My friend Claudia’s son wants to be Link from the video game Zelda for Halloween this year. Since I had 3 Links last year (in the game Zelda: Fourswords there are 4 Links all dressed in different colors) I told her I’d post instructions on how I made the costumes.
First, Link needs some basic clothing. White or tan pants - you could probably get away with khakis if your kids aren’t sticklers for detail like mine, or the pants from a karate gi would be perfect. Link also wears a long-sleeved shirt under his tunic - a lighter color than the tunic. I ended up getting my green Link an XS shirt from the women’s area at Target - light green is not an easy color to find for a boy - but a less picky Link could probably even wear a white turtleneck.
For the tunic I just measured from the front of one hip, over the shoulder to the back of the hip and cut a piece of fleece to the same length. The width was slightly larger than the measurement across his shoulders. This piece of fabric was folded in half and I cut a 6″ slit and the rounded it in the back and made it a v-neck in the front.
The only sewing I did for this costume was one straight line for the hat. This would have been really easy to do by hand, or staples or safety pins would also work. I measured Link’s head circumference and made a triangle with that measurement as the bottom leg of the triangle and the approximate height of the hat as um, that line that would go from the point of the triangle down to the line, I can’t remember what it is called! Anyway, just sew the two non-head-circumference sides together and trim the brim as needed to even things up.
As you can see from the back of this shield it isn’t high tech and requires no fancy materials. There is a piece of funky foam under the duct tape handle to make it comfortable and stable. All three shields are still going strong after a year of use, so no complaints about durability either. Making the handle off center makes it easier for Link to hold in front of himself, and these handle will also allow the whole wrist to go through - Link has a candy bucket to carry too, you know!
The shields are about 18″ tall and 12″ wide. First I cut the cardboard and spray painted it red (I actually had this darker red color from another project.) Then I put duct tape around the edges - half of the width of the tape is on the front and half is on the back - which makes the edge nice and neat. The swirls were drawn with a silver sharpie, the triangles are funky foam attached with white glue, and the eagle/bird/alien/whatever is cut out of white paper and glued on. Since I had plenty of time to let these dry I painted the whole front with mod podge to seal it, but that’s totally optional.
The sword is one of the free paint stirrers you get when you buy a 5 gallon bucket of paint. We had a lot of those around here, right Scott? Anyway, it is spray painted silver and the handle and hand guard are funky foam (glued on.)
The belt buckles are also funky foam threaded on a piece of brown fleece, these are tied over the tunic to hold everything down.
Looking again, I realize I did a bit more sewing. The boots are basically brown legwarmers - so just tubes - with a shoe-top flap on them the shoe flaps were attached to their shoes with rubber bands. As I tell the kids over and over - it is going to be dark, we can relax on the finer points!
So, when are you going to write a book? I way prefer your style to Martha’s (well, she has her moments) and she doesn’t have three young children to distract her. How do you do it?! I love the Halloween decorations. For a party perhaps? Might we crash? : )
Lol! Why yes, there will be a party - emailing the details!
yes I finally made it to your blog and I have been enjoying myself. thanks for the link info. I hope it wasn’t to much trouble. your decorations look great and I love your quilt.I really want to try my hand at quilting. I’ll call you tomorrow about what to bring for the party!
My 9 year old son Ethan is a HUGE fan of Legend of Zelda, and he found your description online himself and emailed me the link and has been asking me every day to get started making him a costume!
I was thrilled to find it so detailed, and fairly simple to create. I’m VERY impressed with your description and your generosity of spirit to share this information. I just know it’s going to make lots of kids (including mine) very happy as it helps to inspire their imagination! Thank you!
Sincerely,
Lauren Archer
http://www.PositiveCentral.com
Thank you for posting this instruction. My 8 yr old son wants to be link this Halloween, and I knew I would have to make it. Your instructions are so easy and I’m looking forward to getting started.
thanks!
Dina
So I am 22 and also want to be Link this Halloween. Any suggestions on how to tailor the instructions/costume for some one 6 feet, 4 inches. After my homemade Captain Crunch costume last year, people are expecting big things from me this Halloween. I think your Link costume might do the trick. Thanks!
LOL - Just get a really big piece of fleece! No, but seriously, 1 yard will be plenty. The only other thing you’ll have to scale up is the shield, 24-28 inches would probably be right.
Cool instructions easy and simple! I am 12 yrs old and think that with these instructions I can get my costume done before Halloween! These instructions are AWESOME!!!! They r teh uberest i’ve ever seen! Other instructions on how to make this costume would take 3 months to finish! But with these ones I could get it done in 19 days (with my Mom’s help)! Once again UBER INSTRUCTIONS!!!!!!
I came on and did a search for making a link costume and your blog popped up. Its WONDERFUL! All the other instructions i found were not so easy and to much work for only having less then a month to do it. My son loved the pics and cant wait for me to start! Thank you so much for sharing this with us!
Very innovative. Much simpler than what I was going to attempt. Thank you for your instructions.
I have hope that my son can still be Link for a good price! Thank you so much for posting this with pics!!! He can even help with this costume!!
Thx so much for the very easy instructions. This is going to make my boys day, when he gets home and finds out mommy is goning to make his costume and HE can help too!! Very thankful!!
i love playing zelda.im a big zelda fan!!! ZZZZZZZZZEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLDDDAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!! I <3 playing ZELDA!!!!!!!
I’m a bit confused for the actual tunic. How do you get it to look the way you did if you did not so anything on it? The way you describe it seems to me like the fabric would then be like tunic that is open on the sides? Let me know ASAP please how exactly the tunic should look. I am really trying to pull together this costume between now and next Friday. Thanks so much.
Shawn - it is open on the sides but your belt will hold everything in place. Also, fleece tends not to slide or shift around a lot, so once you have it on it will pretty much stay where it is.
HTH!
My son has been begging me to start his Link costume but the first few suggestion sites looked way too involved. I am so glad to have found your suggestions that seems pretty easy to execute. He will be so excited to see what we can do. Thanks for being so generous with your advice.
This is awesome. The first site I went to would have probably taken a month to finish, but with 6 days till Halloween, I prefer these instructions. Now I can be link for Halloween, not Thanksgiving. Thanks.
I am 10 yrs old and I want to be link this Halloween too! your instructions are easy and there awsome! where do you get the funky foam?
You should be able to get sheets of funky foam at a craft store - it is also called fun foam.
HTH
I just wanted to thank you for the easy to follow directions. My son had changed his mind at the last minute & decided he wanted to go as Link. I knew I would not find a costume in the store for him. So I searched the internet & came across your directions. They are great, especially for a someone like me, who does not sew. It took me 3 hours yesterday to make everything (hat,tunic,belt,boot/shoe covers). I even made a sword holder to go around his back. Instead of sewing I used the hem tape that you iron to fuse it together. It has a strong hold & worked great. Thank you again for sharing your instructions.
OMG! U’r are so nice and CREATIVe! i saw this like 2 months ago and i can totally do this ! i’ve been waiting for two years but i never had the time! especially that had to much sewing details for my clumsy 12yo fingers! THANK U SO MUCH!!
Thank you so much! You should write a book! My little brother wanted a Link costume, and he got it!
<3
By the way, your kids are ADORABLE!
Ok I want to make the hat for my boyfriend for valentines day and this really helped! Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Merci beaucoup pour les instructions…
My son Arnaud is a fan of Link & Zelda and I didn’t know exactly who should I make this costume for next Friday (school party)…
Many thanks from France to you
(Internet est merveilleux!)
These costumes are awesome!
My mom is making me link (twilight princes version) costume for halloween this year I was going to be Leon Kennedy from resident evil 4 even though im only 12 (yes that means I played the game) but we decided link would be more reconised so thats what I am going with and the guide really helped thanks!
Oh and I may have to dye my hair blonde (it is brown now) *wink*
im a kid, to getting my grandma to make me a link costume, and she says she cant find fleece at any places. where do they sell fleece?
Tristan - If you are in the US she should be able to find it at any fabric store. It is also sometimes sold as polar fleece. There are a number of online fabric stores that sell it if she is comfortable shopping online. Hope this helps -
H
I have made our kids costumes for years. Now is the time I go searching on the internet to find pictures and figure out how to make it. Our son will easily be link this year so one out of the way……Thank you for posting this..
Thanks so much for the super easy intrutions My 11 year old now can finally be link! Instead of making a cap I simply to a green pointy elf hat and cut off the bell on the end and the red trim around the head.
WOW! the gift that keeps on giving right?! Looks like you left these precious, simple, heaven sent directions years ago and I alike the many others just discovering (10 yearold boys wants to be link) have been thankin you all over the place. You rock little lady! Thanks so much going to the store in a bit for the easy list of supplies
Rachel Thx
the triangle of three triangles is called a tri-force!!
WOW thanx a million! it seems so simple i cant wait to get started on making one for myself (im 12) i LOVE the game and have been searching 4 a simple way to make a link costume and now ive found it! thank you so much =] reakon they sell ‘funky foam’ in Australia? =D hope so +thank you+
have you ever played the new zelda twilight princess?? its very awsome: just like those outfits <3 thanks for the instructions !!(12 yrs old)
heyy, Zelda+Midna :D, i totally agree with u the twilight princess game is soooooo awesome its the best game eva! although i cant quite finish it (very hard)