Easy and unique sad Harlequin costume
If you have been following me for a while now then you know that I try to make a costume for my daughter every year that starts out with a basic cotton shirt dress. If you are new around here then you can catch up on her struggles HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE (and her latest update HERE). She has gotten so much better but a lot of the clothing preferences still remain. She would never comfortably wear one of the store bought costumes with the itchy fabrics, seams, labels and velcro. They are just sensory overload for her. And I love coming up with easy costume ideas with her. We always know that nobody will look like her.
For whatever reason she doesn’t mind wearing wigs or face paint but I know of a lot of kids with sensory issues who can’t handle that either. Regardless, I feel like all of our costume ideas are great for kids who don’t care what they wear too.
So this year we started narrowing it down to what we came up with pretty early, like last year early. She mentioned this last year already right after Halloween.
Easy and unique sad Harlequin costume
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Every year our colors of the costume end up being so similar. It’s just preference. You could certainly make this costume with different primary colors or even pastels. Whatever floats your boat.
This time I started with a white shirt dress (they have a variety of other colors HERE for other costumes or just everyday wear) which is really really soft and comfy. If you want to buy one too then maybe buy it a little smaller. It runs pretty big. I ended up washing and drying it to see if it would shrink but it didn’t.
I made the red bow from a ribbon I had left and also made the hat and pom-poms. (You can read my pom-pom tips and tricks HERE.
Harlequin costume supplies and accessories
- tights HERE or HERE
- bow tie (I made my own)Â
- I made my own pom-poms with THISÂ pom-pom maker and black wool (HERE) – Read more about my pom pom making tips and tricks HERE
- white wig
- face paintÂ
- face paint brushes
- white shirt
- black hat
- striped hat (I made my own)
- gloves
I attached the pom-poms and bow with safety pins to the shirt but sewed the white pom-pom onto the paper party hat. I made mine because we had some party hats left from last new years. So all I had to to do is paint one black. The rest is all make-up and wig and it’s a very easy make-up in my opinion.
Sad clown or Harlequin Make-up step-by-step
- start with clean face and braids
- paint the entire face white and let it dry completely
- paint an oversized red mouth and little red nose
- outline the mouth in black (I used an old eyeliner brush to apply the black face paint)
- paint the bottom part of the black eyes
- paint the upper black part of the eyes
- paint three tears on the side of the face
- pin up braids and put wig cap over hair (comes with the wig)
- put on wig and pigtails
- pin hat on top of the big and slightly on an angle
She absolutely loves this wig and it’s our own spin on this costume idea.
She is so happy with her costume and even won 1. place at her school’s Halloween dance.
Check out other costume ideas below:
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She’s adorable how clever!!????????
Thank you Jill!
her costumes are always the best and this is no exception- it’s SOOO good! the makeup is incredible! and look how little she was when she was a witch….aaaaaw!
Yes she was tiny. It was such a simple outfit with her regular clothing but I still loved it. She’s a character. And thanks Cassie!
What a beautiful and classy costume!!! You always do such a wonderful job and this year is no exception. Don’t let all the negativity in the news tarnish yours and your daughters enjoyment. I think it is wonderful that you and your daughter can do this together.
Thank you! It was just such a bad timing for being a clown this year and you just never know what some people might say to a child.
so very clever!!!!
Thank you Lois
I always love her costumes! You are so creative! A couple years before the “Slenderman” attack on the little girl by her friends, MacKenzie dressed up as him for Halloween. Every year it’s a new challenge as she has never wanted a off the rack costume and always wants to be an internet meme of some sort. This year she is Rick from Rick and Morty. She made it easy, blue wig and lab coat.
I always love your daughter’s costumes! Tell her she’s the best looking clown I’ve seen in a while!
Costumes that aren’t off the rack are the best though, right? And thanks so much
OH man I love seeing here halloween costumes!!! This is awesome!
Thanks so much Summer. I love doing this with her and will miss it one day.
She is so adorable! Love the costume, looks amazing!
Well thanks so so much
You two are quite the creative team. She’s such a great little model, too!
Thanks Jennifer. It scares me sometimes how much she likes to model. I was never like that so it’s really not in my own comfort zone to model anything.
Julia you are so creative and I love seeing what you will come up with next! Great job friend! Amazing!
Thanks so much for he visit Darnetha. I feel the pressure for next year. Her wishes are a little odd already. She said a zombie soccer player or a vampire. Let’s see
Your daughter is gorgeous and the costume is amazing!
Thanks Sandra
wow…that’s a GREAT costume and makep job.
lucky her!
Thanks so much! I love doing it
I’m a total costume junkie. One of my favorite holidays is halloween. I love that it didn’t require anything too out of the ordianry to create. So cute!
I’ve been terrified of clowns since I was a small girl,
and my own kids won’t get that as a costume option.
But, that being said, your daughter’s costume is quite lovely, and in the light of day I can fully appreciate its whimsy.
Happy Trick or Treating!
Well thanks for appreciating it anyways 😉
This might be your best one yet! She looks amazing–great job!!
Thanks Gretchen! I just heard from someone that trick-or-treat was canceled in our town because of all the scary clown non-sense which would be so upsetting.
In an age of store bought, over the top costumes this clown costume is just plain wonderful! How creative, clever, cute, special, and unique! What a breath of fresh air! The cutest thing ever! Good job Julia!
You truly are the sweetest. Thanks so much.
I always look forward to your daughter’s costumes. They get better every year! I love the clown. Great find on the wig. It makes me so sad to hear that these evil clown people are ruining everyone’s fun. I commend you for going forward with the clown costume despite the current controversies.
They just canceled Halloween trick or treat in our town. It’s so lame. People are awful. I hope we can organize something in our neighborhood
I always look forward to your costumes every year and wondering how you could top the previous years. This one is no different!! I’m so sad that the recent news even cast a shadow on such a traditional and can-be fun costume. However, your creative rendering is over the top gorgeous, I’m not sure how anyone could try and ruin that. That wig is super fun and pretty!
Thanks so much Trisha, I hope that they will see it the same way at her school Halloween dance.
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