Wee Warrens: Halloween Costumes! Brave's Merida (and Baby Bear) Costume using free patterns

I have to admit, when I learned there was a new Disney movie featuring a Scottish princess with red curly hair, I started a not-so-subtle campaign for this year's Halloween costume. Even before we saw Brave, I'd started planting seeds. And after we saw it (even though it was pretty scary for a three year old!), Hannah and I sealed the deal: she would be Merida for Halloween. It was actually Hannah's idea that Lydia be a bear, just like Merida's little brothers. That sounded cute as could be, so I searched to the ends of Pinterest, and this is what I found.

So here, for you, are several free online patterns and tutorials needed to create a Merida costume, complete with a red hair garland, and a coordinating little sis/(bro) bear.

I started off with the dress, using the pattern found here (rostitchery.com's Magistrate Dress pattern), via ikatbat.com, here. I added some gold trim, including an inset of gathered gold fabric at the neckline.

Next came outerwear. Not only does Merida wear a cape in the movie, but I distinctly remember last year, pinning Hannah's butterfly wings to the back of her winter coat because it was so cold. Although practical, it was not as lovely as I intended when I sewed the costume. So this year, I wised up and made something warm for her to wear. I used the free Red Riding Hood Cape pattern found here, at fleecefun.com. There are instructions for lining the hood, but I lined the entire fleece cape with flannel, both for added warmth and to add a little color.

Finally, what would a Merida costume be without red hair, and lots of it? I looked at tutorials for full wigs, and even found one that explained how to curl the yarn by heating it in the oven. I finally decided to make a red version of mmmcrafts.blogspot.com's Rapunzel hair recipe, found here. Hannah said, "This isn't like Merida's hair...it's not big enough." However, she can put it on and off by herself, which I think will be handy when this becomes part of the dress-up box after Halloween.

And because Grandma's are cool like this, Hannah's Grandma got her the official Merida bow and arrows from the Disney Store. Very cool. Hannah spent a good fifteen minutes trying to string the bow before she gave up and started throwing them across the yard.

For Lydia's bear costume, I decided to keep it simple - mostly because I wasn't sure whether she would wear it or not. She wasn't going to until she saw Hannah had a cape too, and then she was ready to go! The cape is made from the same pattern at fleecefun.com, although I printed the pattern at 75% to make it toddler-sized. Hers is also fleece, lined with matching flannel.

The ears are from another pattern at fleecefun.com, and are a part of their Halloween Bear Hat, found here. I cut slits in the top of the hood, and stitched the ears in before I added the lining.