The Lib Crib

Bring Maurice Sendak’s Wild Thing to Life

My 6th grandchild has discovered a family favorite book, Where The Wild Things Are. Max is his favorite character. I could not let this moment pass. He had to have a Max costume.

Years ago, I made his older brother a Max costume when he discovered the book. I made that costume by hand, sewed every bit of it. It was time-consuming and quite a challenge. I am now older and wiser, and I made this costume quick and easy by cutting a few corners with the help of Amazon and making my life easier.

I want to share it with you!

Materials List: What You’ll Need to Make a Max Costume

Just about everything I needed I got on Amazon.

• White hooded and footed onesie pajama
• A gold crown
• White gloves
• White craft foam for the terrible claws and buttons
• Strip of fur to trim crown* (I actually got the fur from Hobby Lobby but this would work.)
• Fur for tail* (Double check the width, Max’s tail is thick!)
• Fabric Glue (I used this brand, but I’m sure a less expensive one will suffice.)

Step-by-Step Instructions: How to Make a Max Costume at Home

1. Attach terrible claws to the feet of the pajamas by cutting out long triangles for the claws from the white foam and glueing them to the feet.
2. Cut out more claws from the foam and attach them to the white gloves with glue. Trim the claws to fit the size of the person/child’s hand.
3. If you want buttons, like Max’s, cut out foam circles and glue them to the pajamas.
4. Cut pointy ears from the foam and glue to the hood.
5. Add fur to the crown with the glue and trim to size.
6. I sewed the fur to make a tail, but if you have the patience, the glue might work.
7. Allow everything to dry according to glue directions before trying on the costume.

Quick Version: Easy Max Costume Hack

Buy the footed, hooded pajamas and the gold crown that I linked above to make this costume quick and easy! The pajamas I linked have non-slip soles on the feet to make them safe!

Final Thoughts: Let the Wild Rumpus Start

This DIY costume would be great for Halloween or just to have around for pretend play. You can add a toy sceptre to the costume to be perfectly authentic. I hope this helps and I hope the Amazon links were helpful, too!