A Charming Queen of Hearts

The Queen of Hearts may be the antagonist in Lewis Carroll's children's book classic Alice in Wonderland, but this sweet costume will make the villainous queen look downright adorable. There is minimal sewing involved and the sewing can even be skipped if needed. Best of all, this costume is easy to customize to fit any age of child, or even an adult.

Supply Notes

I used flannel for the mantle/cape because it does not fray when cut. If you want to swap out the fabric for something else, choose fleece or even a Minky fabric, so you do not have to worry about fraying. These directions will guide you in the basics for making this simple costume, and you can size up or down if needed.

Shirt

The shirt for the costume is easy to put together with no sewing involved. However, to make a clean cut on felt, trace out a heart onto freezer paper, cut it out, then press it lightly onto the felt with an iron set on low heat (Image 1). You will need two more hearts (three total). Hot glue them in place onto a red T-shirt (Image 2).

Mantle

Every queen needs a mantle or cape. I used one yard of 44-inch-wide black flannel fabric. I folded it in half length-wise and then in half width-wise. You should be left with a rectangle. Orientate the rectangle with the folds to your right. There should be two folded edges (at the top and to the right) on the rectangle. Place the beginning of measuring tape into the folded edges corner and use a pin to secure it in place. Make a mark at the length you want the mantle to be (in my case, 16 inches). Move the measuring tape right of the first mark, and make another length mark. Repeat on both sides of the original mark until you form a semicircle (Image 1).

Cut along the semicircle line. You should be left with a two-dimensional cone shape. Next, take a salad plate and place it on top of the cone. Trace a semicircle at the top of the cone. This semicircle will be the neckline of the cape (Image 2). Cut along the traced semicircle line at the top of the cape and then open it up (Image 3). Serge or hem the edges, if desired. Cut and hot glue the ribbon to the front of the cape (Image 4). Cut two 8-inch pieces of black ribbon. Glue or sew them in place underneath the checkered ribbon at the top of the cape’s opening (Image 5).

Tulle Skirt

Measure a piece of elastic around your child’s waist and tie in place (Image 1). The length of the skirt depends on how long you want it to be on your child. Measure your child from the waist to the desired length. Cut a length of tulle double the length you measured on your child (Image 2). Fold the piece of tulle in half (Image 3). Place the folded piece of tulle underneath the loop of elastic (Image 4). Loop it around the elastic, pulling the two ends through the loop (Image 5).

Trim bottom of the skirt, if needed.

The Crown

For the crown, I used a premade white hearts cake topper and spray painted it red. I also used a black statin headband (Image 1). Glue the painted floral form onto the headband. I glued it slightly off-center (Image 2).

Put the costume on your child and enjoy! This easy DIY is perfect for Halloween or every day dress up.