How to Easily Make a DIY Ringleader Costume for Halloween
There’s just a couple of weeks to get your Halloween costume ready! If you love the circus, you’ll love this female ringleader costume. This DIY ringleader costume is a bit more intricate and expensive than maybe some other costumes.
You can still get everything from the dollar, thrift, and fabric stores as I did to create this ringleader costume jacket. It’s absolutely perfect to wear with black or white pants and maybe a tophat if you like. Let’s get started!
Tools and materials:
- Red trench coat (from the thrift store)
- Several yards of gold trim: flat and rope style
- Gold fringe
- Black felt
- Chalk or marking pen
- Gold spray paint
- Buttons
- Scissors
- Glue gun with glue
- 6000 glue or other strong glue
- Wooden dowel - 12 inches
- Black fabric ribbon
1. Mark the jacket
I’m using the red trenchcoat I bought at the thrift store. Circus ringleader jackets have 2 points in the front and the back dips into a tail. I’m freehand drawing the outline on the trenchcoat, making sure to keep it as symmetrical as possible.
2. Cut the jacket
Cut the jacket along the chalk line. I cut one side and used that as a reference for the other side. I’ll finish the raw edges later on.
In the back, I make the tail and keep the original slit from the trenchcoat.
3. Cover the collar
I cover the entire collar with black felt. Trace the felt over the existing collar. Cut out all the pieces. Hot glue into place.
You only need to cover the portion that will be seen when you wear it. You don’t need to cover all the sides of the collar.
4. Glam it up with trim
Hot glue the flat gold trim on the outside of the black felt of the entire collar. I kept it in one long strand because this type of fabric frays easily when cut.
I used the gold rope trim I found at the dollar store to line the entire bottom of the jacket. This is on the portion I cut off and helps finish the edge beautifully. Hot glue into place - it really helps finish the entire jacket!
5. Add big buttons
Spray paint the bigger buttons with the gold spray paint in a well-ventilated area and on a piece of heavy paper to protect your surface.
Cut some gold trim to serve as the button connectors in a sort of horizontal figure 8 to put on the front of the jacket.
Hot glue the gold trim closure to one of the buttons on the side. They won’t actually work as closures. It’s just for looks!
Glue the buttons using 6000 glue or another very strong glue. This is because I am attaching it to a metal button and I want to make sure it adheres tightly!
6. Add the shoulders
Make shoulder pads with the black felt. Cut them into an oval shape and hot glue the gold fringe to the underside. The gold fringe is the most expensive part of the circus ringleader costume so I tried to stretch it as much as I could.
I suggest trying the jacket on first and see where the best placement for the shoulder pad is based on your body type.
Hot glue the shoulder pad into place.
7. Make the whip
Take black fabric ribbon. Add a little glue to the top of a dowel and wrap the ribbon around tightly.
Make a rectangle from black felt. Fold in half with the fold at the top. Glue the open sides to the top of the dowel.
DIY ringleader costume tutorial
You’re done! You’ve made a DIY ringleader costume perfect for Halloween or any sort of costume party! You can bring the fun and excitement of the circus to any event wearing this fun and easy jacket.
Please let me know in the comments what you think and if you’re planning to make this ringleader jacket!
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