We’re sure that Thursday 4th March has been marked off on your calendar for quite some time now, in preparation for the battle of the costumes that is World Book Day – even though it will most likely be taking place virtually this year.
To get a further insight into the most popular characters and ways to generate costumes, nursery chain, Kiddi Caru, put out a survey to over 750 parents. From this, they found that up to 23% of respondents are expecting Disney princesses to be the most popular costume for this World Book Day, with the iconic Elsa from Frozen being the top pick. And for anyone out there who lives in fear that they will be confronted with the fact that Disney princesses aren’t technically book characters, most of these tales have some kind of written version or originate from a classic fairy tale anthology. At least that’s what how we’re justifying it!
So, with that in mind, we’ve pulled together some of the best tutorials and top tips to help you create the perfect ice princess ensemble for your little munchkin.
The Hair
As well as that infamous sparkling blue dress, Elsa is perhaps most known for her bright blonde hair and swooping side braid. Now, there are multiple avenues you can go down when trying to recreate this look. If you’re lacking in time or hair-styling skills, then there are plenty of ready-to-wear wigs out there. Or maybe your child has a short crop of ginger hair so full head of blonde locks would help them to feel more in tune with their chosen fantasy – this is where a wig would come in handy.
If you’re looking to go for the more hands-on approach and braid your child’s hair yourself, then you may want to look into an online tutorial or two to help you along the way. We’ve found a great one here that talks you through sectioning out the hair and how to gradually bring it all together, creating the perfect Elsa braid.
The Costume – for non-sewers
Now let’s get down to the real obstacle in any parent’s World Book Day adventure – the costume. To sew or not to sew; that is the question. However, if you’re lacking in sewing ability, and you’ve got your heart set on making your little one a costume from scratch, all is not lost. Ultimately, Pinterest is going to be your best friend, regardless of your chosen creative method. We can all but guarantee that someone on there will have shared their wisdom when it comes to being crafty at home.
We’ve found a great no-sew tutorial which involves securing your pieces of fabric with a roll of silver duct tape, that can be easily sourced online or in stores. You could also use fabric glue if you’re so inclined – depending on your skill level or resources. For this costume you’ll need to purchase enough blue fabric that will be able to wrap around your child one and a half times, as well as some tulle of the same, or similar colour. For the base of the outfit, you’ll need a long-sleeved, white t-shirt – which we’re sure you could find stuffed in an old drawer or on sale at any clothing store. The additional fabrics will come together to create the skirt portion of the dress, with the t-shirt acting as the top. This would work well with any colour scheme, if you’re looking for sure-fire way to make some of the other classic Disney princesses in the future.
The Costume – for sewers
Back to Pinterest we go, and there’s a wide variety of intermediate to expert level guides and patterns to help you sew your very own miniature Elsa costume. We’ve chosen one that is more tailored (see what we did here?) towards the skilled yet still beginner seamstress, so if you think you can handle a sewing machine but wouldn’t necessarily win any competitions – this is for you.
Again, this costume begins with a simple old white t-shirt as the base. If you’re wanting to re-use this costume in future years, opt for a top that is slightly loose on your child so that it’ll still fit as they continue to grow. You’ll need the similar materials as the no-sew version, but with addition of elastic, snow flake-esque embellishments and some kind of glittery sheer blue fabric. The aforementioned t-shirt will remain as the top part of the dress, with the other materials gradually being layered on top. The sheer fabric will be attached at the end of your project, creating a sort-of cape – fit for just about any wannabe princess!
1 Comment
Very nice post.