A year in costumes... The Mad Hatter

Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter

In April, Alice in Wonderland came out in the theaters. As soon as my son saw the movie, he wanted to be the Mad Hatter for Halloween. The genius of Tim Burton times the brilliance and talent of costume designer Colleen Atwood made Alice in Wonderland a feast for the eyes.

I started on the costume shortly after we saw the movie. I bought antique spools of thread on Etsy and strung them together with leftover chains I had lying around. The pants I made from pin striped wool fabric. I made the cut as a capri length and flared the bottom of the cuff. I used variegated hand embroidery thread to make the stitched vines on his left leg. Shirt was a basic man's white shirt that I dyed pink and added lace on the cuffs.

The hat posed more of a challenge. The base of the hat... believe it or not, it is a cardboard box and poster board. I bought dark brown iridescent fabric and covered the hat. I then covered the hat in an elastic type lace, hand stitched the brim and top with dark hand embroidery thread and then faux painted the hat with antique gold spray paint to give it a burnish look.The band is a silk scarf from Dharma Trading Company that is dyed apricot colored. For the hat pins, I purchased various medallions and beads and hot glued them to metal posts that I also spray painted gold.

Of course you have to add the 10/6 size card!

The jacket was simple enough. Brown faux suede with added cuffs. Men's vest, I cut on the bias. The buttons on the jacket and the vest were a bunch of mismatched ones I had laying around. Added a scarf and ribbons for the final touch. He needs fingerless gloves, a pin cushion ring and thimbles. Crazy red wig, mismatched socks and shoes with red shoe laces.

Doesn't my son make a perfect  hatter?!