How to Make a Totoro Costume

Learn how to make a Totoro costume! With a basic raglan shirt adaptation you can have the cutest Totoro for your next DIY Halloween costume or Comic Con.

Today I’m sharing how to make a Totoro costume. My niece L is a HUGGGGGE Totoro fan and last year she was the cutest Totoro for Halloween.

The costume was really easy. Don’t know Totoro? It’s a super cute movie. Learn more here. Of course I was sewing it (and her sister’s butterfly costume) the day before she needed to wear it so I didn’t do the best job of taking process pictures but I’m going to give you a basic run down on how to make your own Totoro.

Because really it’s not too complicated.

What You Need to Make a Totoro Cosplay

• Gray Fabric (I used a slightly stretchy fabric with a short pile. It wasn’t velour but kinda like that)
• White Fabric
• Black Fabric
• Heat Bond
• 2 small Black buttons
• Black pipe cleaners
• Loose fitting shirt (to use as pattern) or these are my favorite raglan shirt patterns
• Hat pattern (I used a basic McCalls Baby hat pattern)
• Batting
• Gray Pants/Leggings or more gray fabric and your favorite easy pants pattern

Steps for Sewing a Totoro Outfit

1. Make your dress/tunic pattern. I did this by tracing a top that fit L and then angling out from the armpit. But you can easily use a basic top or dress pattern. Or you can even use a gray shirt or dress. I used Craftiness is Not Optional’s Raglan Tee Tutorial to make my basic pattern.
2. Cut the white tummy piece. It should be a basic white circle.
3. Sew the white tummy piece onto the front bodice piece of the shirt. I used a zig zag stitch around the edge.
4. Make the little black marks. I used black quilting cotton and heat bond to make iron-on fabric but you could also use iron-on vinyl if you have that laying around. But out the little boomerang looking shapes. Position on white circle and iron on.
5. Finish putting together the shirt.
6. Make your hat pattern by extending the normal hat pattern up and making ears. Besides that it’s pretty basic. You could use a number of different types of winter hats you just need to extend the hat up and make ears so if it has you pleating the top or anything like that you can skip that. Just use something basic like this just make sure your fabric is stretchy enough or that you cut it a bigger size. Once your hat is made just shove a bunch of batting up into the ears to help it stand up
7. The eyes are white circles that you can make like the black marks (either with fabric and heat bond or vinyl). Then sew buttons on for the pupils.
8. Make a black nose and sew on some folded pipe cleaners (I had to attach them in a few spots) and you’re good to go.
9. Make your gray pants/leggings according to the pattern directions.

Finally Totoro isn’t complete without some leaves right?

Cut out hearts for the leaves and tape on green pipe cleaners for stems. Or just stick a heart on Totoro’s head and call it good.

Cutest little Totoro ever right?

I hope you will give it a try!

How to make a Totoro costume

How to Make a Totoro Costume. Step by step instructions.

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Ingredients 

• Gray Fabric I used a slightly stretchy fabric with a short pile. It wasn’t velour but kinda like that
• White Fabric
• Black Fabric
• Heat Bond
• 2 small Black buttons
• Black pipe cleaners
• Loose fitting shirt to use as pattern or tee shirt pattern
• Hat pattern I used this one
• Batting
• Gray Pants/Leggings or more gray fabric and your favorite easy pants pattern

Instructions

• Make your dress/tunic pattern. I did this by tracing a top that fit L and then angling out from the armpit. But you can easily use a basic top or dress pattern. Or you can even use a gray shirt or dress. I used Craftiness is Not Optional’s Raglan Tee Tutorial to make my basic pattern.
• Cut the white tummy piece. It should be a basic white circle.
• Sew the white tummy piece onto the front bodice piece of the shirt. I used a zig zag stitch around the edge.
• Make the little black marks. I used black quilting cotton and heat bond to make iron-on fabric but you could also use iron-on vinyl if you have that laying around. But out the little boomerang looking shapes. Position on white circle and iron on.
• Finish putting together the shirt.
• Make your hat pattern by extending the normal hat pattern up and making ears. Besides that it’s pretty basic. You could use a number of different types of winter hats you just need to extend the hat up and make ears so if it has you pleating the top or anything like that you can skip that. Just use something basic like this just make sure your fabric is stretchy enough or that you cut it a bigger size. Once your hat is made just shove a bunch of batting up into the ears to help it stand up
• The eyes are white circles that you can make like the black marks (either with fabric and heat bond or vinyl). Then sew buttons on for the pupils.
• Make a black nose and sew on some folded pipe cleaners (I had to attach them in a few spots) and you’re good to go.
• Make your gray pants/leggings according to the pattern directions.
• Finally Totoro isn’t complete without some leaves right? Cut out hearts for the leaves and tape on green pipe cleaners for stems. Or just stick a heart on Totoro’s head and call it good.

Love this recipe?Follow @RaeGunRamblings or tag #RaeGunRamblings!

Want other awesome Studio Ghibli inspired creations?

Make sure to hop over and check out the other awesome creations. Click each picture above to check out the stars of this episode of Sew Geeky!

You also may like:

Best ever spinach artichoke dip recipe!

I love YA lit and this list is full of great books for teens and adults alike!

No-Sew Face Mask made from an old shirt!