My birthday cake costume was one of my earliest DIY projects, and a few of you have even spotted it on Parks & Recreation — which was so fun to see! After I got our new hats, I wanted to give that cake idea a fresh twist this year, so I made pie slice costumes instead. Since my partner’s favorite dessert is pumpkin pie, I’ve been warming up to the idea — and these turned out so cute!
DIY Pie Slice Costumes
Total Time: 2–3 hours (plus drying time if painting)
Supplies
Dress (yellow, green or orange)
Fruit hat (yellow, green or orange)
Large cardboard sheets (I used three 40″ x 60″ sheets)
4 large poster board or art paper sheets, or paint in your pie color of choice
2–3 large brown poster board or art paper sheets for the crust
Cotton batting for the whipped topping
Ribbon to make straps
Spray glue (if using poster board)
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Scissors
Directions
1. Cut the cardboard pieces: two rectangles for the sides of the slice (mine were 32″ x 22″), a triangle with a curved bottom for the top of the slice (the curved edge should match the length of your rectangles; mine was 25″ at its widest), and another curved rectangle for the back of the slice that matches the curved edge and height of the side rectangles. Bend the curved rectangle slightly so it wraps around the back of the slice.
2. Cut an opening toward the back of the triangle so you can step into the costume later.
3. Glue the pieces together: attach the two side rectangles to the triangle, then glue the curved back piece to form the pie shape.
4. Give the slice its color. You can either paint the whole shape (except the back) — prime with white, then paint your pie color — or cover it with poster board using spray glue. Trim any excess for a clean edge.
5. Make the crust: have a second person help. Cut the brown paper so it is about 3–4″ taller than the pie slice, then hot-glue the top edge of the brown paper to the back edge of the pie.
6. Create a rippled crust: run a second line of glue a few inches away from the first and press the brown paper down without stretching it tight. Leave a small gap between the paper and the cardboard so the paper forms a ripple. Continue around the back until the crust is complete.
7. Form the whipped cream: roll a three-foot length of cotton batting and twist it into a whipped topping shape. Use hot glue to secure it so it holds its form.
8. Attach the whipped cream to the top of the pie with hot glue.
9. Add straps: hot-glue ribbon straps to the underside of the opening so you can wear the slice comfortably. Pair the pie with a dress and a fruit hat for a finished look.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
These slices make a fun group costume — imagine six friends forming a whole pie — but they’re also adorable worn individually. Pick your favorite flavor and get creative!
If you make a Studio DIY costume, share it on Instagram with #studiodiyincostume so it can be featured.