Spiderman Cape and Mask Tutorial

Create an amazing Spiderman costume with a custom-dyed cape and painted mask! This fun project combines fabric dyeing and painting techniques to make a superhero outfit that any little one will love. Perfect for dress-up, Halloween, or just everyday superhero adventures.

Shopping list:

• Toddler Cape (we used a White/Black cape)
• iDye for Natural and Poly Fabrics (we used the iDye Poly Red #449)
• Half-Face Mask
• DecoArt SoSoft Opaque Fabric Paint (we used Lamp Black #24 and Christmas Red #25)
• Richeson Round Silk Brushes (we used SB2R and SB8R)
• Jar or cup for rinsing brushes
• Newsprint Paper
• Gloves
• Apron
• Scissors

Let's get started!

Pre-wash Your Cape

Begin by pre-washing your cape to make sure it is ready for dyeing. It can be dyed while still wet, so there is no need to dry them after being pre-washed (but do make sure it has been wrung out and isn't still sopping wet).

Prepare Your Dye Bath

For this project we're going to use the Polyester version of iDye. We've chosen the Red # 449 polyester iDye to best match our spidey inspiration. We'll be using the stove top method, which is an incredibly easy way to work with iDye. To begin, simply fill a fill a stainless steel or enamel pot with just enough hot water for the fabric to move freely and place over a stovetop. Set your stovetop to medium to high heat.

Add Dye and Intensifier

Once the water has come to a gentle boil, drop in your iDye packet. You will also find a separate packet of iDye Color Intensifier, add that as well. Be sure to stir the dye and color intensifier quite well to make sure both dissolve fully. If the contents don't properly dissolve that can lead to clumps in the dye and spotting during the process.

Once everything is properly dissolved, add the pre-washed wet cape and keep temperature at a simmer. Maintain the temperature of the pot and stir constantly for half an hour. Constant agitation will lead to a more uniform and even color. You may also leave the cape in for up to an hour if you would like an especially dark color.

Rinse and Dry

Remove the cape and rinse it with HOT water using a mild detergent. The cape can be dried immediately; we recommended doing so on a tumble dry low setting or line drying.

Paint the Spider Design

Once the cape is dry you can begin painting your spider outline. We suggest sliding a plastic bag or some sort of disposable barrier between the two panels of the cape so that the paint you'll be using doesn't soak through both sides of the cape.

We used the DecoArt SoSoft Opaque Paint in Lamp Black (#24) and the Richeson Round Silk Brushes, in particular sizes two and eight. Once the painting is complete allow the cape to lay flat and the paint to dry completely. We went with the SoSoft paint because of the small amount of paint required for this project and because it requires no heat setting.

Paint the Mask Base Color

For the mask portion of this project, we used a Half-Face mask in white. The mask comes with a black elastic cord which can be removed temporarily if you would like (we found doing that makes it easier to paint the mask). We painted the entire surface of the mask using the DecoArt SoSoft Opaque Paint in Christmas Red (#25). Once the mask is fully painted red, allow for it dry completely before moving onto the next step.

Cut Eye Holes

We wanted the eyes of the mask to be more oval in shape, so we lightly traced an outline and used scissors to cut the eye holes into the preferred shape.

Paint the Web Design

Now we can paint our web outline onto the mask. We used the same DecoArt SoSoft Opaque Paint in Lamp Black (#24) that we used to paint the spider symbol onto the back of the cape. We found that one 1 oz bottle of the black was more than enough for both the cape and the mask.

Final Assembly

Be sure to let both the mask and the cape dry fully before wearing. Once the mask was dried we added the elastic back onto it. The elastic can be adjusted as needed for toddlers of all sizes.