I was definitely surprised when summer turned to fall and “princess Kate Halloween costume” rocketed to the top of my keyword activity in Google Analytics because of this post (and this one).  Kate Middleton Halloween costumes are turning out to be one of the most popular picks for girls–and grown-ups–this year.

Sure, you can buy an adult bridal Kate Middleton costume (and there’s one for Prince William, too).  You can even buy a (scary) Kate Middleton mask.  But there’s no need to shell out 40 bucks for a poorly-made costume.  DIY is definitely the way to go.  It’s easy, it’s inexpensive, and you’ll be much happier with the results.  And this Kate costume is just as appropriate for grown-ups as it is for little girls (and it’s way better than the bridal option!)

This DIY costume isn’t an exact replica of any one Princess Kate outfit. Instead, I combined two iconic Kate Middleton looks: the wrap dress (this lovely blue one is from her engagement announcement photo) and the fascinator.

And here’s what I came up with:

I made a fascinator from three dollars’ worth of felt, tulle and feathers from my local Jo-Ann Fabrics, relying on Simple Simon & Company’s excellent tutorial on how to make a birdcage (aka fascinator).  It took me 30 minutes and $3 worth of supplies, and it absolutely makes the outfit.

Here’s how to make your own basic DIY Kate Middleton costume.  You’ll need:

  • a fascinator (see the tutorial above; I used a circle cut out of a cardboard box for a base.  Seriously.  This is a very forgiving project.)
  • a blue, black or navy wrap dress.  (My 6-year-old’s dress is actually a women’s extra-small top that I got at Target.  It worked great!)
  • a classic necklace

If you want to do a more authentic costume, add:

  • hosiery and heels
  • A diamond-and-sapphire ring–or a cheap look-alike!
  • gently curled hair
  • eyeliner
  • brown hair!

I thought about going more “authentic” with my own little girl’s costume, but decided we were just having fun playing dress-up, and that definitely wasn’t worth wading into the deep waters of hair dye and eyeliner!  But since I do have a sapphire ring, she wore that for our photo shoot.

Here are a few more photos of my little Kate look-alike:

We sure had fun making this costume! 

Are you making any costumes for Halloween?

This post is linked to 30 Handmade Days, the Shabby Nest, Kojo Designs, Friday Flair, the Crafty Nest, Fancy This Friday, Fine Finds Friday, Simple Home Life, For the Kids Friday, Tatertots and Jello, Show and Tell Saturday, Making Monday Marvelous, Motivate Me Monday, Craftastic Monday, the Girl Creative, So Very Creative, Market Yourself Monday, Creative Me Monday, Craft-o-maniac, Mad Skills, Making the World Cuter, WFMW, Made By You Monday, Tea Rose Home, Lil’ Luna, Someday Crafts, One Artsy Mama, House of Hepworths, Somewhat Simple, and Sew Much Ado.

photo credits: Getty Images and Samir Hussein/WireImage

Click here to get free updates from the Modern Mrs Darcy delivered to you in a reader or by email!


Pin It

Related posts:

  1. Princess Kate vs. Disney Princesses
  2. Halloween: Love It or Hate It?
  3. Well-Rounded Links: Royal Wedding Edition