This no-sew Edna Mode costume is quick and easy to make and can be adapted for any age or size.
Edna Mode is one of my favorite Disney characters of all time, so naturally, I begged my daughter to dress up as Edna Mode for Halloween so that I could make an Edna Mode costume. The best part about it is that I didn’t even have to get out the sewing machine. This is one of the quickest and easiest DIY Halloween costumes I’ve ever made!
To make a no-sew Edna Mode costume, you’ll need the following supplies:
- Black Long Sleeve Swing Dress
- Red Ribbon
- Large Metal Wreath Form
- Snip Pliers
- Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks or Fabric Glue
- Black felt
- Edna Mode Wig and Glasses Kit
As I searched for a black dress suitable for this costume, I found a bunch of great options for on Amazon.
Basically, you’re looking for a long sleeved black dress with no waistline that flares out at the bottom.
Step 1
Cut one round of wire off of the metal wreath form. This will make the dress stand out away from the body, recreating the extreme A shape of Edna’s dress and making it look more like a costume.
Clip the wire circle using snip pliers. Cut a small hole on the inside hem of the dress and thread the wire circle through the bottom hem. Tape the ends back together, then slide everything inside the hem so it’s nearly invisible.
Step 2
Lay red ribbon in a “V” shape onto the bodice of the dress. Glue into place using hot glue or fabric glue. Trim edges along the top to line up with the shoulder seams.
Step 3
Cut squares of felt, then cut those squares into triangles. It goes faster if you have a rotary cutter and mat, but you can do it freehand too.
Add a line of hot glue along the top long edge of the triangle, then glue it to the dress sleeve. Alternate placement from row to row, as shown in the photos.
Once you’ve added the triangles, the dress is nearly done! It just needs to be touched up with Downy Wrinkle Releaser… because we all know Edna would never stand for wrinkles.
Have you used this product before? It is AMAZING!
Spray lightly.
Smooth hand over wrinkles.
Hang and let dry.
BOOM. Wrinkles gone.
Edna and I are big fans of anything with that kind of super power.
We have a bunch of satin Halloween costumes in our dress up box that are made from such delicate, flimsy fabric that ironing them is out of the question… they’d melt! So we’ll definitely be using Downy Wrinkle Releaser Plus to make them presentable again. If you’d like to try it, you can buy it on Amazon.
I’m also going to use it to touch up a pair of curtains that are wrinkled but I’m too lazy to take down to iron. Winning at life, my friends.
Looking for more costumes from The Incredibles? Check out my Syndrome Costume here.
Comments & Reviews
Love this idea!!! What ways would you cover up the wording if using the Old Navy dress?
Here are a few ways that might work: paint over the words with fabric paint, use fabric glue to add a “pocket” out of felt, cut a design out of black iron-on-vinyl and iron it over the words, or try to heat up the words with the iron and pick them off. If you try it, let me know what you end up doing!
Hi Jennifer,
Love the costume and creativity! Where did you get the swing dress?
Thanks!
Hi Amanda, I listed a bunch of source options for swing dresses in the instructions in the paragraph right above “step 1”
Thanks! I saw the links immediately after I asked 🤣.
I just found a long sleeve swing dress on Amazon for $16.99, Prime to boot! Can’t wait for it to get here so I can do this with it! My 3yo son is going to be Dash, and I’m planning on keeping the Incredibles theme with this DIY! Thanks for the great tips!
Yay! That sounds so fun!
Thanks Jennifer! I’m off to gather supplies today!
Hi- how big are those felt squares? I’m making for an adult. Thanks
I made them 2 inches, but for adults I’d probably make them around 3 inches.
Thank you SO much for this well-done and perfectly timed tutorial. I have been begging my daughter to be Edna for a few years now and she finally relented this Halloween. The links were so helpful and I was able to buy everything I needed and snap together her costume in less than a day! She looked fabulous and she even carried a rolled up newspaper for smacking people in the face while she bellowed, “My God! Pull yourself together!”
Hurray! I am so happy to hear the tutorial was helpful. The newspaper was the perfect addition!
Love this! How big of a metal wreath would you suggest for an adult (height 5’7 to be exact 🙂 )
I think you’d need one that’s about 24 inches in diameter. But I would just go to the craft store and stand inside a wreath form and see if you can spread your legs far enough to walk. LOL.
Love this!! Did the hoop weigh down the dress? I ordered a dress from Walmart that is the same style as the Amazon one for women!
The hoop weighs the dress down a little, but it’s not bad. It is a little weird to wear and limits mobility a bit, but it adds SOOOO much to the “costume” effect that I think it’s worth it.