The Queen of Hearts is a character from the book “Alice in Wonderland” by the writer and mathematician Lewis Carroll. She is an ill-tempered monarch whom Carroll himself describes as "a blind rage" and who is quick to impose death sentences at the slightest insult. Her most famous quote, often repeated, is “Off with her head!” She uses live flamingos for mallets and live hedgehogs as balls in croquet.
How to make a dress out of playing cards?
The Queen of Hearts is referred to as a card from a deck of Alice cards, but somehow she is able to speak and is the ruler of the lands in the story. And if it hadn't been for the calmer King of Hearts, she would have had Alice's head too. She's a woman you don't want to mess with. The Queen of Hearts is known worldwide as one of the most terrible rulers in literary history. So it's a great idea for a Halloween costume. Today we'll show you how you can make a dress out of playing cards to create your own Queen of Hearts costume. But you can also wear it for another occasion.
TheMost important thing about the costumeare the playing cards. It's super easy to make a corset out of it. Combined with a tutu skirt and the matching accessories, the look is perfect! Your first thought might be to buy a cheap fabric corset and attach the cards to it somehow. Unfortunately, that wouldn't work as well as they would like. Instead, you can create a corset out of duct tape! It is made exactly to your personal measurements and body shape. You can also use this method to make a dress form.
This version with lacing (which is shown in this photo) is very practical. This way you can use the corset again at a later date. It is also easier to put on and take off the rigid corset without destroying it.
You need:
2 rolls of tape in the color of your choice
Scissors
An old top or t-shirt (optional)
A helper (optional)
Get a helper, it makes everything a lot easier. Wear a well-fitting bra and an old, form-fitting top. Preferably the fit is tight, with little loose fabric, otherwise several wrinkles will appear when taping. The outside should be as smooth as possible. But you can also leave out the top.
You can also try this method for a child's costume.
Start by wrapping the tape horizontally. Work from bottom to top, i.e. from hips to chest. Wrap yourself tightly, but not to the point where it becomes uncomfortable. Remember, you will need to put scissors underneath later. More importantly, try to keep the tape even and smooth.
Continue taping until you (or your helper) reach the bust line. Then take another piece of tape and form the heart cutout.
Carefully cut off the corset. Working from top to bottom toward your belly button is easier when you're alone. If you have a helper, it would be better for him to cut from bottom to top. Be careful not to hurt yourself or cut your underwear! Lay out the corset and start the second layer of vertical stripes to smooth out any unevenness and make it look beautiful.
Then take a hot glue gun and start gluing the playing cards. From here the possibilities are pretty endless. Overlap the cards to completely cover the tape and experiment with different colors and arrangements.
Mark on the back where you want the holes for the lacing. Then punch the holes on the right and left using a hole puncher. Pass a thin satin ribbon through the holes and try on the corset.
The tutu skirt for the costume
As soon as the corset made of playing cards for the Queen of Hearts costume is finished, you can start with the tutu skirt. In this article we have a few simple onesInstructions for beginnersshown. A tutu can also be made without sewing. To do this you need an elastic band and strips of tulle in red, white and black. Gold also goes great with this color combination. For a vamp look, you can only go for red and black.
First, measure your waist circumference and cut the elastic band. Sew the ends together to form a ring. Now start tying the tulle pieces around the ribbon. It's best to tie the ribbon around a cylindrical object. Fold a strip of tulle in half and place it under the elastic. Then pull the long ends of the tulle strip through the loop on the fold. Continue adding strips of tulle in this manner until the entire ribbon is covered and you are happy with the result.
Matching accessories
To perfect the Queen of Hearts costume, think about what other details you can use. A belt, for example, can highlight the waist. Striped tights and a T-shirt under the corset keep you nice and warm. Typical accessories area big collar and a crown in her hair.
Make your own red wig in the shape of a heart
Helena Bonham Carter's Queen of Hearts costume from the Tim Burton film "Alice in Wonderland" was incredibly complicated, as was her hair and makeup. If you admire her red heart-shaped wig, you can try this particularly cool DIY idea. Many red artificial roses are glued to a heart-shaped piece of cardboard, which is then attached to a hairband.
The playing card dress is also suitable for many other occasions such as a casino and Las Vegas theme party. The paneling can also look very romantic if it is only decorated in red and white. Let your imagination run wild!
