Cool Mad Hatter DIY Costume

Our Japanese exchange student wanted to be the “Mad Hatter” ala Johnny Depp. We started out at the thrift store. We found a black dinner jacket, a vest, a pink shirt, pinstriped pants, and a cool floral skirt to cut up for the bowtie. We also found a plaid knit men’s shirt to cut up for the gloves.

I noticed that the Johnny Depp Mad Hatter coat appeared to made of Taffata. To create that dimensional effect, I taped off the coat in diamonds with scotch tape. I then painted the jacket with bronze and copper paint mixed with textile medium. I added a ribbon trim at the cuffs and the gold buttons. The gloves took me the longest time. I cut them out from the plaid shirt, it was a knit. It took me 3 tries, without a pattern, to get them right. I trimmed the gloves with lace.

We hemmed the pinstriped pants and altered the vest. The pink shirt was perfect. The “spool” accessory is trimming for a Christmas tree. The wig, hat and socks are purchased.

My exchange student was thrilled with his Mad Hatter DIY Costume.



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