Gnome Sitting on a Mushroom Costume

I had no idea what I wanted to be for Halloween, but I had some criteria it needed to meet: creative, unusual, not the typical Sexed out female costume, funny, entertaining & wearable ( I had a FEW parties to go to and needed to be able to drive myself there and move around once I got there).  I discovered a few “illusion costumes” and was hooked! I found an inspiration picture but modified it to the costume I made.  I used no pattern, just “think, measure, cut, try it on and modify”.

My costume, starting at the top and working my way down:

Hat is made from Red Felt.

Prosthetic Gnome Ears – a MUST (bought on ebay for $3)!!!!

Upper body dress was bought at Goodwill and modified to fit the “Illusion” of a short Gnome, with Gnome legs exposed

Gnome legs were made from muslin and stuffed with batting

Gnome Shoes were made from felt and colored “grass green”…green highlighter is how I colored them!

Mushroom Cap was by far the trickiest. I used red fabric cut to “short skirt” length.  I cut various sized white felt circles and glue gunned them to the Red Fabric in a random pattern. I then put a wide casing hem at the top and bottom of the red fabric & sewed the back seam closed to complete the circle. I threaded an old belt through the top casing (for my waist) and a child’s Hula Hoop (25” diameter) through the bottom casing (Cut Hula Hoop. Dump the “swoosh swoosh material”, thread Hula Hoop through bottom casing and duct tape closed once in place, pull fabric over to cover). OK…the mushroom cap still did not stand out like I wanted it to. So I made a VERY full white tutu to wear underneath (2” wide elastic cut to fit my waist with 12 yards of tulle gathered & sewn on in layers) Yeah baby! That did the trick!!! And it LOOKED like the underside of a mushroom. Double bonus!

Mushroom Stem: I made a straight floor length skirt in off white velvet and wore off white house slippers so it would blend with the mushroom stem.

I had endless complements, laughter and amazement at my getup. And I was able to easily walk, drive, sit, stand. A HUGE success!!! It is 11/4/13 and I still haven’t taken it off…is that wrong???  ;-)

Gnome Sitting on a Mushroom Costume

Gnome Sitting on a Mushroom Costume

Gnome Sitting on a Mushroom Costume

Gnome Sitting on a Mushroom Costume



Coolest Homemade Costume Contest 2023

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