Do you need a fairy godmother costume for your Cinderella play? Is your daughter dressing up as Cinderella for Halloween? This article will help create a fairy godmother costume that will complement any Cinderella.
Cinderella
Cinderella is a very old fairy tale about a young girl who is being abused by her stepmother and sisters. She is forced to clean all day and night, particularly the sweeping of the cinders from the fireplace. Cinderella is dressed in rags when she learns there is to be a ball to meet the prince. As Cinderella is dreaming of the ball (because she knows she can't go) a fairy godmother appears and magically creates the most beautiful ball gown and glass slippers and makes it possible for her to go to the ball afterall.
Shrek
The fairy godmother in the Disney movie Shrek is a bit irreverent, beautiful, and yet matronly. She wears a light blue sparkly gown, wings, magic wand, and diamond studded reading glasses.
Fairy Godmother Costume Tips and Ideas
Fairy godmothers are portrayed as older benevolent (usually women) who have earned their place in the fairy world by doing good deeds. In the Disney movie Cinderella the fairy godmother creates a coach from a pumpkin, and the horses and footmen from mice, while singing the song "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo". The typical fairy godmother is usually portrayed as an older woman with silvery hair, in a voluptuous sparkly gown, holding a magic wand.
Hair and Make Up
Most people expect a fairy godmother to look grand motherly, but that stereotype does not necessarily need to be adhered to. If you have access to a silver or gray haired wig, wearing that will give you the matronly appearance. If you do not wish to have gray hair, simply put your hair in a bun on top of your head. Wear sparkly make up and eye shadow. Other options for fairy godmother hair are:
- Temporarily color your hair with a temporary hair spray in white or gray
- Dust your hair with flour in the same manner as gentlemen did in the 1800's when powdering their wigs
- Wear a small night cap that women used to wear to bed for warmth
- Wear a tall pointed princess hat
- Spray sparkly hair spray on your hair to make it glitter
Secondhand Gowns
Finding a gown appropriate for a fairy godmother can be easy or more complex depending on your time, talent, and funds. The first place to look for a gown is your closet. Old bridesmaid dresses or prom dresses make great gowns fit for a fairy godmother. You may have to find matching or complimentary material and lengthen your gown, but that is easier than making a gown from the start. After you have looked in your closet and asked friends and families to look for a gown in their closets, take a look at thrift stores. Thrift stores and secondhand clothing shops receive formal gowns regularly and sell them cheap. Look for gowns that have a full skirt so you can put a puffy slip underneath. Once you find a gown, embellish it with sequins and sparkling netting.
Fairy Costumes for Men
Give your play a comedic edge by dressing up a man in a magical godmother costume. What could be more fun than a man in a ball gown, gray wig and singing "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo"? It may be quite impossible to find a ball gown that will fit a man, unless you sew one from scratch. Your male fairy godmother may have to wear a robe or shawl and short "tu tu" skirt.
Accessories
To set your costume apart from a regular fairy costume, consider either holding or attaching the following to your godmother costume:
- Magic wand
- Glass slipper
- A small grey mouse
- Pumpkin
- White gloves
- Pearl necklace and earrings
- Diamond studded reading glasses
- Wings
