It might be an understatement to say we are excited. My kids are the perfect age for superheros and with MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron coming to theaters May 1st, we are enjoying all the building excitement as we wait for the movie's release. Because my family is all about dressing up and imaginative play, I created a no-sew Captain America sweatshirt for my son. It is the perfect thing for our cool Spring evenings without messing up his superhero play.
My kids love dressing up. You might recall that we go all out for Halloween, but the truth is dress-up day is pretty much every day around here. I try to keep the dress-up box filled with their latest interests. We have been through pirates, fairies and even the UPS uniform, but right now it is all about the Avengers!
Of course my kids are not the only ones who get in on the fun. Our Patterdale Terrier, Huck, makes an excellent Thor, don't you think? And well, I do have an Ultron mask myself when I really want to get the kids' attention.
Now, my kids don't like to be the same Avenger day after day, so we had to stock up on all the new masks, hands and fun available for the coming movie.
We headed into our local Walmart, where you can find a wide selection of Avenger's fun. It all started the moment we walked in the door. We were greeted with these Discover, Play & Shop signs.
It is a great reminder that you can pick up toys, food and even enjoy the Walmart Super Heroes Assemble app while you shop in the store. You can find it on Google Play or through the App Store. If you enjoyed the previous Augmented Reality app for the first Avengers movie, you will want to check this one out!
In Super Heroes Assemble, your phone or tablet become a portal to exclusive Marvel's Avengers: Age of Ultron content. Watch movie clips and behind the scenes exclusives, plus, scan Avengers displays at Walmart and Walmart.com to become your favorite Avenger. The app really brings the heros to life and will get your kids even more excited to dress up and become their favorite heros.
Look for specially marked brands like Kellog's, Hasboro, Dr. Pepper or Marvel for secret surprises to unlock around the store.
Starting 4/30, you can scan any 12 packs of Dr. Pepper Avengers specially marked boxes or scan the in-store signage to unlock a digital comic book courtesy of Dr. Pepper!
Of course I had to make a stop at the toy section and found this packed display with toys, mask action figures. This is where I stocked up on all our masks, hulk hands, etc. for our role-play fun.
Though we love buying full costumes of our favorite characters, this time of year it is still rather chilly in the evenings. I wanted my son to be able to play after dinner without having to squash his superhero fun with a jacket.
I mean, how you can you be Hulk with a windbreaker?
So I went with my son's favorite character, Captain America and have plans to make others for my daughter and toddler, too.
Creating this no-sew Captain America Sweatshirt is fast and easy! It is a great thing to pair with the mask and shield we picked up at Walmart.
To get started you will need:
- 1 blue sweatshirt (go for the vibrant Captain America blue)
- 1 sheet of red felt
- 2 sheets of white felt
- 2 sheets of double stick fusible web
- scissors
- ruler
- pencil
- pins
I started by creating the white star. I used the Captain America shield we picked up at Walmart as a template, but any small star will work. You could also use a large star cookie cutter as a stencil.
Peel one side of backing off the fusible web, the side you did not trace your star on. Lay this on a piece of white felt and iron it on.
Cut out the star, remove the other side of the backing and iron this onto your blue sweatshirt. Be sure to iron the points of the star really well so they don't peel up.
Then it is time to make the stripes. I only used half of a sheet of fusible webbing and half of a sheet of felt lengthwise.
I laid both sheets on top of each other and pinned them. With a pencil I sketched out the shape of my stripes. Mine were about 2" wide.
I cute both sheets together so my stripes would match. Then I selected the alternating stripes I needed and ironed them onto the bottom of the sweatshirt. Remember to peel off the backing and allow enough time for the fusible web to heat and bond to the material.
It was the perfect thing to inspire my little hero to go "avenge" in the backyard. Now, you can use a few simple hand stitches to secure this if you want, but the fusible web does a great job for play clothes like this.
Yes, my little guy can dress up like his hero Captain America, despite cooler weather. I guess I might have to make a T-shirt version for him as the days get warmer, but either way, he is dressed to play!
Now you know how we are dressing up and getting ready for the release of MARVEL's The Avengers: Age of Ultron. How are you getting in on the fun?
