Easy super hero cape :: I Am Super Capes

I believe in the power of play: to nurture children, help them learn, encourage them when they need it, lift spirits and sometimes bring healing. If you’re a regular reader of NurtureStore I know you’re as passionate about giving children plenty of time and opportunity for being creative, using their imaginations and learning through play.

Here’s a tutorial that shows you how to make an easy super hero cape that your children can use for lots of pretend play – but also an invitation to send the power of play to another child who could really do with a super hero boost, joining in with the amazing I Am Super Capes appeal.

I Am Super Capes

The I Am Super Capes organisation was set up by my friend Claudia and is on a mission to send colourful, fun, super capes to children who could really benefit from a super hero boost. The capes are sent worldwide, and are made by people like me and you who donate an hour or so of their time, and a bit a fabric, to produce them.

Capes have already been sent to Mercy In Action in the Philippines and the LauraLynn Children’s Hospice in Ireland. Capes are also made especially for Little Heros: individual children, like lovely Sienna in the photo below, who are fighting an illness or dealing with a disability.

The next mission

The next mission is a big one. Working with Charly’s Bakery in Cape Town, and with support from Emirates Airlines, Claudia is planning to take 600 capes to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital in South Africa. That’s a lot of capes – and an enormous amount of empowering super play that’s being sent to the children there.

How you can help #iamsupercapes

Will you join me in sharing the power of play? Will you make one extra cape and send it to I Am Super Capes to be part of their next mission?

The capes are VERY easy to make. Believe me, I am not great at sewing, but you can make one of these capes in an hour or so. You can use fabric you already have, or buy some especially for the project. You can make any colour you like, and in any child-sized dimensions. The only thing that is a must is to use velcro for the fastening at the neck.

You could make a cape for your child, and then one to send. If you are part of a class, group, WI, church or you can gather some friends together for a sew-off and you could make a few capes, even better.

The I Am Super Capes website is here at iamsupercapes.co.uk

Please follow the group on Facebook and Twitter: every like, re-tweet and share you can give them will help them spread the word and help more capes be made. You’ll also be able to follow the Cape Town mission and see the children there as they receive your capes.

Make your cape and send it to:

UK: Claudia Beard, I Am Super capes, Bourne View, Bourne Fields, Twyford, SO21 1NY

USA: Chantal Skipper, I Am Super capes, 3356 Flagler Circle, Midland, NC 28107

How to make an easy super hero cape

I followed this super hero cape tutorial to make cape, and it was nice and easy. Click through on that link for all the details, but what you will need to do is…

Use an old piece of fabric to make a template. Mine is about 26cm across the half chest, and about 60cm from neck to bottom. The capes can be any child size so you don’t need to worry about being too precise.

 

Use your template to cut out two pieces of fabric. You can use any bright and happy colours you like.

If you want, you can add on some extra super hero pizazz – my daughter drew some stars which we cut out of felt and fixed to one of the pieces of fabric.

Pin the cape with the right sides of the fabric together. Sew up one side, around the neck and back down the other side. Leave the bottom open for now so it’s easy to turn the fabric right-side out again.

Pull the fabric through this opening, so your cape is now the right way out. Then top stitch all the way around the outside of the cape, including fastening up the open bottom edge.

Finally, stitch on some velcro at the neck. This is the only specific requirement: you can use any fabric, and any child size, but the neck fastening must be velcro – for easy of play, and safety.

Ta-da! One super hero cape, easy to make, bright and colourful, and about to head its way to one of the children in the Red Cross Hospital in South Africa.

Can you join in? 

This week, next week, this month – will you make one super cape and send it to Claudia?

I’m so inspired by Claudia and her idea to use the power of play and imagination to encourage, nurture and send power to children who need a boost. Thanks so much to you too, for believing in the power of play and offering your support by joining in.

Please share a photo of your cape on Instagram, Twitter or the I Am Super Capes Facebook page using #iamsupercapes to help spread the word and so we can see all the fabulous capes.