“I want to be a pine cone for Halloween!” isn’t something a 40-something year old woman would normally say, but here we are in the alternate universe of 2020 when you don’t ask “but why tho?” you just roll with things. But seriously, why? I was scrolling Pinterest for costume inspiration for me to wear something woodlandy with my mom’s mushroom costume that I made for her earlier this year. I was starting to lean snail when I saw this darling 3 year old in a pine cone tutu…okay, add 40 years and a laser sharp attention to detail, and the rest is history. Here’s how I made my pine cone dress…
[Related: Fantasia Inspired Boho Toadstool Mushroom Costume]
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Nothing is sacred in this house, so I sacrificed my plain black fit and flare dress from my Disneybound Ursula costume for this project. Sure, a pine cone tutu or circle skirt would be cute, but I wanted the whole dress covered in pine cone scales. I ordered 2 yards each of brown and toffee felt for the scales; brown for the painted tops, and toffee for the raised bottoms.
Dress: Dressystar DS1956 Women Vintage 1950s Retro Rockabilly Prom Dresses Cap-Sleeve L Black
Brown felt: FabricLA Acrylic Felt by The Yard 72″ Wide X 1 YD Long – Brown
Toffee felt: Toffee – Grey Brown – Wool Felt Oversized Sheet – 35% Wool Blend – 3 12×18 inch Sheets
I prewashed the felt and laid them flat to dry. The brown felt didn’t shrink much but the toffee sure did! I cut the brown felt into 3″x4.25″ rectangles with a rotary cutter. Then I cut the toffee felt into 3″x2.25″ rectangles. I used about 300 rectangles of each color for the whole dress.
Before painting 
Black 
Brown 
Beige
The funnest part about this project was painting the scales. The brown felt for my pine cone dress got a full ombre paint job from black to light beige at the tips. My first coat was black sponged in a V pattern, then I did a lot of mixing for the browns. If I recall correctly, I used melted chocolate mixed with burnt umber in a V, then nutmeg brown and territorial beige in a V, then nutmeg brown with a little magnolia white and pearl finish in a V at the tip.
Paints: Dark Flesh Tone Acrylic Paint Set and Delta Creative Ceramcoat Acrylic Paint in Assorted Colors (2 oz), 2506, Black and Apple Barrel Acrylic Paint in Assorted Colors (2 oz), 20558, Territorial Beige
My evening tv time was productive, as I used this time to cut half circles on the beige side of each scale, and cut the little toffee rectangles into crescent moons….times several hundred.
Then I hot glued the moons to the underside of the scales, and glued a cotton ball inside that space so the scales would be raised. I did not add cotton balls to the scales that would be above the waist, so maybe ~200 were stuffed and ~100 were not.
I sponged territorial beige to the front edge of each scale so there wouldn’t be such a stark contrast between brown and toffee…like I said, detail!
Speaking of bat shit crazy detail, I sewed a little citrine bead to the front tip of each scale. If you’ve ever picked up a pine cone and got pricked by tiny thorns, you’ll understand why I chose to add this effect. It was a bitch sewing 300ish and took a couple weeks of evenings, but I’m glad I added them. Heavy? Yeah, it was getting that way, even with the petticoat underneath. I mean look how soggy the skirt looked with only 4 rows of scales added.
Petticoat: GRACE KARIN Vintage Womens 50s Rockabilly Tutu Skirt Petticoat Black Size L
So I added 3″ wide horsehair braid to the hem, and what a huge difference that made!
Horsehair braid: VIVIPA Wide Polyester White Horsehair Braid, Selling Per Roll/ 50 Yards (3 inch, Black)
I continued to work my way up the dress, sewing the scales in place with a zigzag stitch about every 3 rows until the entire dress was covered. To finish the neckline I added black lace and really liked how that softened the top.
Lace: Crochet Lace Ribbons, 15-Yard Rolls (Black, 0.5 and 0.7 in Wide, 2-Pack)
And she’s done! Somewhere in the month-long making of the dress I decided to make it witchy with a homemade coordinating witch hat, mesh shirt, fishnet stockings, and Bernhardt boots from American Duchess. I named her Loblolly after the pine trees native to the Houston area (where I live). I know, I know…I went overboard.
Shirt: See Through Net Bodysuit Long Sleeve Mesh Tee Shirt Tops for Women (L,Black)
Stockings: 5 Pairs Fishnet Cross Mesh Stockings Fishnet Tights Fishnet Pantyhose for Women (Black)
Before Halloween we took pictures in a local park and photobombed some pine trees. Originally I was planning to wear a long red wig but it looked too distracting, so I wore my short red wig instead. I love how everything turned out! Up next are the photos we took in the park…but here’s a preview below.
What do you think?
[Related: Making My Loblolly Witch Hat (including downloadable witch hat pattern) and Costuming a Loblolly Pine Witch]
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This is absolutely fantastic!
Thank you CC!!
SPECTACULAR❤️
Been crafting and sewing for decades, so I could appreciate how clever you were in “crafting” this costume. So stinkin’ CUTE! Concept was relatively simple, just labor intensive for sure. And you are right, the smallest details make a huge difference. Can’t tell you how in awe I am at this creation. Outstanding!
Thanks so much Linda! It’s maybe one of my favorite costumes ever, and it sure took on a life of its own. 🖤
This is amazing!! And I love the photo shoot at the end. You can definitely tell you took your time and paid attention to detail. I don’t think you went overboard at all! 😉
Thanks Jess!! 🖤
Omg!! I love this. I am NOT artistic or creative, but I appreciate the craftsmanship and all the hard work! Do you sell these? I would totally buy it!!
Awe thank you Denisse! Sadly no, I don’t sell or take commissions. Peaky day job eats up all my time 😉
This is brilliant! Well done and I love that you turned it witchy! How did your mother’s mushroom look with your pinecone?
Thank you Georgann!! Making it witchy was part of the fun with this costume. Sadly, my mother passed away earlier this year before being able to wear her costume, so my niece will have to be the mushroom to my pine cone in future adventures. Still trying to wrap my head around everything.
Ooo. That’s hard and heavy. Especially when she was feisty enough to WANT a mushroom costume. Hoping you can be at peace with this. xo
Thank you Monique, I am. My niece has worn the mushroom costume 3 times I think, and she does it justice.
This is by far the best costume I’ve ever seen. I’m a pinecone freak. My boys bring them home from trips around the world for me. Love isn’t a big enough word. You’re a very gifted artist and wonderful pinecone witch. Jealous.
Oh Missy that’s so incredibly kind of you to say! Pine cones are such a trippy inanimate object with so much character, hard to explain, but I think you get it. Thank you again, truly.
Now I know what to do with that black dress in the back of my closet!
It’s fabulous!!! Well done!!!
Thank you Sue!!
The talent! The finish! The look! Omg!
Such a nice job on the costume. I’d be a pine cone all the time, if this dress were mine 😀
Absolutely fabulous costume! This brings me such joy! I love your attention to detail it makes all the difference and let’s face it when it comes to costumes anything worth doing is worth overdoing! You are a gifted artist. I am 56 and have been making costumes for fun since I was a teenager, my mother was so into it ..naturally I got hooked. My birthday is in late October so my parties were and still are costume parties! I would love to see more of your work keep it coming!
Victoria, thank you very much for saying such kind things! More is more and worth the trouble, you get it!! Thanks again and I hope your costume birthday party is a real blow out this year! 🖤
Truly unbelievable! I absolutely adore this and ur attention to detail is astounding! Love it!!
Thank you so much!!
Enchanting! Wow!
Thanks Kim!!!
Wow so so so beautiful. You’re a true artist. Thank you for sharing your work.
Thank you so much Arazeli! ❤️
This was super cool. Best costume I have seen in a long time. Absolutely love it
OMG! Thank you Elaine!!
I am sure what was the most fun – reading your tutorial or seeing the finished project! I am blown away by how cleaver this idea is and your attention to detail is beyond amazing. I too have a thing for pinecones. Thanks for the magical journey! I hope you won 1st prize
Thank you SO MUCH Ellen! 🖤🌲
Thank you so much for sharing this! Pinecones and acorns are my absolute favorite things! I am 56 and have no sewing skills but I can probably make a hat!
Oh this is incredible!!! Well done, it’s stunning!
I really wish I had the time and patience for this… I would 100% but that (and wear it on a regular basis 😆). I’m pretty sure I was meant to be a forest witch but here I am a plain old mortal human, bummer.
You and me both, sister 🖤
Spectacular.
Looks great!!!
Fabuleux. Vous êtes une artiste complète : imagination, observation, ingénierie, talent de peintre et celui de couturière avec en sus celui de scénariste. Que de dons ! Un énorme merci de nous en faire profiter et ce faisant nous faire rêver. Un super géant bravo à vous.