Some simple
costume ideas for
1 and 2 grade
shakespeare
festival
april 20th
st
nd
General ideas:
• Natural fabrics – cotton, wool, silk, velvet, leather – satiny material works for ladies
• Solid colors or plaids are best versus floral or modern prints like geometric shapes
• Earth tones (tans, browns, greens, rust, mustard) - usually black and purples and reds were
reserved for royalty or nobility. Pure white was rare.
• Shoes that are not obviously plastic or an unnatural color.
• Something to cover your hair – braids, circlet, skullcap – piece of rectangular material draped
over hair
• Burlap sacks make great aprons, vests, long vest or “jerkins”, or bodices. Good for men and
women peasants.
For Peasant Women:
• long dresses and skirts (cotton if possible) – you can layer 2 skirts with the top one tucked
into the waistband
• cords and sashes for belts
• overdress or bodice
• wimples (make from a cloth rectangle or scarf placed on the head and pinned to the hair)
• soft shoes – moccasins, mary janes, kung fu shoes with ankle strap, boots
For Noblewomen:
• long dresses and skirts (silky fabrics, velvets, and brocades)
• nightgowns for chemises to be covered with additional layers
• long tabards (sleeveless open tunics made from single pieces of cloth made by folding a
piece of solid color fabric in half and cutting a hole for the head in the middle of the fold.). A
piece of felt over almost any dress
makes you an instant noble woman. Take a long piece of felt, cut a head hole in it, and you’re
done.
• long scarves
• sheer curtain panels for veils to wear under a circlet
• cords and sashes to wear as belts (drapery rope looks good!)
• wimples
Accessories:
• cup or bowl? Wood or metal work best
• brooches, long chain or leather or satin necklaces, medallions, bells, headbands
• leather strips for hanging things from your main belt or tying up and outer skirt
• pouch or something to similar to hang from waist to hold your possessions
For Peasant Men:
• sweatpants, pants, baseball pants, yoga pants, long karate pants (dark colors are preferable)
• long loose shirts (large men’s pull-over rather than button-down shirts with sleeves rolled
up) w/ rounded neck
• belts or cords (natural twine or wide leather)
For Noblemen:
• sweatpants, pants or leggings
• turtlenecks or plain shirts
• tabards – attach a small version of the heraldic shield to the
front with tape or pins. A short white tabard with a red cross on it
make men a Crusader.
• cape – short to cover shoulders or longer (a Christmas tree skirt
works well for this)
--------------------------------------------------------------BEST SOURCES…
Mom’s or Dad’s closet
Things other people are getting rid of
… look at yard sales, Goodwill or thrift stores!
Home Depot or Hobby Lobby
Breeches and Pants
Drawstring pants are perfect costume breeches. Just be sure to get a pair in a
solid color, or wide vertical stripes.
For, breeches, pull up the pant legs to your knees, and put on a pair of white,
over-the-calf socks, without the sports stripes. Slip your feet into a pair of
simple, leather or suede shoes (not cross trainers,) and you are done.
If you are going as a peasant or other laborer, leave the pants long, wrap a
piece of cloth, leather, or fur around your lower leg and tie it in place with a
leather thong and you have leggings. You can even make them long enough to
cover your shoes if they are not exactly period.
Tunics / TABARDs
In the medieval era, tunics and tabards were a part of almost every person’s wardrobe… male or
female. The upper class wore fine silk, while the rest wore tunics and tabards made of wool.
TUNICS ARE SHIRTS. Shirts were simple – with no collar to nice collar tied at the neck for men.
Women’s tunics could be gathered at the neck or straight. The sleeves were varied – from straight to
fluted to full to gathered to ruffled.
A TABARD is a single piece of fabric that will go from the thigh or knees over the shoulders and
back down again. Cut a hole in the middle for the head! FOR NO SEWING, use FELT, FLEECE or
BURLAP… or get a piece of fabric with an “earthy” look and don’t worry about sewing the edges… let
them ravel! FOR A REALLY EASY TABARD, se a pillow case! Cut out a neck hole and arm holes… the
sewing’s already done!
BELT - use one of Dad’s old ties, a decorator’s sash,, a piece of rope if you use burlap, a leather
belt if you use felt or fabric! Decorate the tabard according to the costume you are creating. Cut
shapes and emblems from felt in contrasting colors and glue them to the tunic with fabric glue. Add
large rectangles of fabric to create quadrants of color. Add embellishments such as ribbon or braid
trim by gluing them in position with fabric glue, hot glue,or a quick running stitch if you can thread a
needle. You can even use safety pins or velcro if you’re really sewing-challenged!)
To look like A knight…
Cut the sleeves off a black t-shirt. Paint a white cross on it (or cut one out of white felt and safety-pin
it to the front.) Wear a grey “hoodie” with a black t-shirt over it. Use a black belt or piece of fabric for
the belt.
To make a sword…
Use corrugated cardboard to cut the desired shape for the long,
narrow sword and a large circle for the shield between the hand and
sword. Wrap the sword and hand-shield in aluminum foil and the
handle in black electrical tape.
For a shield…
Cut a large circle or rectangle out of corrugated cardboard. Spray
paint it silver and or paint a “family crest” on the front. Make a
“handle” on the inside with a piece of posterboard. Or you could
wrap it in aluminum foil … Or get a metal trash can lid!
THIS KNIGHT’S costume is a paper bag painted silver and purple, his helmet
is a milk jug. His sword is a wrapping paper tube with a margarine lid. His
shield is cut from an old box.
FOR THE GIRLS…
Any of the above… or wear a long, flowing dress and make a Princess Hat…
Wrap a piece of poster board like a cone and glue/staple together. Glue/staple a piece of sheer,
gauzy, sparkly fabric out the top. Hot Glue gold braid around the bottom. You can staple on an
elastic string for under the chin if it doesn’t stay well.
…Or be a Peasant girl – any earth tones
… Or a Village girl – any colors
“Gathered” neckline shirt.
Long skirt (one of mom’s)
Mob hat – circle of fabric with elastic or drawstring tie.
Vest with ribbons criss-crossed across the front.
SKIRTS were long and almost always full and gathered. Most were solid color.