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How to Make Fox Ears and a Fox Tail
Have you ever wanted to know how to make fox ears and a fox tail? I’ve got a fun, easy and free form craft for ya!
This year was Phil’s first year in the Christmas program at Living Faith Church, and all the kids without speaking lines were different animals. He got a fox, and the instructions on what he should wear were simple. Orange shirt, black pants, fox ears.
I jumped at the chance to help Phil create the exact ears he saw in his head. We looked at pictures of fox ears on google; we discussed just how he wanted them put together. We took a family trip to Wal-Mart to pick out supplies.
How to make fox ears
You’ll need
- headband
- One 9″ x 12″ piece each of orange, white, and black felt
- Two pipe cleaners
I used a scrap piece of paper to draw an ear template, that was small enough to be doubled lengthwise across the felt. They’ll look almost like diamond shapes.Then, using Google image search as reference, I cut out black fabric for the tips of the fox ears, and white triangles for the insides of the ears.
Sew the black accents onto the right side of the orange felt first.
Then sew the white triangles on top of the black accents – I made sure there was a little overlap for interest.
Next, fold the ears in half with the wrong sides together. Sew up and over the point at the top of the ear, leaving a “tunnel” you’ll be able to push the headband through. Turn right side out, press. Top stitch up and over the point of the ear along where you just sewed.
Insert a bent pipe cleaner inside, work it up in there so the point is in the point of the ear, and the ends stick out of each hole in the tunnel. Tack pipe cleaner at the point, and at each tunnel opening. Trim pipe cleaner ends.
Repeat for second ear, and push both ears onto the headband. Hold the front and back of ear close together, run your sewing machine across the base of the ear near the headband to tighten up the fit of the ear on the headband.
Trim loose threads.
So here’s the thing.
I spent 2 hours sewing those fox ears the other night. The next night, one of the moms at church had helpfully bought fox hats she had seen at Wal-Mart. I was a tiny bit peeved, but I reminded myself it’s not about me. I could suck it up if Phil wanted to wear that cute fox hat instead.
Saturday night, I told him he got two choices for what he wanted to wear for the program Sunday night. He could wear the ears I made, or the cool fox hat from the other night. He wasn’t even trying to make me happy when he immediately said the ears I had made.
And then my heart exploded.
And then he asked me to make him a fox tail.
How to make a fox tail
You’ll need
- Elastic
- One 9″ x 12″ piece each of orange, and white felt
- Stuffing
Draw out a paper template that makes your desired fox tail shape, in a size that’ll let you cut two from your felt. Draw and cut white accents.
Sew the white accents onto the right sides of the orange pieces. Pin the right sides of the orange pieces together. Sew around the edge, leaving an opening. Turn right side out.
Fill the tail with stuffing, and sew shut. Take a length of elastic that matches the length around of the elastic waistband of a pair of your kid’s pants. Sew it shut in a loop. Sew the fox tail to the waistband.
Enjoy the cutest little fox ever on the planet.
In retrospect, we should’ve designed the ears to better withstand lots of awesome dance moves. But while those fox ears came off with nearly every jump, jive, and wail, Phil was a trooper. He never gave up on his ears, he planted em back on his head, and he just kept dancing.
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Freelance illustrator Steph Calvert is an award-winning artist with 24 years of experience working as a creative professional. She is based in McDonough, Georgia, just south of Atlanta.
Steph Calvert has expertise as a children’s book illustrator. She is an expert surface pattern designer for art licensing and creates line drawings for publishing and product design. Steph has years of additional expertise as a mural artist, creating original art, and logo design for small businesses. She is currently querying literary agents with her first author/illustrator book projects.
Writing CLIENTS INCLUDE
Moonfrye.com
OC Weekly
Educational Highlights
National SCBWI Conference, 2023
Illustration Summer Camp – The Highlights Foundation, 2021
Make Art That Sells, 2017
BFA in Computer Art – SCAD, 1999