With the days of college fraternity and sorority parties behind us, we have little excuse to dress up and get creative. But I refuse to leave the days of childhood dress-up behind me. So when I can find an occasion (and occasionally I am proactive), I will go ALL OUT to have the most creative and original costume.
I will admit, I did draw inspiration for this particular idea after seeing Lauren Conrad dressed up as Mary Poppins a few Halloweens ago. But I think I topped her on originality, if nothing else.
Step One: Raid your closet!
I scoured my closet to see what I already had that I could transform. I found a plain white button-down shirt, an old carpet bag with embroidered elephants, black tights, red ribbon, some red and white flowers, and Mary Janes.
Then, as always, consult The Internet
I took to the internet to find some of the basic pieces that I don't already own: a simple black A-line skirt, a red bow tie, a black top hat, and a black umbrella. Once my purchases arrived, I set about transforming the hat and umbrella.
Transform your topper
Ribbons, flowers, and a little hot glue are all you need. I glued just a few red and white flowers at varying heights on one side of the hat. Then, I covered up the mess of hot glue I'd made around the stems by wrapping it with red ribbon.
Go wild with your umbrella
For this one, I really went out on a limb. My umbrella started out plain, but with a wad of duct-tape, some hot glue, and a little paint... it became a parrot-head masterpiece. Tomorrow I'll share more details on how to make this yourself. Until then, leave your own costume ideas in the comments!
