue, stretch the hat so it fits the diameter of the foam ring.