Hot air balloon pilot costume for children

First, make the pilot goggles. Cut all the template parts from reused cardboard, except for the round lenses which should be cut from clear reused plastic from a yoghurt lid or similar.

Glue the lenses to the goggles, and glue the cardboard circles on top of them. Glue the long cardboard shape on top between the two circles.

Paint the goggles brown. Add metal details in silver paint. Also add a bit of reflection in the lenses in white paint.

Add a piece of ribbon to each side of the goggles.

Now, make the hot air ballon. You will need a basket that fits the size of the child's body plus some extra room to move. It should be a basket that will no longer be in use, as the bottom will be removed.

Attach four bamboo sticks to the basket. The sticks should reach approx a head or a head and a half above the child when the costume is in use.

Connect the four sticks on top with jute twine, both along the sides and in the middle with a cross.

Blow up six-seven balloons, and gather them in a bundle with jute twine. Tie them to the cross at the top of the bamboo sticks.

Make little pennants from design paper, glue them to a piece of jute twine, and tie them to the sticks.

Now, tie ribbon bows at the top of all four sticks to fix the jute twine even more and make the closing look nice.

Use some old brown paper bags as weights for the hot air balloon, and tie them to the basket with jute twine. You can also decorate these with ribbon bows.

Tie wide ribbons to the basket as straps to hold the basket up when the child is wearing the costume.