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How to Make a Dalek Halloween Costume Dress
(Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links from which I make a few pennies if you make a purchase from the linked sites. Product used in this project was provided by Smoothfoam, Rowlux, Clearsnap, and Westcott. All opinions are 100% my own.)
Do you ever have those moments when you see a craft supply in a whole new light? A few months back, I had an epiphany about Smoothfoam half balls: they'd be perfect on a Dalek Costume! Since Xaver and Katie love Doctor Who, I knew they'd be up for this challenge. I looked online at how to make a Dalek costume and many of them were based on dresses. I wanted something easy that anyone could make and I did not want to sew a dress from scratch Enter ROSS. I love going to Marhsall's and Ross to find bases for costumes and other projects, like this paper and satin art dress created for a challenge sponsored by ClothPaperScissors Magazine. ROSS delivered on a $14.99 blue knit dress that fit Katie perfectly and was the exact shade of blue for the Blue Dalek (hey, I don't know the proper name for the blue guy, please don't hate on me! I know I am digging myself into a deeper hole so I will just stop talking about it…). Seriously, I find the BEST project clothes at ROSS!
So once we had the dress, we thought the hard part was over. The goal here was to not spend alot of money. I mean, a Homemade Dalek Halloween Costume should save me some dough, right? I guess that's a misnomer about homemade Halloween costumes — they're a little more costly but they're better quality, custom fit, and they last alot longer.
Gather up these supplies from a handy dandy place like Amazon. I made these links all clickable to the places where you can order these supplies online because I care about you, like, alot. And, if you click on some of thse links and make a purchase I get like a dime or something. But really, it is because I want to make sure you get the exact right stuff for the project *wink wink*….
Dress Supplies:
- Speechless Juniors Solid Knit Fit and Flare Zip Bk Fit and Flare Dress, Royal Blue, Medium
– I got mine at Ross but Amazon had this comparable dress - Smoothfoam RT129H-4 Pastel Half Ball, 4.5-Inch, White, 4-Pack x 20 pieces
- Shiny Black Duck Tape – Duck Brand 1265013 Colored Duct Tape, Black, 1.88-Inch by 20 Yards, Single Roll
- Velcro, about 5 yards of strip Velcro – VELCRO Brand – Sew On Soft & Flexible – 30″ x 5/8″ Soft & Flexible Tape – White
- Black Acrylic Paint
- Foam Paint Brush
- Hot Glue Gun OR Aleene's Fast Grab Tacky Glue – Surebonder HE-750 Professional High Temp 2 Heater Glue Gun
- Sewing Machine
- Scissors
- Pins
- Westcott Craft Knife
- Westcott Craft Mat
- Silver Whisk – Vollrath 47287 Stainless Steel NSF French Whip, 24-Inch
- Plunger – we got ours at Dollar Tree, for a dollar
- Silver Spray Paint – Krylon 1010A Premium Metalic Original Chrome 8 Ounce
- Black Spray Paint – Krylon 51602 Flat Black Interior and Exterior Decorator Paint – 12 oz. Aerosol
x 20 pieces
We spray painted the plunger to look like the Dalek suction arm thing – the handle is silver and the base is black. How the rest of the costume comes together, well, there's a video for that…. later.
I also decided that Katie needed something in her hair. I thought about making a Dalek head with a Smoothfoam half ball because it is hollow inside once you get past a 6″ diameter ball but I thought that might look a little too “poindexter”, know what I mean? So I decided to go with a lightbulb themed fascinator, to mimic the bulbs on the Dalek's head. Here's what you'll need for that:
Fascinator Supplies:
- Vintage Mini Lightbulbs x 2
- Rowlux Illusion Film Pastel Blue 12″x12″ Leaf Design Holographic Sheet
- Sizzix Big Shot
- Sizzix Pointed Oval Die
- Sizzix Circle #2 Die
- Clearsnap Smooch Jumbo Spritz Carded: Vanilla Shimmer
- Kunin EcoFelt in Black OR premade black felt flowers Rainbow Classic Felt 9″X12″-Black 24 per pack
- Silver Beaded Spray Loops
- Glitter Headband Base 12 Pack: Twelve Glitter Headbands by Activewear Apparel (12-Silver)
- Clearsnap Sparkle Fibers Clearsnap Sparkle Fiber, Lapis – these are discontinued but Amazon still has them and they are my fave!
- Hot Glue Gun
- Wire Cutters
- Silver Decorative Fabric, cut into circles – you can get this at Hobby Lobby near the Fun Foam and pipe cleaners.
- 12″ Wire
- We R Memory Keepers Crop-A-Dile Eyelet and Snap Punch, Blue Handle OR Heavy Duty Hole Punch
– these are discontinued but Amazon still has them and they are my fave!
OR Heavy Duty Hole PunchNow, the look doesn't stop there. Here are some other things you'll need to complete the Dalek Costume:
- Blue Eyeshadow – Glamour My Eyes Get the Look Eyeshadow Set – Passionate
- Studded Patent Boots – Anna Shoes PATENT LEATHER SPIKE STUDS LACE UP BOOTS Shoes black 55
- Black Tights – HUE Women's Sueded Opaque Tight, Black,Size 3
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The easiest way to show you how this goes together is to do a video. This process is a bit long – it took us a few days to make this costume. But, it is totally worth it! The bulk of the time was spent on the Velcro. So let me explain what happened. I wanted to be able to wash the dress. And in order to do that, I could not just glue the Smoothfoam balls to the dress – they had to be detachable. We cut strips of Velcro, 4″ long for the center and 2″ long on each side, to mount the balls to the dress. Since the self-adhesive Velcro was not recommended for fabric, I used sew-on Velcro. We cut and sewed-on 60 pieces of Velcro on this dress – that's 3 pieces per ball. That is what took so long in creating the costume. If I were to do this again, I might just say to heck with the dress, it was only $15 and who needs to wash it?! Lesson learned.
So, without furhter ado, here's how to make a Dalek Costume:
I knew the costume was a success when Katie came bounding down the hall in it, with a smile from ear to ear! That's the ultimatemom success. Well, she helped make the costume too. But isn't that the greatest feeling – when you made something you're proud of?!
Are you making costumes this year? Tell me about them in the comments! And if you see Katie at Comikaze or Comic-Con in this Dalek Costume, say “hello”!
Most of these links go to amazon because it’s just so convenient to order from them. You’ll be ready to start making your own Dalek Halloween costume dress in no time!
About the Author
Jennifer Priest is a 20+ year designer in the arts & crafts industry and home DIYer with a passion for creativity. An Army veteran raised on a ranch, from her experience, she shares smart DIY projects that save money and fun craft ideas that anyone can make. Besides blogging, Jennifer is a Master Practitioner and Trainer of NLP, Hypnosis, and MER, and coaches other online entrepreneurs on money mindset, business, and living an intentional life. When not blogging, Jennifer is having adventures in the wilderness, on road trips, playing with her cats, and making paleo food.
Oh, my! How COOL is that!! I love it!! Very well done! Can’t wait to make one for me!
Oh, and the plunger and the whisks… Ha ha ha!! Just Perfect!
Cheers!
Thanks so much!