How to Make a Priestess Isis Costume

Isis is sometimes portrayed holding an Ankh, a symbol of eternal life.

Isis was worshiped by the ancient Egyptians as the ideal mother and wife and the matron of nature and magic. She was the first daughter of Geb of the Earth and the goddess of the Overarching Sky. She was the mother of Horus and the wife of Osiris. Isis is probably the most well-known Egyptian Goddess. She is often portrayed with a throne on her headdress and a cloak like the wings of a bird.

Things You'll Need

• Tape measure
• Long white, sleeveless night gown
• 2-1/2 yards gold fabric
• Scissors
• 4 hook-and-loop fasteners
• 2 yards, 2-inch wide gold ribbon
• 1-by-4-by-8 inch thick polystyrene foam
• Plastic gold headband
• Low temperature glue gun and glue
• Gold spray paint
• 12-inch black ribbon, 4 pieces
• Fabric marker
• String

Instructions

Collar

1. Measure from the edge of one shoulder to the edge of your other shoulder.

2. Cut a circle from the gold fabric using your shoulder width as the circle's diameter. Cut a hole within this circle that is big enough to go around your neck. You will have a doughnut shape.

3. Cut the circle open and attach a hook-and-loop fastener on each side of the cut.

Belt

1. Cut a piece of gold ribbon long enough to go around your waist plus one additional inch.

2. Attach a hook-and-loop fasteners to the ends of the ribbon.

3. Sew another piece of ribbon to the back of the belt. This ribbon will drape over and down the front of your torso to your knees when wearing the costume.

4. Cut the end of the ribbon into a v-shaped point.

Headdress

1. Cut the polystyrene foam into one 2-by-2-inch piece for the seat of the throne headdress. Cut one 2-by-5-inch piece as the back of the throne. Cut 2 pieces, 2-by-3 inches each, for the sides and armrests of the throne.

2. Glue the back piece to the back of the seat piece at a 45 degree angle. You will have a chair shape with a 5-inch high back and a 2-inch deep seat. Glue each side piece to either side of the seat piece. The throne arms will be 2 inches high and 3 inches deep.

3. Spray the throne with gold paint and glue it to the plastic gold headband.

Cape

1. Measure from your shoulder to your knee; cut the gold fabric to this width. Measure your arm span from wrist to wrist. Cut the gold fabric to this length.

2. Fold the cloth in half to make a square. Tie your marker to a piece of string. Run the string from one end of the the folded edge to the other end where your marker is. Holding the end of the string firmly in its corner, draw an arc from the markers corner to the opposite corner. Cut along the line. You will now have a triangular shape with one arced side. Unfold and you will have a large half circle.

3. Cut another smaller half circle big enough to fit around your neck in the center of the straight edge of the half circle.

4. Sew two pieces of black ribbon to both sides of the neck hole.

5. Sew the center of the other two ribbons to the bottom corners of the front of the cloak.

Getting Dressed

1. Put on the white night gown.

2. Don the collar, belt and headdress using the hook-and-loop fasteners where provided.

3. Put on the cape and tie it around your neck. Tie the bottom ribbons to your wrists so with outstretched arms, you have a wing effect.

Tips & Warnings

• Add long dangling earrings, gold bracelets and sandals to accessorize your costume. Use heavy eye makeup.

References

• Fashion Era: Ancient Egyptian Clothing History
• Ancient Egypt Online; A Biography of the Egyptian Goddess Isis