Upcycled DIY Toddlers and Tiaras Costume

My friends and I love watching Toddlers and Tiaras! It somehow always makes us feel like better parents, LOL!

I grew up with a mom that can sew just about anything and a dad that created incredible sets for our local school and community theater productions. I had some AMAZING costumes growing up!! Luckily, I got SOME of their creativity, just not all of the skill. I always correct others when they say that I’m “so artistic.” I would rather be thought of as “crafty” and save the title of “artistic” for those with true artistic talent :)

I’m only 4’11”, so that really cuts down on the amount of costumes I think I can pull off. It also doesn’t help that my husband is 6’4”, so he makes me look even shorter! I can’t pull off sexy. I don’t like the gory/bloody/scary aspect of Halloween. So… I usually end up with – cute.

I LOVE to upcycle when I can. My first step was to call my cousin. She was my matron-of-honor for my wedding in 2003 and I was pretty sure she had no plans for the dress she wore. I knew it would work great because the skirt and top were separate. I handed over the skirt to my mom. She figured out how to do the “cupcake skirt”. She used the fabric from the entire skirt (including lining) and scrap fabric she had on hand – remember, she’s the sewer :)

I went to work on the top. There was a bit of chiffon that draped around the front neckline. I cut the chiffon off and created puffs for the shoulders. I spent several hours adding bling. I bought a cheap box of rhinestones at the craft store and had some sparkly ribbons left over from other projects. No real design when I started, I just started gluing!!

The biggest purchase was the 8” tiara. If you’re a fan of the show, you know that those tiaras are HUGE!!! That bad boy cost me $40. BUT, I’ve managed to find several uses for it and many have borrowed it. I also bought the sparkly shoes for about $10 – luckily I have small feet and can fit kids’ sized shoes most of the time. The socks I had from a ‘50’s costume and I just added some bling.

Hair –I just curled it and piled it on top of my head to fill up the tiara.

Makeup – I just piled that on too!!

I did wear some tan dance tights to stay a little warmer and a pair of ruffled bloomers under the skirt.