How to Create an Original Costume
Start collecting cardboard boxes and tubes now., Select a kind of costume: this is possibly the most vital part of creating your costume but sometimes it is also the hardest., Look around for parts of your costume., Plan your costume., Select your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Start collecting cardboard boxes and tubes now.
These will always come in handy. -
Step 2: Select a kind of costume: this is possibly the most vital part of creating your costume but sometimes it is also the hardest.
Sometimes the theme for your fancy dress is already set, e.g. you must be dressed as a witch, but other times the theme is more general, e.g. book character.
When choosing your outfit, think about any props you already have or will be able to get hold of.
Sometimes it’s better to have a simple idea and a great costume than a fantastic idea and a poor costume.
If you know any young children then it is likely they’ll have lots of common props such as swords, toy guns, pirate eye patches.
Talk to people you know and ask for their ideas.
Be smart about who you ask, if you need to dress up as a book character then talk to someone who is interested in books, if you need to dress up for a science fete then talk to someone interested in science.
Make sure that you like the idea, you are going to have to wear it after all. , Don’t try fancy dress shops until you’ve looked at charity shops and pound/dollar stores.
Goodwill is a good example.
Don’t forget to raid your wardrobe, fancy dress box and your relatives’ old clothes.
Don’t be left feeling gutted because you bought something you already had at home. , Evaluate your finds from the step above and plan your costume.
Some costumes rest on their simplicity but on the whole don’t let your costume rely on one prop, but try to make every part count.
It is not advised to plan your outfit before you’ve checked out the shops as it may lead you to ignore a really good prop.
Don’t make the project too big, after all you want it finished for the big day, plus you’ll probably only wear it once.
While planning you should consider how long it will take you to make it and also how easy it will be to get your hands on key items. , For most outfits you don’t need to customize the trousers much but the top may be a completely different story.
Go for plain and cheap.
If you are not customizing much, it may be worth spending a little more, but if you’re only going to wear it once then quality is not that important. , You may need fabric paints, PVA, wigs, glasses, hats, jewellery, stickers, glitter. , This depends on what you’ve chosen to be but make sure you start well in advance.
Some costumes may not need much customising, but you will probably need to make at least one prop or customise one piece of clothing if you want to stand out from the crowd and show that you’ve put in the effort. , If you’re a guy who doesn’t wear make-up but you need a bruise, scar, motif etc on your face, then you should get advise from a female friend. , -
Step 3: Look around for parts of your costume.
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Step 4: Plan your costume.
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Step 5: Select your base costume item
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Step 6: a top and a bottom (trousers etc) or a dress.
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Step 7: Buy the rest of your stuff too.
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Step 8: Make your costume.
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Step 9: Test out your costume and your makeup before the day.
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Step 10: Keep looking for props even when you think your costume is complete
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Step 11: you don’t want to miss anything!
Detailed Guide
These will always come in handy.
Sometimes the theme for your fancy dress is already set, e.g. you must be dressed as a witch, but other times the theme is more general, e.g. book character.
When choosing your outfit, think about any props you already have or will be able to get hold of.
Sometimes it’s better to have a simple idea and a great costume than a fantastic idea and a poor costume.
If you know any young children then it is likely they’ll have lots of common props such as swords, toy guns, pirate eye patches.
Talk to people you know and ask for their ideas.
Be smart about who you ask, if you need to dress up as a book character then talk to someone who is interested in books, if you need to dress up for a science fete then talk to someone interested in science.
Make sure that you like the idea, you are going to have to wear it after all. , Don’t try fancy dress shops until you’ve looked at charity shops and pound/dollar stores.
Goodwill is a good example.
Don’t forget to raid your wardrobe, fancy dress box and your relatives’ old clothes.
Don’t be left feeling gutted because you bought something you already had at home. , Evaluate your finds from the step above and plan your costume.
Some costumes rest on their simplicity but on the whole don’t let your costume rely on one prop, but try to make every part count.
It is not advised to plan your outfit before you’ve checked out the shops as it may lead you to ignore a really good prop.
Don’t make the project too big, after all you want it finished for the big day, plus you’ll probably only wear it once.
While planning you should consider how long it will take you to make it and also how easy it will be to get your hands on key items. , For most outfits you don’t need to customize the trousers much but the top may be a completely different story.
Go for plain and cheap.
If you are not customizing much, it may be worth spending a little more, but if you’re only going to wear it once then quality is not that important. , You may need fabric paints, PVA, wigs, glasses, hats, jewellery, stickers, glitter. , This depends on what you’ve chosen to be but make sure you start well in advance.
Some costumes may not need much customising, but you will probably need to make at least one prop or customise one piece of clothing if you want to stand out from the crowd and show that you’ve put in the effort. , If you’re a guy who doesn’t wear make-up but you need a bruise, scar, motif etc on your face, then you should get advise from a female friend. ,
About the Author
Kevin Sullivan
Enthusiastic about teaching lifestyle techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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