The countdown to Halloween is on, y’all! If you already know what you want to be, it’s never too early to get started on those cute DIY Halloween costumes. If you don’t, may I suggest this ridiculously fun DIY flamingo costume? Last year, I went as a pineapple, and since I still miss home like crazy, I feel like it’s the perfect Florida-themed follow-up costume. I got the idea from this super cute video on YouTube and decided to put my own spin on it. It’s so easy, you guys, and it can work for both adults and kids! Keep reading for a step-by-step DIY costume tutorial.

Before getting into logistics, here’s everything you’ll need to make your own pink flamingo Halloween costume:

• Pink slip dress
• Pink fascinator
• Hot pink feather boas (I used a total of 5)
• Light pink, dark pink, and black foam sheets or felt 
• Googly eyes
• Hot glue
• Elastic 
• Safety pins
• Hot pink lip liner and lipstick

DIY Flamingo Costume

Once you’ve gathered all your supplies, cut your elastic or tie together stray pieces of elastic (like I did) to make a fitted waistband. Ideally, the skirt should hit just below your belly button and fit snugly.

Next, take your pink feather boas and cut them all in half. I used a total of 5 boas, although you could use more for a fuller skirt (6-7) or less if you’re making a child’s costume (3-4). Keep in mind that these shed like crazy, so set aside some bigger stray feathers for later. 

Next, take a half-boa and tie it around the elastic waistband– just like the first step in tying your shoe. 

Repeat with as many half-boas as you like, making sure to set aside one half-boa for the flamingo’s neck/head. For reference, I used 4 1/2 full feather boas for my skirt, making 9 total knots. Try to make sure you tie them somewhat evenly, so there aren’t any conspicuously long or short skirt flaps. A little length variety adds fun texture, though, so don’t be too particular about it. 

Once you’re happy with your skirt, move onto the flamingo head. Trace congruent circles on your baby pink, dark pink, and black foam sheets. For size reference, I traced a 3-wick Bath & Body Works candle lid. Keep in mind that you can also use felt or construction paper to make your flaming’s face, although it won’t be quite as durable. 

Cut out the baby pink circle as as. Next, cut out the darker pink circle, fold it in half, and cut at the fold. Then cut off an extra 2-3 centimeters of length to create a half moon of sorts (step 3 below). Lastly, take your black circle tracing and, using a straight edge, draw a diagonal line from both the top and bottom of the circle to create an even triangle. Once you’re happy with the beak tracing, cut it out (step 4). 

Using a hot glue gun, glue the baby pink circle on top the black beak. Next, glue the darker pink semi circle on the baby pink circle. Lastly, glue a medium or large-sized googly eye in the middle to finish off your flamingo’s face.

To create the neck, glue the flamingo’s face onto the end of your remaining half-boa. Make sure it dries sufficiently and set it aside. You’ll eventually tuck it into your skirt. 

For the pièce de résistance, grab your pink fascinator (I ordered this one in Rose). Since it’s virtually impossible to match pinks exactly, pluck out all the fascinator’s feathers and replace them with fallen feathers from your pink boas. Trust me, you’ll have hundreds to work with, so you can go a little crazy and start gluing them all over like I did. 

DIY Flamingo Costume: The Finished Product

To assemble your pink flamingo Halloween costume, put on your pink slip dress (I ordered this one in Hot Pink). Next, slide on your pink feather skirt. The boas make the skirt relatively heavy, so use safety pins to secure the skirt in place. Then, drape the flamingo’s head around your neck and tuck the bottom end into your pink feather skirt. Lastly, throw on your fluffy flamingo headpiece, a pair of comfy heels, and some hot pink lipstick (I’m wearing MAC Gumball) and get ready to flamingle! Check out the images below to see how my costume turned out and how I styled it. 

Just so y’all have it all in one place, here’s everything I used to create this pink flamingo costume. Again, you can substitute felt for foam sheets, use more or less pink feather boas, and skip the headpiece altogether if you so choose. 
 

DIY Flamingo Costume: PSA for Pet Owners

Just a warning– your pets will be very interested in the pink feathers. Once you’re done making your costume, grab the vacuum and pick up all the stray fuzz, feathers, and foam scraps. Trust me, post-Halloween vet visits aren’t fun. 

Have any questions about how to make this DIY flamingo costume? Feel free to shoot me an email or leave me a comment. I’m happy to help!