DIY Waffle House Costume
| This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. |
Last year I made Jedidiah a last-minute DIY Waffle House costume for Halloween and it was a smashing success at his daycare. It still fits, because it was way too big last year, so we took some tutorial photos and had a little photo shoot so we could share it with you.
The Waffle House in Phoenix is one of our favorite stops on our annual road trip. We missed getting to see our family this year and Houston missed getting his once-a-year breakfast at Waffle House. I think we may have to take Jed’s apron with us next year, just for fun. He calls his Wafflehouse costume his “button apron” and asks for it when we make dinner together.
Estimated Time: 15 Minutes
Skill Level: Beginner
Supplies Needed:
- Silhouette CAMEO®
- Silhouette Cutting Mat
- Weeding Hook
- Silhouette Studio – I use the Business Edition
- Heat Transfer Vinyl – Yellow Flocked
- Plain Apron
- Iron or heat press
- Waffle House paper hat (we got ours from the Waffle House restaurant)
- Waffle House buttons – I’ve seen them on eBay but we got ours at the Waffle House restaurant
Step One: Creating Your DIY Waffle House Costume:
Open Silhouette Studio®.
Select the Page Setup Window and adjust your cutting mat size to 12×12 (or the sized mat you are using).
First, you need to find a good quality Waffle House logo.
Next, use the tracing tool in the Silhouette Software (it looks like a butterfly/loaf of bread) to trace the logo and make it a cut file for your project. If you need instructions for tracing, I have them all on this Nightmare Before Christmas Tote post.
Now, measure your apron and then re-size your design to the correct space on your 12×12 template – be sure to click and drag to select the whole design to keep everything lined up.
You will need to flip your design, so it appears backward for Heat Transfer Vinyl – this is called “mirroring” your design. Highlight your design, right-click, and select “flip horizontally” to mirror it.
Select “Send” to prepare to cut.
Follow the prompts in the Design Studio for Flocked Heat Transfer Vinyl (or the type you are using for your project) and double-check to make sure your design has been selected to cut.
Load your heat transfer vinyl into your Cameo 4 with the color side face down on the mat. I usually tape my flocked vinyl down to the mat since it is thick HTV.
Click “Send”
Press the down-arrow when your machine has finished cutting your design to remove the cutting mat from the machine.
Step Two: Preparing Your DIY Waffle House Costume:
Remove your sheet of Flocked Heat Transfer Vinyl from the cutting mat – go slow so it doesn’t curl up or tear.
Use your fingers or a weeding tool to remove the excess vinyl from each color. Be sure to leave your design on the clear carrier sheet. * I decided to remove the extra border around the squares to have a simple design.
Step Three: Creating Your DIY Waffle House Costume:
Pre-heat your apron – use your iron or heat press to lightly warm up the fabric for a better transfer.
Place your design on your t-shirt right side up (this is the reason you mirror your design for cutting) where you want the design to be.
Heat the design for the recommended time for the HTV you’re using. Use steady pressure.
Peel back the clear carrier sheet. Some Heat Transfer Vinyl requires a hot or cold peel – always follow the recommended peel for your heat transfer vinyl. Tip: pull from a corner and not the side to make sure each part of the design transfers completely to your apron.
Flip your apron over and give it a 10-second press to activate the adhesive.
Once you have applied all the elements of your design and allowed it to cool, your DIY Waffle House Costume is ready for its buttons (available in Waffle House locations).
Jedidiah had so much fun with the fancy syrup dispenser and a frozen waffle. He’s such a good sport for his mama who always wants photos.
Are you a DIY Halloween Costume family or do you use store-bought ones? I love them both.
Other Halloween-themed projects:
