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This Instructable will teach you how to make a dress out of newspaper using a sewing machine. It makes a great recycled Halloween costume or a very interesting party dress.
This was part of a Halloween costume of The Old Gray Lady, a nickname for the New York Times. (Hence the makeup and hairdo.) It consists of a fitted, pleated bodice, a puffy petticoat, and a removable waistband, all made completely from newspaper and thread, with no glue or tape used in the process. It is surprisingly comfortable and wearable.
To make this dress, you need a stack of newspaper (I used one Sunday edition of the New York Times), a basic sewing machine, basic sewing skills, straight pins, a ruler, 2 feet of velcro, a spool of white thread, a pencil, a pair of scissors, a belt, a mirror, and a friend to help you with a couple of the steps.
This dress should fit around a size medium. It took about 8 hours to fully construct.
See the final step for ideas on how to incorporate this amazing dress into a costume for Halloween!
Note: Please keep this dress away from water and fire as it is made of paper!
This was part of a Halloween costume of The Old Gray Lady, a nickname for the New York Times. (Hence the makeup and hairdo.) It consists of a fitted, pleated bodice, a puffy petticoat, and a removable waistband, all made completely from newspaper and thread, with no glue or tape used in the process. It is surprisingly comfortable and wearable.
To make this dress, you need a stack of newspaper (I used one Sunday edition of the New York Times), a basic sewing machine, basic sewing skills, straight pins, a ruler, 2 feet of velcro, a spool of white thread, a pencil, a pair of scissors, a belt, a mirror, and a friend to help you with a couple of the steps.
This dress should fit around a size medium. It took about 8 hours to fully construct.
See the final step for ideas on how to incorporate this amazing dress into a costume for Halloween!
Note: Please keep this dress away from water and fire as it is made of paper!
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Signing UpStep 1Tools and Materials
To make this dress, you need:
-a stack of newspaper (I used one Sunday edition of the New York Times)
-2 feet of velcro
-a spool of white thread
-a basic sewing machine (and basic sewing skills)
-straight pins
-a ruler
-a pencil
-a pair of scissors
-a belt
-access to a mirror
-a friend to help you with a couple of the steps
-around 8 hours of time
The dress was designed to fit around a size medium.
-a stack of newspaper (I used one Sunday edition of the New York Times)
-2 feet of velcro
-a spool of white thread
-a basic sewing machine (and basic sewing skills)
-straight pins
-a ruler
-a pencil
-a pair of scissors
-a belt
-access to a mirror
-a friend to help you with a couple of the steps
-around 8 hours of time
The dress was designed to fit around a size medium.
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If I ever decide to wear it again, I will try and fix the petticoat so that I can sit down without it tearing!
I got so many compliments, people are still talking about my awesome dress apparently (party was last week).
Looking back, I shouldn't have skipped the reinforcing of the armholes, they ripped a bit (but I came equiped with tape, so my friends were fixing my outfit through the nigh)
Thanks you so much for this instructables, first time I actually take the plunge and try something!
I served cocktails in this dress for 5 hours. It held up just fine.
We did the bodice pleats the regular thin pleat size you suggested but made a layered skirt using larger pleats!
We haven't quite finished but are planning to make another and model them with high high heels and long 'colour pop' socks! Hope to post a photo when we finish x
For Halloween this year, I was black and white and "red" all over, and went in a group with Super Scissors and Punk Rock. It was super fun, and the dress was a huge hit, and I'm hoping to have lots of excuses to wear it again!
Couple of notes on fabric: Approximate size of a broadsheet is (23"w x 29.5"h). I hemmed all of the "sheet" edges before ironing the bodice. To pleat, I found that starch made it easier to iron, and I did put a couple of extra hooks on the back to keep the Velcro from showing. I did two bottom tiers, each sewn to the tier above it, to get the volume I needed to cover the hoopskirt underneath, then added a little paper hat made from the comics to top it all off.
Couldn't have done it without your help -- thanks again!
If you end up making it be sure to post pics here! I'd love to see somebody improve on the lower skirt - I had to make this in time for a party so that part didn't get as much attention as the bodice.