fashion

3 Designers Who Craft Handmade Halloween Costumes

Editor

Editor

— 3 min read
3 Designers Who Craft Handmade Halloween Costumes
Young girl in a witch costume by Fuzzy Duckling Designs. The bodice of her tutu gown is black and the bottom is also black and features green, purple and orange tule. The right photo is of a young girl in a blue and white gingham dress and white shirt inspired by the outfit Dorothy wears in the Wizard of Oz. The costume was made by Wren Amber.
Left: Courtesy of Fuzzy Duckling Designs, taken by Doug Dienelt Photography. Right: Courtesy of Wren Amber

Handmade Halloween costumes are top of mind as the spooky day is quickly approaching. Since handcrafted clothing usually requires lead time, now is the perfect time to discover where to get handmade Halloween costumes. Artisan Joy knows just where to look. 

This article features two fashion designers who sew children’s costumes and one who specializes in adult costumes. Because why should kids have all the fun? Editor’s Note: the designers featured here also make clothing for other occasions.

Ghastly Fast Fashion Be Gone

Halloween costumes are largely considered temporary outfits—the very definition of fast fashion—but there’s another perspective to consider. We can pass down well-made Halloween costumes or let others borrow them. Read on for three options for purchasing handmade Halloween costumes.

Fuzzy Duckling Designs: Children’s Costumes & Special Occasion Wear

Lisa Garcia of Fuzzy Duckling Designs is an Etsy “Star Seller.” In her shop, you can find princess tutu dresses, flower crowns, fairy costumes, fairy wings, birthday wear, and other special-occasion outfits. Back in 2015, Lisa was invited to a princess-themed birthday party for her best friend’s granddaughter and was looking for a gift to bring. “I wanted to find something extra special for the birthday girl—something beautiful and unique that didn’t come from a big box store,” she said.

When Lisa couldn’t find what she was looking for, she headed to Pinterest for help, which inspired her to make a tutu dress. “After many trips to the craft store and hours and hours of labor, I finished the dress. It was so beautiful and so much fun to make that I made another dress just like it for my friend’s other granddaughter.” The dresses were such a hit at the party that she started a business, which took off.

We love the idea of children wearing Lisa’s designs on more than one occasion. For instance, the ladybug gown shown below can do double duty during the holidays. You can shop Lisa’s designs on her Etsy.

Image features two photos. The left one is of a toddler with blonde hair in a ladybug costume by Lisa Garcia of Fuzzy Duckling Designs, It is red tutu dress with red wings with black spots and a ladybug antenna headband. The photo to the right features three girls in fairy costumes, also designed by Lisa.
Courtesy of Lisa Garcia of Fuzzy Duckling Designs. Photo on right taken by Doug Dienelt Photography.

Wren Amber: Couture Children Clothing and Costumes by Special Order

Based in Los Angeles, Wren Amber is a handmade couture children’s clothing brand founded by mother-daughter duo Amber and Jessica and inspired by granddaughter Wren. Growing up, Jessica received handmade dresses sewn by her grandmother and mother that she can now pass down to her daughter. The founders inject that longevity mindset into their brand and create functional and high-quality children’s clothes, incorporating sustainable practices, such as sourcing mostly deadstock fabric and making limited styles. Those practices help reduce unused material in landfills.

This time of year, Wren Amber accepts custom orders for children’s Halloween costumes. Jessica said, “my mom is an incredible seamstress and really finds so much joy in costumes! She always puts her special spin on each costume. I literally still have costumes from when I was young that my mom made and have been worn countless times that I can pass down to my kiddos. My mom kept all of our old costumes—child and adult!” Email info@wrenamber.com to inquire about a custom Halloween costume.

Costumes by Amber of Wren Amber. A little boy and girl is shown. The girl wearing a blue and white gingham dress, inspired by the Dorothy character in The WIzard of Oz. The second photo is of a blonde-haired child wearing her hair in pigtails and a cowgirl outfit.
Courtesy of Jessica of Wren Amber.

Mel Rose: Custom Adult Halloween Costumes

For six years, Mel Rose owned a swimwear line available in select boutiques across the U.S. Today, she makes custom costumes for adults and bridal wear. Mel said, “fashion should be considered art, not waste.”  The fashion designer currently takes custom orders for adult Halloween costumes. Email melroseparadisiac@icloud.com for info on ordering a custom costume. Mel is in the process of refining her business and will soon offer one-of-a-kind outfits, costumes, and small-run clothing collections.

Image features two photos of mermaid costumes for adults designed by Mel Rose. The one on the left features a blue mermaid bottom and the right features a green bottom.
Courtesy of Mel Rose.

If you know another artisan who sells handmade Halloween costumes, please tell us in the comments. We’ll update this article.

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