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Quick & EasyNo. 5877 · The 2026 edition

How to Make a Harlequin Halloween Costume

Transform into a classic Harlequin with this DIY costume featuring a diamond-embellished shirt, a gathered bustle, and colorful ribbon ballet slippers.

Easy

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How to Make a Harlequin Halloween Costume
PHOTO · MARTHASTEWART.COM

Create a Harlequin costume using a white button-down shirt with iron-on satin diamonds, a 12-by-88-inch cotton bustle gathered with 2 yards of white ribbon, and ballet slippers secured with 30-inch satin ribbon lengths. The bustle attaches via 12-inch ribbons sewn to the shirt. All materials are easy to work with for a festive look.

You'll need

Directions

  1. For the shirt, prepare both large and small diamond shapes. Following the adhesive manufacturer's directions, fuse the iron-on adhesive to the back side of the satin. Use the diamond templates to trace and cut out the shapes. Lay out the diamonds on the shirt to create a pleasing arrangement, then iron them permanently in place.
  2. To make the bustle, hem the edges of a 12-by-88-inch white cotton rectangle, creating a 5/8-inch channel along one long edge. Embellish with satin diamonds using the same method as the shirt. Thread a white ribbon through the channel using a safety pin, then gather the fabric. Attach a 12-inch piece of ribbon to each side of the shirt, and tie those ribbons to the bustle ribbons.
  3. For the ballet slippers, cut four 30-inch lengths of satin ribbon (feel free to use different colors). Secure each ribbon end inside the slippers using white duct tape.

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