DIY Minne Mouse Ears
I did it! I was finally able to take my daughter to Disneyland! I had to make these DIY Minne Mouse Ears to mark the occasion. I have been wanting to bring her there since she was about 2. I have been seeing parents surprising their kids with a Disneyland trip all over Facebook, seeing commercials about it on my daughter’s beloved Disney Channel, and have heard her asking about going for the longest time. I still thought it would be a lot longer till I got to take her with my current financial situation because I always read about how expensive it was with the park hopper pass, staying in a resort nearby, and having to go at least 2-3 days to see the whole park. I knew I would at least take her to California to go to the beach while staying in Escondido in a nice condo my mom found a killer deal on and that I would at least take her to Legoland. Then I started investigating on my own, not just from other people or websites whose main goal is to make a commission off you and found out that it is almost the same price as Legoland if you get just a regular 1-day ticket. No park hopper, no additional days, no staying in the Disneyland resort, as long as you get it on a “value day” it is $97! And just $10 per person for the Max Pass which was so worth it. I figured 1 day would be better then not going at all right? Plus, my daughter is 4, she would not even know what a park hopper is! She was plenty entertained with Disneyland park. Without the park hopper we still didn’t have enough time to go through the whole park. It was totally worth it!
So, as I was trying to be frugal, I knew I was going to have to bring some things with to avoid having to pay exuberant prices at the park for things I knew we would want. I haven’t been since I was maybe 10, so I looked on Pinterest and saw Minnie Mouse Ears everywhere! Also, super cute Disney themed shirts or outfits so I went to work and made this Minnie Mouse Ears tutorial for all of you!
How To make minnie mouse ears
What you will need:
- Minnie Mouse Ears Template (I used this image here)
- Sequin Fabric for the ears (I used this in silver here
)
- Sequin Fabric for the bow (I used this in pink here
)
- Headband
- Foam Board (I got mine from the dollar store)
- Cotton stuffing for the ears
- Hot Glue
- Scissors
- Pins
- Sewing machine or needle and thread
)
)The Ears
Step 1:
First, print out your Minnie Mouse ears template and cut them out. With the fabric you want to use for the ears, pin or trace them on your fabric and cut 4 identical ear shapes out. 
Step 2:
Pin 2 of your ear shapes to each other, right sides together and sew around the edge leaving the bottom open. with about 3/8 seam allowance. Do the same with the other set of ear shapes and turn them right side out.
Step 3:
If you used the same template I did (linked above), it has a template for the foam which is just a little smaller than the ears shape you used for the fabric. Cut and trace that shape 2 times onto your foam board. I used a box knife to cut it, but you can use scissors if you don’t have something like that.
Step 4:
I used the same shape to cut out my stuffing so I could hot glue it onto the foam board. Glue it on the front, back, and cut a thin strip to glue along the edge.
Step 5:
Now stuff the foam board with stuffing into your ears. Mine still didn’t seem stuffed enough for me, so I pushed more stuffing in after till they were puffed up sufficiently. Depending on what kind of batting you use or your taste you may not need to stuff them more, it’s up to you!
Step 6:
Hot glue the bottom edge shut. This is the edge you glue on to your headband so it doesn’t need to look perfect. Then glue them on your headband.
Caution: Do not glue them too close together! This was my first attempt and when I put them on my head they did not look good. I had to take my iron to the headband to melt the glue, using the pointy edge of the iron to get between the ears and the headband. It was a daunting task. Luckily, a big bow goes between the ears so it would cover my mistake. This is before and after. Huge difference!
The Bow
Step 1:
Cut a rectangle out of the fabric you want for your bow. I cut mine 12″ x 15″. Then cut a smaller rectangle out for the middle of the bow. I cut mine 3″ x 4″.
Step 2:
Turn it so the wrong side is facing up and fold the longer side down in half then the opposite end up in half again so it is folded in thirds.
Step 3:
Now, fold the short end over into the middle. Then fold the opposite end the same way overlapping the other side like this.
Step 4:
Now you are going to do an accordion fold. Turn it over to the front and from the back pinch in the middle. With the middle still pinched, do a fold on top and bottom of the pinch fold, accordion style. Then do it again so you get your bow shape. I hot glued between each fold to keep it secure.
Step 5:
Now with your smaller rectangle piece, fold it in thirds long-way.
Step 6:
Wrap this piece around the center of your bow and secure with hot glue. Hot glue the bow between your Minnie Mouse ears on your headband.
Done!
I sure was happy I made these at home, plus was able to make the bow for my daughters Daisy outfit with the same fabric and have fabric to spare. Even though I had to buy a yard of each fabric and the headband it still ended up being less than they were selling them there. So many people had them but mine were different then the ones they were selling which was another bonus! There are so many variations you can make with these the possibilities are endless!
