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Carousel Dress Costume

I wanted to be something different and fun this year for Halloween! I was inspired by Katy Perry’s infamous carousel dress and thought “I can do that!”

Materials needed:

  • dress that is flowy on bottom
  • lampshade
  • tube insulator
  • bristol board
  • glue gun and glue
  • stapler
  • ribbon
  • scrapbook paper (optional)

First I got a skater dress (open and flowy on the bottom) from a thrift store. The flowy bottom is the top of the carousel where I put the lampshade underneath. I had to cut through the lampshade wire and around the top of the lampshade to fit my hips. Once I measured that out I stapled it back together to fit my hips and waist. I then glued the dress to the lampshade. I got my bristol board and took extra cardboard/bristol board to make a “lip” for the bristol board. This helped it gluing/stapling this material to the lampshade. See pics attached. I added scrapbook paper to make it look nicer. Then I took the tube insulator and attached it to the bottom of the bristol board. With the excess dress fabric, I covered the tube insulator. I printed the horses from the internet and put them on top of chopsticks for the poles. I added small flags with toothpicks and construction paper. I wore a black shirt on the top and printed off a bigger horse. The green on the carousel is ribbon that I glued with fabric glue because the glue gun melted the ribbon. I bought battery operated lights and put them around me!

No one that night was a carousel! I was so happy! I got many compliments. Caution for some of you thought, it is difficult and almost impossible to sit down. Also, when using the bathroom I had to take off the entire dress.

Carousel Dress Costume

Carousel Dress Costume



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