Kateri Tekakwitha Dress-Up Fun {Brown Paper-Bag Vest}

This was a fun simple project my 5 and 6 year old daughters and I enjoyed! It’s just an Indian style vest which we made after reading a story about Kateri Tekakwitha.

I had planned to make this with a large felt sheet, but I was unable to get to the store to by some. Well, the good part is this was much cheaper!! 😉 

It’s made from a large brown paper grocery bag and this went perfectly with our Christian Symbol Indian headbands

that we made for Bl. Kateri’s feast day last year!

You will need:

• a large brown paper bag

• scissors

• stapler

• crayons

Cut the bag down the center of a large side, as shown:

Cut of the bag’s bottom.

Trash the bottom of the bag you only need the large sheet of brown paper.

 The top of the bag is the bottom of the vest.

Be sure the store label will be on the inside of the vest.

Now cut out a curve for the neck area and round the top corners, as shown by the white lines in the picture:

The circles are the area you should cut the arm holes…..

When cutting the arm holes fold the bag in the center of the narrow sides of the bag. The center of triangular fold, which are naturally in the bag, should be at the top.

Cut the circles just below the triangular fold of the bag.

Your holes may need to be bigger or smaller depending on the size of the child.

Now use that triangular fold to create the shoulder.

Fold it toward the inside of the vest and staple it together.

That helps to create the natural curve of the shoulder.

Now have your child cut fringes into the edges of the vest all the way around.

And then they can color on it!!

My girls drew animals, tee-pees and Christian symbols like those on the headband.

Here they are dressed in costume!!

Don’t forget to make the headband!

Bl. Kateri, pray for us!

~Jen-Marie