Annie recently picked up several school lunch trays while sourcing props and we instantly knew: school lunch costumes. The lineup features everything needed for a balanced, nostalgic tray—PB&J, an apple, a chocolate chip cookie and my favorite, a juice box. These ideas are delightfully simple to recreate and easy to personalize if you want to make them more detailed. All you really need to start is a dress.
DIY PB&J Costume
Ingredients
- Tan dress
- 1/4 yard light brown felt
- 1/4 yard purple felt
- 4″ wide elastic (if you can find light brown elastic, you can skip the brown felt)
- Hot glue gun
- Velcro
Instructions
- Measure elastic around your waist and cut it about 1″ longer than that. If using light brown elastic, skip the felt step. If using white elastic, cut a strip of brown felt to match the elastic and hot glue it on.
- Cut a piece of purple felt about half the width of the brown strip but the same length. Trim one edge to a wavy line to imitate jam; leave the other edge straight.
- Glue the purple felt on top of the brown and gather it slightly as you adhere so it forms a subtle ruffle.
- Cut a piece of Velcro slightly shorter than the elastic. Attach one side of the Velcro to the front edge of the belt and the other side to the back edge so the belt fastens neatly.
DIY Juice Box Costume
Ingredients
- Red dress
- Wrapping paper tube
- White paint
- Hot glue gun
- Cellophane
- Double-stick tape
- Temporary hem tape
Instructions
- Paint a wrapping paper tube white and allow it to dry completely.
- Bend another wrapping paper tube to form a straw shape, making one side slightly shorter so it looks natural.
- Hot glue the bent areas in a few places to help hold the shape; it doesn’t need to be perfect, as the cellophane will secure it.
- Lay the straw on top of a sheet of cellophane, fold the cellophane over it and trim so you have two equal pieces. Use double-stick tape to seal the edges.
- Use temporary hem tape to attach the finished straw to the dress firmly.
DIY Apple Costume
Ingredients
- Green dress
- Green fruit hat
- 1 sheet white felt
- Black seed embellishments
- Scissors
- Temporary hem tape
Instructions
- Cut a half-circle from the white felt; size is up to you depending on how large you want the apple detail.
- Attach black seed embellishments along the rounded edge to mimic seeds.
- Use temporary hem tape to adhere the felt piece to the dress and press firmly to seal.
- Finish the look by adding a fruit hat for a playful touch.
DIY Chocolate Chip Cookie Costume
Ingredients
- Tan dress
- Chocolate chip appliqués
Instructions
- Peel the backing off the chocolate chip appliqués and press them onto scrap fabric a few times to reduce excess stickiness.
- Arrange and adhere the chocolate chips onto the dress in a pattern you like until you achieve a cookie-like appearance.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
If you make one of these looks, at least one person should carry a classic lunch box for the full effect—bonus points for a smiley one. These costumes are fun, friendly and easy to adapt: you can dress them up with extra details or keep them simple and wearable. They’re a great quick idea for group costumes, couples or solo wear.
Share your Studio DIY costume on Instagram using #studiodiyincostume so it can be featured on the blog.