If you’ve followed our costumes for a while, you know Jeff usually plays the “person” and I play the “food”—and we meet in the middle. Over the years we’ve been a croquembouche and pastry chef, a pizza slice and delivery boy, and a fro-yo cup and fro-yo guy. This year we went with a tropical drink and a pool boy. The look is playful, bright, and surprisingly simple to make.
The hat is the star and can be made from common household items. Pair it with one of our favorite shift dresses and you’re ready to go. Below are clear, straightforward instructions so you can recreate the costume quickly.
DIY Tropical Drink Costume
Total Time: 45 Minutes (+ Dry Time)
Supplies
Pink shift dress
Yellow paper plate
White cardstock
Two paper towel rolls
Hot pink paint
Pink cardstock or felt (we used felt)
Stretchy headband
Hot glue gun
Thick paper straw or short wooden dowel
Parasol
Directions
1. Cut a yellow paper plate in half.
2. Cut a half-circle from white cardstock the same size as the plate’s inner circle.
3. From the remaining half of the plate, cut four triangle “wedges” to create the drink garnish look.
4. Glue the white half-circle to the plate, then glue the wedges on top to form the layered garnish.
5. Make the straw by trimming about three inches off one paper towel roll at an angle.
6. Insert the second paper towel roll into the angled cut and hot-glue them together to form a straw shape.
7. Paint the assembled straw hot pink; two to three coats may be needed for full coverage.
8. To attach the straw to the headband, cut a circle of felt or cardstock the same width as the paper towel roll. Hot-glue that circle to the headband. Then run a bead of hot glue around the bottom of the paper towel roll and press it onto the circle, sandwiching the headband between the roll and the felt/cardstock.
9. Cut a thick paper straw in half (or use a short wooden dowel) and glue it to the center-back of the paper plate to create the hat’s anchor point.
10. About one inch from where that cardboard straw is glued, secure the paper plate to the headband, using the straw as the anchor. It will look close at first, but the headband stretches when worn and the pieces will space naturally.
For the pool boy costume, keep it simple: a tank top, swim trunks, sunglasses, and an optional prop like a drink tray or pool net.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
There it is! If you want a group version, have friends dress as different tropical drinks—margarita with a lime, piña colada, or any fruity cocktail. The parasol is a small detail that really elevates the look.
If you make a Studio DIY costume, share it on Instagram with #studiodiyincostume so it can be featured. For more costume tutorials, check our costume tag on the blog.