How to Make Carnival Costumes

Carnival costumes are best known as an integral part of the brilliant displays of color and sound during Brazil's Carnival festival every year. The costumes are famous for their over-the-top designs, minimalist coverage, time-consuming bead work, sequins and feathers. Most carnival costumes are set on a bikini base with layers of beading, glitter and feathers. The highlight of a carnival costume is the headpiece with feathers that seem to touch the sky.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bikini
• Plastic headband
• Pipe cleaners
• 2 yards of sequined fabric
• Large sequins
• Fake feather plumes
• Scissors
• Glue gun

1. Construct your carnival headpiece. Create a large design with pipe cleaners by twisting and combining four or five pipe cleaners. Attach your design to your plastic headband by twisting the metal end around the headband. Glue large sequins to the front of the pipe cleaners and attach fake feather plumes to the backside of the pipe cleaners. Your finished product will glitter and have feather plumes extending high above your headpiece. Allow glue to dry for 24 hours.

2. Decorate your bikini top by hot gluing sequins over the entire top, including the straps. Glue sequins in a pattern like a circle, star, or sunburst. Use multiple colored sequins for the best effect.

3. Decorate your bikini bottom. Cut strips of the sequined fabric in foot-long strips. Attach sequined strips to the inside edge of your bikini bottom with hot glue. Glue strips around the entire bikini bottom or only in the back, as both styles are popular. Allow the strips to dry for 24 hours. Flip all strips so they lay on the outside of your bikini bottom.

4. Put on your finished carnival costume and accessorize with bangles, ankle bracelets and lots of whimsical face painting. Enjoy your finished carnival costume.

Tips & Warnings

• Use caution when using a glue gun to prevent burns.

References

• Brazil Carnival