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Mavis: a DIY Halloween costume made from clothes you already own, worn by Wren, AI-generated model

AI-generated picture to show the idea. Yours will look handmade.

Mavis

A DIY Mavis costume for Hotel Transylvania is a black dress, red and black striped tights, red high-top shoes, a black bob with V-shaped bangs and small card fangs. It is a good one to wear ahead of The Haunting of Hotel Transylvania, which Sony and Amazon MGM have scheduled for 8 October 2027. It costs about $17 and takes about 75 minutes.

TIME
75 min
COST
about $17
SKILL
Some cutting

What you need

  • A black dress or a black sweater and skirt
  • Red and black striped tights
  • Red high-top trainers or red shoes
  • A black wig, or black wool for the hair
  • Red felt or ribbon for the trim
  • White card for the fangs, and elastic
  • Optional: black card for small bat wings
  • Fabric glue or tape

How to make it

  1. 1

    Lay out the black dress. Cut a strip of red felt about 4 cm wide and glue it around the neckline or the hem as a trim.

  2. 2

    Pull on the red and black striped tights under the dress. If you only have plain black tights, glue red felt stripes along the legs of a spare pair.

  3. 3

    Cut black wool into about 40 lengths of 25 cm for a chin-length bob. Tie them at the top with an elastic band and attach to a headband, or use a short black wig.

  4. 4

    Cut the front of the fringe into a V shape so it points down to the centre of the forehead, and use hair clips to hold it.

  5. 5

    Cut two small fangs from white card, about 1.5 cm long, and glue them to a thin elastic loop or hold them with white tape on the outside of the lip. Do not put card in your mouth.

  6. 6

    Put on the red high-tops and the dress.

  7. 7

    If you like, add a small pair of black card bat wings on ribbon straps to nod to her transforming.

Make it better

  • The red and black stripes are the strongest clue. Make them bold.
  • Keep the fangs small so you can talk and drink.
  • Ask a friend to dress as Dracula for the dad and daughter pair.

Questions

How do I make a Mavis costume from clothes I already own?

Wear a black dress and red and black striped tights, add red trim, red high-tops, a black bob wig and small card fangs. Everything is glued or tied, so no sewing is needed.

What colours do I need for Mavis?

Black, red and a little white. The black bob and the red striped tights do most of the work.

Is this an official Mavis costume?

No. It is a homemade, unofficial costume built from everyday clothes and craft supplies. We are not affiliated with the makers of the character.

Is this easy fancy dress for a party?

Yes. It is a black dress with a few bright details. The wig, wings and fangs are optional if you want to keep it simple.

Unofficial. Mavis and the Hotel Transylvania names belong to their respective owners, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The names are used only to describe this homemade parody costume.

Wear it in front of your own haunted CCTV

Upload four photos of your house and Cursed Cam turns them into a night-time security monitor where something is very wrong. Put it on the TV by the door.

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