DIY Renaissance Fair Costume Tips For Your First Festival

Sharing is caring!

Looking for an easy DIY Renaissance fair costume to wear this summer? Let me show you how you can make the perfect fantasy outfit, no matter what kind of character you want to be.

I’ve been so excited about Renaissance fairs this year. I’ve already outfitted my whole family in Renaissance period inspired outfits. But sometimes, I don’t want to go through all the trouble of researching the proper time period and worrying about historical accuracy. Sometimes, I just want to frolic around in a pretty dress, drink mead, and watch a joust.

Looking at all the amazing costumes people wear to Renaissance fairs, it can be intimidating to try to style your own. Maybe you don’t have a lot of sewing skills or a big budget. I’ll show you an easy way to make a Renaissance fair costume in your own style.

Note: Because I am more familiar with feminine Renaissance fair costumes, that will be the main focus here, but I do have costume ideas that can apply for feminine or masculine costumes. 

The Secret to Renaissance Fair Costumes

No matter what kind of character you want to convey, the secret to a Renaissance fair costume is layers!

You don’t need anything fancy, but if you have two or three layers to add texture and interest, it automatically makes a look more put together.

Base Layers

To make your layered costume, you need something to build on! Fortunately, simple garments make the best base layers. You might even have them already.

When you are picking out your base layers, keep in mind the temperature you are expecting the event to be. If it is in summer, or somewhere hot, look for breathable fabrics like cotton, or other natural fibers and lighter colors. Avoid polyester and other synthetic fabrics. It will help keep you cool in the heat, and look more historic.

Top

The easiest start to any DIY Renaissance fair costume is the classic puffy white shirt or shift dress. If you don’t have one in your closet, I can almost guarantee you can find one at a local thrift shop.

If you like to sew, and want to make your own, there are some great tutorials available online. It’s mostly just squares and rectangles, so these kinds of tops make a great beginner sewing project.

Bottom

Depending on if you are looking for a more masculine or feminine outfit, you’ll want to have a simple pair of pants, leggings, or a simple skirt to build your outfit from. I am particularly fond of long skirts.

Just like the top, this layer is easy to find, either in your own closet or secondhand. If you want a quick sewing project, you could make a split side skirt, that is adjustable and is easy to add giant pockets to. 

Natural fabrics are a good idea for your bottom base layer as well. You don’t want to overheat! I have a linen shift and skirt that I like to use as my base layer.

DIY Over Dress

Most peasant outfits consist of a simple blouse and a full skirt. If you’ve got that already, you can stop there. But, if you want to add something a little special to this simple outfit, you can get a unique costume by making your own over dress. 

At this point, you might be saying, “I don’t want to make a whole dress.” Well, even if you can barely sew, you can turn any dress into a Renaissance fair worthy overdress, with just a little bit of work.

Step 1: Find a Dress

You can turn nearly any dress you’d like into an over dress for DIY Renaissance faire costumes. It’s a great way to use a dress that has been languishing in your closet, or finding something at a thrift store that you like the look of, but is too modern or too small.

I like to look for a sleeveless dress with lots of skirt swoosh, in a color I like. Different types of dresses will help create different characters. Neutral colors in textured fabrics can work well for a pirate, but something flowy or lacey might work better for a fairy costume.

For a more masculine look, pick a more structured style and fabrics. A short, narrow skirt can become a surcoat, if that’s what you’re going for.

My own costume started with a green lace dress with a handkerchief hemline. This has been living in my closet for years, and I’ve never worn it. Even though it fits great, and I love how it looks, the right occasion never happened. While this is clearly a modern dress, it’s the perfect start to a fantasy look.

Step 2: Trim Away Anything You Don’t Need

This step is optional, depending on what you are working with. It’s the first chance to start customizing your final look.

If you found the perfect dress, but it has sleeves you don’t want, cut them off!

If there is a weird bow that you don’t like, cut it off!

Anything else you don’t like? Cut it off!

On my dress, I cut away the underskirt, so the lace would show better when it was layered over another skirt. It also helps keep the layers from getting too hot in the summer. The dress I worked with had a zipper in the back. I left this alone so I could still use it to get in and out of the dress if I didn’t want to undo the lacing later.

Step 3: Cut the Dress Down the Middle

The key to giving this dress the perfect fantasy overdress look is to have it lace in the front. For it to lace in the front, it needs to open in the front. If your dress doesn’t already open in the front, it’s time to get cutting.

This step can be as simple as it sounds. Find the center front and cut all the way down. If the dress you are converting already has a center front opening, then you get to skip this step

Take the time to draw out the center front line, and got ahead and cut the whole dress open. It always feels weird to cut up something that is finished, but this is what we are here for.

Step 4: Take Care of Your Raw Edges

After you’ve cut your dress open, you’ll want to secure the raw edges. There are a few ways you can do this. The most common way is to turn the raw edges under twice so they are neatly tucked in, then sew it down. This is how I secured my raw edges.

If you are comfortable sewing, you could also bind the raw edges with bias tape or ribbon. This gives a very clean finish, and you can add a bit of interest with a contrast color or pattern.

If you aren’t up for sewing, there are still some options. The easiest thing to do is just leave the edges raw, if the fabric isn’t fraying too much. I don’t recommend this, but if it just a fun outfit for one day, it’ll probably be OK.

If the fabric of the dress you are using is polyester, you can (carefully!) melt the edges of the fabric. There are also glue-like products you can buy at craft stores that prevent fraying. You could even (carefully!) use a hot glue gun to glue the raw edges back if that’s what you have.

How you want to finish your edges will all depend on your own skill set, and how you want the finished over dress to look. Remember, this is a fun, quick costume. No one will notice how you finish your edges.

Step 5: Add Lacing Placement

To be able to lace up the front of the over dress, you need somewhere for the lacing to go. The classic choice is some sort of hole. These can be made with sewn eyelets or metal grommets. If you’re really in a hurry, you can just stab some holes along the side. They won’t stay open very long, and they won’t be as strong, but it’s a possibility.

But don’t have to be limited to holes! There are other ways to lace things up. For a unique look, you could add hooks or buttons to the front of the overdress that you can wrap lacing around. Then, you don’t have to cut into the fabric of the dress.

If you’re in a rush, you could attach safety pins to the inside of your overdress and thread lacing through them. No sewing required!

For my own DIY Renaissance festival costume, I decided to add hand sewn eyelets. I like the way they look, and I don’t find them too difficult to sew. I placed six holes on each edge of the front, 1.5 inches apart.

Step 6: Lace It Up!

The final step is to find something to lace up your over dress. This can be a ribbon, string, yarn, chord, shoelace, leather strip, or anything else you can find. It just needs to be big enough to tie the front of the over dress shut with.

I went an extra step and made my lacing cord with a fine crochet cotton and a lucet.

And that’s it! Your overdress is ready to wear!

Accessorizing

With these layers, you are ready to go to Renaissance fair, but if you want to go one extra step, you can accessorize!

The easiest accessory is a leather belt. You’ll see a lot of long belts at a Renaissance fair, but just about any leather belt can work. If you don’t have one, it’s a fun thing you can shop for at the event. You can also add extras to your belt, like a pouch, skirt hikes, or a hook for your cup.

Some sort of stays or corset over top of an outfit is another common costume choice. If you don’t have the budget for one, or you just don’t like the feel of it, the lacing on the overdress gives a similar effect.

Certain accessories can help portray different characters. Add a bandanna or tricorne hat, and you’ve got a pirate costume. A flower crown and wings turn you into a fairy.

The shoes you choose can also affect the final look. Tall black boots give a different impression than sandals. Just remember, Renaissance fairs are usually outside and involve a lot of walking, so whatever you pick, make sure you wear comfortable shoes.

Play around and have fun finding your final look!

I hope you get a chance to attend a Renaissance fair this year, and make a DIY costume to frolic in!

If you want to see more sewing adventures, click here.

What kind of character would you like to be at a Renaissance fair? Let me know in the comments below!