My Amazon Star Princess Costume Upcycle

This is my Amazon Star Princess costume upcycle. The costume arrives with a printed bodice, three flat silver stars, a blue ruffle, and tulle that isn't long enough to cover the slip. I spent six months upcycling this costume. I learned a lot in many hours spent taking it from a cheap costume I got on Amazon for Purim to something I really felt proud wearing.

What it cost

The total cost of this costume, not including the value of my time, was about $175. That doesn't include the good number of materials I have left over that can be used for future projects. My time was over 60 hours.

• Base costume: $45
• Base boots: $40
• Paint: $5
• 5,000 hot fix rhinestones: $20
• 500 beads & wire: $15
• Tulle (10 yards, there was a sale): $10
• Materials for tiara, mask: $20
• Undergarments (corset, petticoat): $30

I already had a hot glue gun and hot glue in my inventory. My Star Princess list is in my Amazon storefront.

Corset and petticoat

Divas: I'm going to be really honest with you: you need to wear a corset and a petticoat. All of you. That's why your costume is bunching. That's why it's hanging flat. It's cheap fabric and hides nothing. Even a $20 cheap corset fixes most of the bodice fit issues.

Rhinestones

Star Princess was my first upcycle a few years ago for Purim, and that version had pearls on the bodice. Then I replaced the pearls with rhinestones because it was still not kritzy-kritzy enough. I added 5000 blue and white rhinestones to the bodice and blue rhinestones to the stars, and white rhinestones on the skirt, with a hot wand, clear and blue hotfix rhinestones, and B7000. Rhinestones, B7000, tulle. More than you think you need of all of it. I literally have scars from this one because the hot wand tip fell off onto my bare leg.

Bead fringe

I added 500 hand-threaded beads as fringe on the front, and then chandelier (lol) beads so we are calling the front of the bodice done (this is the fourth time I've said that). The beading across the front also covers up where it's peeled a little bit.

Boots

I painted the boots with fabric paint and left the toe caps and trim silver. I have a few touch-ups (smudged paint on the boots, a few rhinestones that fell off), but it's where I want it.

Mask

Streamers on the mask for movement and that's absolutely a chopstick.

Tulle

I added 5 layers of blue and pink tulle UNDER the layer that came sewn on to get the ombre look Maria Björnson describes in her design and also to fix the issue with the tulle the costume comes with not being long enough to cover the slip. I sewed on another underskirt. This is a project that is a great intro to sewing.

Stars

I moved the stars on the bodice to be three across and added a layer of tulle underneath them, and this looks so much more like Björnson's original drawings. I also added some glittery rhinestone stars. Then I glued down all the stars.

Everything I used is in my Amazon storefront: amazon.com/shop/flagbridgedesigns