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DIY Dark Knight Super Hero Gloves

If you couldn’t already tell by the fringed black cape in this post, I am working on a Dark Knight Batman Costume for Elijah this year.  Today I’ll be walking you through how to make your own Dark Knight Super Hero Gloves.

Supplies

Black Pleather (I bought 1/2 yard)
Large piece of paper
Flexible tape measure
Pen/Pencil
Tracing pencil
Calculator (yes this one involves a little math)

Making the Basic Glove Pattern

The hardest part of this DIY is making a glove pattern that fits your child’s hand – but if I can do it, you can do it.  After this, it’s smooth sailing.

Sometimes I need a visual to help get me through the math. Here’s the drawing of my pattern to help you conceptualize what yours should look like.

– 1 –
Trace your child’s forearm and hand on a piece of large paper (inner line in picture) from fingertip to elbow.

– 2 –
Using the tape measure take the following four measurements (I’m including SIMPLE numbers for an easy math demonstration.  Make sure to measure your own!).

  • Around the elbow | 6″
  • Around the wrist | 4″
  • Around the palm (from thumb to pinkie finger with palm outstretched) | 6″
  • Around the base of the thumb | 1″

– 3 –
Divide each number in half and then center at the appropriate place on your tracing, making a dot on either side of the tracing.

  • Centered at the elbow | 3″
  • Centered at the wrist | 2″
  • Centered around the palm (from thumb to pinkie finger with palm outstretched) | 3″
  • Centered around the base of the thumb | 1″

Continue marking approximately 1/8″ around the base, length and tops of the fingers.

– 4 –
Connect the dots (middle line in the picture).  This is the allowance to move your child’s glove from 2D to 3D.

– 5 –
The final line we are going to draw is the seam allowance and the flare at the bottom of Batman’s gloves.  I added 1-1/4″ to either side of the elbow, 1/2″ to either side of the other markings, and 1/4″ around  the thumb and all fingers.

  • Centered at the elbow | 5-1/2″
  • Centered at the wrist | 3″
  • Centered around the palm (from thumb to pinkie finger with palm outstretched) | 4″
  • Centered around the base of the thumb | 1-1/2″

– 6 –
Connect the dots (smoothing lines as you go) for your final pattern.  Cut the pattern out and trace it to the wrong side of a piece of doubled pleather.  Cut two (for four total).

Warning: Do not pin the pleather unless absolutely necessary – it will leave permanent marks!!!

Spike Pattern

Batman’s gloves have three spikes each sewn into the pinky side seam.

  1. Make a trapezoid shape with 1-1/2″ inch sides (offset the top line by 1/2″)
  2. Set the trapezoid on a rectangle 1/2″ X 1-1/2″.
  3. Make a 1/4″ allowance on the right and left sides.
  4. Cut out the pattern and trace it on the wrong side of a piece of doubled pleather.  Place the top of the trapezoid along the fold.  Cut out 6 (for two gloves).

And now for the easy part . . .

– 1-
Sew the left and right sides of each spike and turn them inside out using a tracing pencil to gently push the corners through.

– 2 –
Pin the spikes facing downward to the inside of two glove pieces.  Pin as close to the edge as you can and ONLY over the spikes.

This picture demonstrates the direction and placement of the spikes. They will need to be pinned to the INSIDE of the cut gloves. NOTE: the shiny pleather side of the gloves faces inward.

– 3-
Seam around the glove as close to the edge as you can.  You are going to want to seam deep in the middle of the fingers so that you don’t end up with nubs 🙂 (lesson learned!).

– 4 –
Turn the glove inside out and push fingers through with the tracing pencil.

– 5 –
Repeat for the second glove and voila!  Dark Knight Super Hero gloves!!