Detective Attire
Get decked out in the latest undercover attire with this gadget and gizmo-filled detective vest and felt fedora.

Detective Vest

Cost: $5.00
Time: 30 minutes

Here's what you need:

• Material
• Buttons
• Toys, notepad, pencil
• Construction paper

Here's what you do:

• Cut out fabric following vest pattern (PDF).
• Sew or glue the sides and shoulders together on the vest.
• Sew buttons on.
• Cut pockets out of felt scraps and sew or glue on vest.
• Gather up miniature toys, notepad, and pencil.
• Use permanent marker to write inventive names for the toys on white tape.
• Make name badge (PDF) from blue and black construction paper.
• Hot-glue felt toys, toy names, and nametag to vest.
• Pin vest closed with safety pins.

Detective Hat

Cost: $4.00
Time: 45 minutes

Here's what you need:

• 1/2 yd. of yellow felt
• Poster board
• 11/2' of bright blue grosgrain ribbon
• Clear fabric glue
• X-ActoŽ knife or utility knife
• Scissors
• Tape measure

Here's what you do:

Figure 1

• Measure circumference of person's head.
• Draw circumference on two pieces of felt and poster board.
• Draw another circle 2" wider than circumference.
• Cut all felt and poster board into circles, following outermost circle.
• Using clear fabric glue, glue a piece of felt to each side of poster board.

Figure 2

• Draw lines, dividing circumference into 8 equal triangles.
• Using an X-ActoŽ knife, cut along these lines.
• Snip off the top 1" of each point with scissors.
• Fold the sections up to form a 90-degree angle with the brim.

Figure 3

• Cut a band of felt about 7" tall to fit around the base of the hat.
• Apply glue to the brim and glue to the base of the hat.
• Turn hat over and fold about 1" of fabric in and glue sides together. Turn hat back over and glue blue grosgrain ribbon around it.