How to Make Carnival Costumes With Corsets

A corset can become the main part of a Carnival costume.

Carnival is a celebration dedicated to enjoying life's pleasures. Starting on the Saturday before Lent and ending on Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday, Carnival allows celebrators to indulge in less-saintly behaviors before giving them up for Lent. In many parts of the world, such as Rio de Janeiro, "Carnival" has become synonymous with outrageous and over-the-top costumes. A corset, paired with other brightly colored and festive elements, helps create a costume that will fit right in at any Carnival celebration.

Things You'll Need

• Fake jewels, sequins and other decorative items
• Hot glue gun
• Hot glue sticks
• Skirt
• Ruffles
• Needle
• Thread
• Glitter glue
• Head band
• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Feathers
• Lace or doily
• Large feather plumes
• Shoes
• Costume jewelry
• Feather boa

Instructions

1. Decorate a corset for Carnival by adorning it with a variety of dazzling fake jewels and gems, sequins, pearls and other sparkling decor. Adhere the decorations with a hot glue gun and glue sticks. Tie it on tight for a sparkling, figure-flaunting look that fits right in at carnival.

2. Obtain a skirt; whether you use a tight, shorter skirt or a longer, poufy one is up to you. Add some volume and texture by cutting lengths of ruffle to wrap around the skirt and then sewing them horizontally around the skirt with a needle and thread.

3. Add some glitz to the skirt by creating lines with fabric-safe glitter glue. Use hot glue to adhere more fake gems and other decorations near the top of the skirt. At the rear of the skirt, glue some colorful feathers to create a textured bustle.

4. Create an attention-grabbing headpiece. Cut a 2-by-2-inch square out of cardboard with scissors, then top it off with glue and a plethora of feathers. In the center of the feathers, glue a doily or patch of lace, then decorate it with rhinestones and sequence. After gluing the decorated cardboard to the headband, glue several large plumed feathers onto the inside of the headband, creating an elegant headpiece.

5. Decorate heels or flats with embellishments that complement the rest of your Carnival costume. Glue on some feathers, and add some sparkle with glitter and fake jewels.

6. Make your neckline, ears, wrists and fingers dazzle with costume jewelry. Dangling golden earrings studded with sparkle, boldly colored rings and dramatic necklaces draw attention and add more glitz to your costume.

7. Wrap a feather boa around your shoulders.

References

• Ipacom Travel: All About Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Rio Carnival: Rio Carnival Costumes 2012
• Rio Costumes: Carnival Costumes History

Resources

• Carnival Info