Compost Kids (Vegetables Group)

For Corn

• One green kids outfit
• Dark green felt (1 yard)
• Lime green felt (½ yard)
• Egg cartons (3)
• Natural Raffia (1 packet)
• Cardboard (one 3”x10” sheet, one 4” square)
• Yellow paint
• Sturdy wire
• Wire cutters and pliers
• Elastic band

For Carrot

• One orange kids outfit
• Orange felt ( ½ yard, with 72" width)
• Green felt (½ yard, with 72" width)
• Cardboard (one 3”x10” sheet, two 4” squares)
• Sturdy wire
• Elastic band
• Takeout chopstick (optional for headpiece center structure)

For Salad

• One green kids outfit
• Green felt (½ yard)
• Green paper napkins (about 5 packs of 20 napkins in each pack)
• White felt (1 sheet 9”x12”)
• Yellow felt (1 sheet 9”x12”)
• Lilac felt ( 1 sheet 9”x12”)
• Orange paper (1 sheet 8.5”x11”)
• Red balloons (2x)

Tools

• Safety pins
• hot glue gun and sticks
• Scissors
• Wire cutter and pliers 
• Hobby knife
• Paintbrush 

Bring your favorite nutritious snacks to life with our easy DIY Compost Kids group costume. This is the happiest little harvest you've ever seen, with a Corn, Carrot, and Salad costume for three healthy kiddos! Using our soft reusable Primary basics along with these simple instructions, you'll be ready for Halloween in a snap. And who knows? This could be the beginning of a lifelong love of vegetables. Happy composting!

Create the corn costume:

• Start the hat: Roll the 3”x10” sheet of cardboard into a cylinder and hot glue together. Cut and glue a cardboard circle to the top of the cylinder for stability.
• Add the grass: Cut 20-25” lengths of raffia and glue the bottom edges around the cylinder to cover it. With a knife, make a 1” wide horizontal slit on either side of the hat near the bottom.
• Fit the headpiece: Cut and thread an elastic band through the slits so that the hat fits over the child’s head. Knot the elastic together at the top and hide under the headpiece.
• Form the corn kernels: For the corn kernels, cut the bottom off three egg cartons and paint them yellow. Hot glue the egg cartons next to each other lengthwise. Cut the third egg carton in half and hot glue them together next to each other and below the two full length cartons.
• Form the corn husks: Cut and glue a rectangle of green felt that covers the back of the corn kernels with several inches of felt extending on either side of the cartons. These “wings” will be glued to the corn husks to hold the kernels up.
• Form the inner corn husk: For the corn husks, cut four dark green 12”x36” husks that are rounded at the bottom, and pointed at the top. Cut four lime green 12”x18” husk tops which will peek out between the full husks. Cut four 36” long and four 18” long pieces of wire and use pliers to curl the ends inward. Hot glue one wire in the center of each felt husk and pinch and glue the felt around the wire to cover it completely. To make the husk “wrinkles” lay a line of hot glue one section at a time vertically on either side of the wire and fold the felt at the glue line to make the wrinkle.
• Assemble the corncob pieces: To assemble, lay the corn kernels in the center and two dark green husks on either side of it, overlapping each other a little. Place the lime green husk tops on the inside peeking out on either side of the kernels and between the dark green husks. The back will be left open and safety pinned together when wearing the costume.
• Safety pin everything in place: Use safety pins to hold all these pieces together to help in adjusting the placement before hot glueing them together. To give the bottom a more rounded edge, pinch and glue sections of the bottom edge together to curl inward. Cut two vertical slits on either side of the costume for the arm openings, and you’re done!

Create the carrot costume:

• Start the carrot stems: For the carrot stems, cut 3 pieces of wire 12” long each. Use pliers to curl the ends in. Cut 6 sheets of 8”x18” green felt. Sandwich and glue one wire lengthwise in the middle between 2 sheets of felt. Cut the felt along either side of the wire stem for 5-6” from the base, then cut small pointed leaves branching out from the center stem. Make 2 more stems.
• Create the stem base: Roll the 3”x10” sheet of cardboard into a cylinder and hot glue together. Cut and glue a cardboard circle to the top of the cylinder. Cut and glue another cardboard circle inside the hat an inch from the bottom edge. Use a knife to cut out a small X in the center of the inside circle.
• Form the hat: Use orange felt and hot glue to cover the cardboard hat. Cut a small X on the center top of the hat. Push the 3 carrot stems through the top and middle circles and hot glue into place. If needed to help the stems stand up taller, push a chopstick through the center and hot glue the felt stems around the stick to hide it.
• Attach the stem to the hat: With a knife, make a 1” wide horizontal slit on either side of the hat near the bottom. Cut and thread an elastic band through the slits so that the hat fits over the child’s head. Knot the elastic together at the top and hide under the hat.
• Form the carrot body: Determine the length and width you’d like the carrot to be. Fold the orange felt so you have 2 layers of this width and length. The folded edge is along the width edge. Cut a small half circle neckline at the top center folded edge, and cut the carrot body to a tapered rounded point at the bottom. Cut a vertical slit from the back neckline to make the opening easier to get into. Safety pin the back together when wearing.
• Add the wrinkles: For the carrot “wrinkles”, lay a horizontal line of hot glue across a section of the felt on the back side. Fold and press the felt together to make a “wrinkle” that will show on the front of the felt. Make as many “wrinkles” as you like along the carrot body.
• Tie costume together: For the torso ties, Cut 4 strips of orange felt and hot glue 2 strips to each side of the carrot - one for the front carrot flap, and one for the back. Tie together to hold the costume around the body.

Create the salad base:

• Form the salad base: Cut two large rectangles from green felt that covers the child’s torso. Cut a half circle at the top center of the felt for the neckline and hot glue the shoulder seams together.
• Create openings for the arms: Leave openings for the arms, and hot glue the sides of the felt together. Cut a vertical line down the center back of the felt for an opening to get into the costume. Use safety pins to hold it together.
• Form the salad leaves: Cut the salad leaves from the green napkins. With the napkin folded as is, cut a wavy line along the 2 open adjacent sides of each napkin.
• Open up the leaves: Unfold each napkin, which now has matching wavy lines on all 4 sides. Pinch each napkin in the center and hot glue napkin “leaves” all over the green felt base piece until it’s nice and full.
• Form the salad ingredients: Make salad ingredients such as red onions and hard boiled eggs from felt, and cut shredded carrots from orange paper.
• Glue the ingredients to the base: Hot glue these to the salad leaves. Use 2 red balloons for cherry tomatoes and carefully safety pin the base of the balloons to the felt base of the costume. Add salad utensils for accessories, and you’re all set!