After beating Ocarina of Time for the 3DS it didn't take long for Ari to declare that he wanted to be Link for Halloween. No sooner did he say it, I started planning how to make the costume. I originally planned to make a tunic and hat for him, but was concerned about my limited sewing skills. Upon studying a picture of young Link from the video game, it looked as if his tunic was just a big polo shirt. With an idea in my head, we went shopping.
I was surprised how hard is was to find a green polo shirt for boys, but we finally found a green button-up shirt that looked the part. Ari tried it on and it came down to just above his knees. I found two belts in the store and buckled one around his waist and one across his chest and it looked perfect. Our little Link was coming together. Now it was time to equip him with some weapons and accessories.
My weapons search was in full swing when the living history encampment, Koh-Koh-Mah, was holding it's annual event. I was excited to search the vendors for a sword, bow and arrow, and other items Link had in the game. The first item we found was a little leather pouch that I could wrap around his belt. The other item we found at Koh-Koh-Mah was a little wooden sword complete with a sheath. I was very happy to find that sword because I could attach the sheath the belt that went across his chest. Our trip was successful, but I still wanted a couple more items to complete the ensemble.
I went to the internet to find the rest of the items. I found an inexpensive bow and arrow, boomerang, and even an ocarina. His costume was really coming together, but he still needed boots and a hat. We found some Ugg type boots that worked really well; plus, they fit Valerie. Bonus! I made his hat after finding an elf hat pattern on the internet, which came together a lot easier than I thought. We also stumbled upon a Legend of Zelda belt buckle on clearance at Toys-R-Us that I snatched right up. And, I printed an image of the Hylian Shield and taped it onto a Nerf shield Ari already had. After all that, his costume was finally complete.
I was surprised how much Ari looked like Link. I showed him the side-by-side picture that I posted above and he couldn't wipe the smile off his face. He looked at it in awe and was quite pleased with himself. The best part about this costume is that he can play with all the items after the trick-or-treating is over. Plus, he has a couple of nice belts and a nice green button-up shirt for the future. Valerie also got a nice pair of boots out of it. Definitely a costume to remember.
