How to Make a Hula Girl Costume for Kids

Make a simplified hula girl costume for a child.

Hula girl costumes are fun for children, and they can use hula girl costumes for Halloween outfits, Hawaiian parties and school presentations. You can easily purchase a pre-made hula girl outfit from many costume shops, but it adds a special touch to make it yourself. Hula references several dances from the Hawaiian islands that are used to tell songs or stories. Various hand movements are used by hula girls to signify different words.

Things You'll Need

• Grass skirt
• Brightly colored tank top
• Coconut bra
• Leis
• Bright flower
• Flip flop sandals

Instructions

1. Start with a tank top in a bright color. Adult hula girls wear just a coconut bra, but for kids it is probably best for a bit of modesty. If you do want to be more traditional, use a child-size bikini top in a bright color or Hawaiian print to go under the coconut bra.

2. Add the grass skirt to the child's outfit. Spandex shorts are a good addition if the skirt is thin and more revealing. You can make your own imitation grass skirt by tying strips of green fabric or paper around an elastic band if necessary. Hula skirts should reach at least as far as mid-calf but can be long enough to sweep the floor.

3. Tie on the coconut bra over the tank top.

4. Use a flower in the child's hair and add a lei around his or her neck. A couple extra leis are perfect to enhance the hula girl costume and so that the child can give the leis out to others. Fake leis are sold at many costume stores. Plumeria and orchids are traditional lei flowers, but you can also create a substitute lei using fern leaves.

Tips & Warnings

• You can also include flip flop sandals to the outfit if the weather is cold or the child will be walking in an area that requires shoes.

References

• "Super-Simple Creative Costumes: Mix & Match Your Way to Make Believe"; Sue Astroth; 2007
• "Unwritten Literature of Hawaii: The Sacred Songs of the Hula"; Nathaniel Bright Emerson; 2010