Greek Costume from a Sheet

• Kids can quickly make a Greek costume with just a plain sheet. Wear a short sleeved shirt underneath. Hold one corner up near your cheek as you wrap the sheet around your body under your arms. Tie the two top corners together at one shoulder or pin the sheets at the shoulder with a heavy metal brooch. For a female costume, cinch the waist with a gold rope or a thick gold belt. The men in ancient Greece wore a toga. The toga is an extra piece of colored cloth that is draped across the shoulder and cinched with the belt at the waist. Complete the costumes with sandals. Make a headpiece out of a plastic ivy to form a wreath around your head.
  
  

Greek Costume with Painted Hemline

• Kids can add a touch of class to the classic Greek costume with the use of a paintbrush. Start with a white bedsheet or a piece of soft cloth sized to fit around the wearer. Lightly mark a line 9 to 12 inches up from the bottom hem. Paint this bottom edge solid gold or with a Greek key pattern. Make a special brooch for the shoulder by drawing a cardboard circle three inches in diameter. Cover this cardboard with aluminum foil. Hot glue the foiled cardboard to a large pin. Attach the brooch to the shoulder of the costume. Cinch the waist line with a silver- or gold-colored belt. A flowered or leafy wreath completes the Greek costume.
  
  

Greek Costumes with Simple Sewing

• If your kids are ready to learn the fundamentals of using a sewing machine, a Greek tunic costume is a great beginning sewing project. The Greeks did not begin to sew clothes until the fourth century B.C.E. Use soft, easily draped material. Purple cloth was the sign for royalty in ancient Greece. Originally it was thought that Greeks only wore white because the understanding of ancient Greek culture was taken from marble statures. Now experts realize the marble statues once had painted clothing, but the paint has worn off over time.
  
  Draw a front and back tunic pattern from newspaper before cutting from the cloth. The tunic looks like a long t-shirt. The neckline may be either round or v-neck. Make sure the short sleeves are wide enough to drape around the arms. The length of the tunic may be long or short. Cut the paper pattern out and check for size. Then use the paper pattern to cut out the material. Carefully sew the front of the tunic to the back of the tunic. Roll the cloth on the neckline and stitch to make a finished edge. A contrasting color cloth can be sewn on as a border at the hemline. Stitch the hem and edge of the sleeves for a finished edge. The tunic should be belted at the waist. Sandals and other accessories can be added to complete the costume.