I absolutely adore these ears, and I’m sure you can tell from the picture that I’m not the only one either.
I can’t tell you how many time I’ve said recently…”You want to wear them to the store? Sure, why not!”
They’re simple, versatile, and down right adorable. Why haven’t I made them in every color already?
Stuff you’ll need:
pins – a needle and thread – 4 ear pieces cut using this
printable pattern (do not fit to page)
2 metal snap clips, preferably 50mm with a hole at the top (optional)
I like to trace my pattern directly onto the fleece with a sharpie.
Just make sure you allow the ink time to dry before cutting, or you’ll have multicolored scissors.
You could also substitute felt if you are only planning to make ears, and not the
entire costume.
Place two ear pieces together, and stitch the sides and top.
(A 1/4″ seam allowance has already been added to the pattern.)
Clip the corners.
Fold the two layers in the opposite direction so that the side seam ends are now touching.
Stitch along the bottom edge leaving a gap for turning.
I know it looks odd, but leaving the opening off to the side makes it much easier to hand-stitch closed.
Turn your ear right side out.
Stitch the opening closed.
Press one outside point back into the other to form the hallow of your ear.
You could stop now and leave it like this, or continue on with the top-stitching.
Here’s the difference…
From everyone I’ve asked, the vote seems to be split down the middle as to which is better.
What do you think? I’m still undecided myself, but Ant prefers the top-stitched ones.
If you’d like to add the top-stitching, roll the seam between your fingers to get a sharp edge.
Then stitch around again using a 1/4″ seam allowance.
You can sew your ears directly onto your hoodie, or attach them to a snap clip so they can be worn anytime.
If you’d like to have both the hair clip and hoodie options, simply mark the location you like best on your hood,
and then stitch a pair of buttonholes for the clips to slide into. I found that a 1/2″ button makes the perfect size holes.
Also, when attaching your ears to the hood try to remember that pony ears tend to point straight up,
while cat and other critters point a little more out to the sides.
Sorry, unicorn magic is not included with the free pattern. 😉
Ta da! They’re so easy, you could just whip up a few pairs in different colors,
and toss them into the dress-up box. But don’t forget to make a pair for yourself too!
Black ears, some eyeliner whiskers, and a black sweater = instant cat costume. You’re welcome.
Hope everyone has a great weekend.
We’ll pick back up on Monday with the super snazzy unicorn horns!
PS – If you’re enjoying this sew-along, I’d really appreciate a little +1 action.
Let’s show Google how much we love our My Little Pony costumes!
My Little Pony Sew-along Links
The pink ones backwards look a little bit like beaks. Just so's you know 😉
Now you make me want to add an elastic to it and make a funky bird costume just for you!
super cute, and if you add little elastic strip you could put them on a headband
I think that's as good a reason as any!!
awesome! We have done ears before and they didn't work out – I love the way you have done yours and your clear instructions makes me feel confident I can do it! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much! I'm so glad you were able to follow my direction (I really do worry about that every time I make a tutorial!), and I'm positive you can do it!
The top stitched ones will hold their shape better but the un-stitched ones look more real to me.
That's exactly how I feel! The top-stitched ones are probably better for kids, but I personally like the shape of the un-stitched ones better. Form vs function I guess.
These are great! My daughter's MLP party is this Saturday and these are so quick and easy to make! Thanks for the wonderful idea! Come check out my DIY decor for her party, if you'd like, at handicraftiness.blogspot.com!
~Julia
Thanks Julia! I say your adorable Rarity dress already, but I'll have to check out your party soon too!
Thanks for linking this up. I'm so impressed at how crafty you are!!
Thanks Megan!
would these stay put if i glued them to a headband with ultra tacky glue or superglue?
That's a good question! I've never tried it, but I think it would depend on the size of the headband you used. They're pretty long (a little over 2") so I'm not sure how well they would attach to those skinny plastic kind of headbands. The knit tube kind (that kinda look like sweat bands) would probably work well. They are very light weight though, so if you use a really strong glue you might be able to pull it off.
hi! after i stitch and cut the corners i am confused as to where to fold the ear exactly…im stuck at the step
"Fold the two layers in the opposite direction so that the side seams are now touching." any help would be most appreciated! need these for the weekend!! thank you so much in advance =) adorable little girl you have there too! <3
Hi Dani. Lets say you have the ear sitting in front of you with the flat bottom edge toward you, and the top point facing away; You should have a straight vertical piece on the left, and one on the right. Place your thumbs in between the layers like it's a little pocket, and then slide one to the left and one to the right so you can pinch those vertical sides. On either side you should be pinching the seam that you used to secure the two layers together. Still pinching, bring your thumbs together in the center and pin the two seams so they are matched up evenly. That should bring you to step 4. Hope that helps!
Great tutorial! I've done the entire RD costume. My 6yo daughter LOVES it — esp the tail and wings she can (and does) wear with every outfit! LOL!
I'm stuck on the LAST STEP of finishing her costume — the EARS! I've followed along and did great up to the step where you turn the ear right-side out and stitch the opening closed. CHECK! I now have two triangle-shaped ears. In the next step, you mention to "Press one outside point back into the other to form the hallow of your ear." OMG. I CANNOT figure this out! I have two triangle ears and cannot figure out how to make them look like yours! I've tried pressing points in and out all over but nothing looks right. Can you give any clarification on this? Seems I have 3 points: the Top, Left and Right points. Please explain which ones to press into the other! TIA for your help!!
EEEEEK! Please ignore my earlier comment. I just somehow magically figured out the ears and am moving on! Thanks a bunch!! 🙂
So glad you were able to figure it out. I try to explain the steps as best I can, but I know some directions like that one are just completely confusing no matter what I say. 🙂
Can someone please give me the measurements of the ears pattern? My printer died and I am unable to print the pattern!
I think I could figure it out with just the bottom measurement. Vicki
They are 4 3/4" wide, 1 1/2" on the sides, and 3 3/4" tall at the highest point. Good Luck!
Thank you. It worked.
Have you ever made these smaller. Say for a 12 month old. I'm worried they will be to big for her little head. Can you suggest a measurement? I'm not sure cutting the measurement in half would be to small
Hi Amber, I have never tried a smaller version before, but if you remove 1/4" the whole way around it should still work. I know it doesn't sound like much, but they would be 1/2" smaller than the regular ones. Good Luck!
That is so cute! It gives a lot of idea…even for me! I will make some black one like a kitty. Thanks for sharing!
http://morgirunsaway.blogspot.fr
Thanks Morgi! They really are great for a whole bunch of different critters!
Hi hun, I made these for my daughters birthday party! Your tutorial is so easy to follow! I posted pics on my blog and linked your tutorial 🙂
Thanks for the great ideas!!
Thanks for the heads up Kat. I can't wait to go check out your party!
My Audrey wants a My Little Pony birthday party next month, so guess what we'll be making! Thanks for the awesome tutorials. The girls will love these!
Sweet! Pony parties are so much fun! I can't wait to see the pictures!
I tried to make the ears and the unicorn horn but didn't work out. Maybe it's the template, can you tell me what the measurements are so I can check it?
I'm so sorry they've been giving you trouble. The ear pattern is 4 3/4" wide, 1 1/2" on the sides, and 3 3/4" tall at the highest point. The horn is 5 1/2" from bottom to top and 4 1/2" wide at the bottom. If they are still giving you problems let me know and I will do what I can to help. Good Luck!
Hi Toni, first of all, thank you for the tutorials and patterns. I have a quick question since I can't figure out the ears visually. If I wanted to sew longer ears, which part of the pattern should I be extending? For example, if the ear pattern was a house, would I:
1. Make the side walls longer and keep the roof the same
or
2. Make the roof pitch higher and keep the walls the same?
Sorry if I'm not making any sense. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Makes total sense! Personally, I would increase the pitch of the roof since the "walls" form the width of the base once everything is stitched together. It really depends on the shape you're going for. You might need to adjust both slightly in order to keep them looking proportionate, but you can always test with a stapled piece of paper before you sew anything. Hope that helps!
I just used your pattern to make myself cat ears (Halloween). Thanks a lot!
Awesome! You're very welcome. Happy Halloween!
I'm prepping to make two MLP costumes for my twins at Halloween but just used your awesome ear pattern to make cat ears for a play that they are in! thank you for the great tutorial. wish me luck on the ponies 😉
That's awesome Elizabeth! I love how those simple little ears can be used for so many different critters! Good luck with your twin's pony costumes. That's definitely an undertaking. Just take them one step at a time, and I'm sure they'll turn out amazing!
My little girl wants a MLP birthday party, so we’re making these as party favors! thank you so much for sharing this pattern. They look lovely.
this whole project is darling…. and my grand daughter loves little ponies….so Granny will be making her a bunch of ears for her and her friends when she turns 4 real soon. i will try to send pictures, not real good at that yet.. LOL