Coolest DIY Steampunk Tinkerbell Costume

I actually made this Steampunk Tinkerbell costume for a past Halloween, but my youngest daughter loved seeing it on her older sister so much, she wanted to wear it as well. I made a few adjustments and upgrades, and it was as good as new. This costume consists of so many different parts. I was able to get much of it by thrifting clothes we found and giving them a new spin and new life.

The Top

Tinkerbell’s top is a mix of two shirts. One was a green velvet shirt that I cut the sleeves off of. The other was a lacy shirt whose sleeves got used.

The Skirt

The skirt was a long, white eyelet skirt. I dyed it spring green and shortened it to knee length. Then, I used the tan tulle from another skirt to add some flounces. The tan tulle came from the same skirt that I used for the lacy underskirt, to add a peek of lace and a little more volume from some fabric store tulle.

Steampunk Touches

To make the skirt more Tinkerbell-like, I sewed on some leaves from green velvet and green felt, as well as green organza. I tied on some gathered acorns for a natural touch. To make the skirt more steampunk, I used craft foam and metallic rub-n-buff to make a gear wheel. Then, I used craft store metal gears layered on top and attached the whole thing to the waistband. It does pull on the skirt a little since the gears are heavy, but it doesn’t seem to bother my daughter too much.

The Corset

Every steampunk lady needs a leather corset, even Tinker Bell, so that was my next project. I used the duct-tape and plastic wrap method to make a pattern. Then, I used craft foam as my base and faux leather sewn together to make the actual corset. I found some metal door closures at a craft store and used those on my faux leather straps on the front. I used grommets and string to actually cinch it all together in the back.

The Wings

The wings were a lot of trial and error. I finally found the right combination of bendable but heavy, yet light-enough wire to make the design I wanted. Then, I used iridescent cellophane, sprayed it with spray adhesive, and sandwiched the wire with a top layer of cellophane. Then, I used a heat gun to melt everything just enough to tighten it up and look nice. I cut a few more gears from craft foam and glued them to the middle of the wings. A wire “U” shape allows me to tuck the wings into the back of the corset.

The Finishing Touches

The gloves were sewn from faux leather fabric, and then I cut up a thrift store belt and attached the wristbands with Velcro.

Last but not least, the boots were a thrift store find. I used rub-n-buff to make them more metallic and steampunk, and even used my last two craft store gears threaded through the shoelaces. The white pom-poms finish off the look.

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