For the 2022 runDisney Disney World Half Marathon, I wore a Mary Poppins running costume. It was easy to make and worked out great! Here’s how I made it.
My goal was to create a costume inspired by the outfit Mary Poppins wears at the beginning of the classic film—a white top with a ruffled collar and red bow, a blue skirt with two white stripes, and her iconic black hat with daisies, cherries, and what I presume to be cherry blossoms.
Materials:
- White running tank
- Blue running skirt
- Black hat
- Red ribbon
- White ribbon
- White trim (1/2 yard)
- Artificial flowers (daisies & small pink blossoms)
- Red artificial cherries (or something similar)
- Felt
- Glue gun & glue sticks
- Sewing needle
- Black & white thread
- White gloves & arm sleeves (optional)
Since I didn’t own an appropriate white tank and blue skirt, I purchased items I’d be able to wear again after the race. I bought a tank from Walmart (Avia Sleeveless Performance Tank) and a skirt from Amazon (Bakery Women’s Athletic Skort). I tried two other skirts before choosing this one. This one stood out in terms of quality, comfort, and features. It has two side pockets, a back zippered pocket, and a pocket on one leg of the shorts underneath.
I already owned a black running hat. I purchased the white ribbon, trim, and flowers at a local fabric store. I couldn’t find red ribbon in the right width, so I used ribbon from a gift bag. I also couldn’t find artificial cherries or red berries for the hat, so I purchased a cheap floral pick of plastic silver berries.
Step 1
I painted the silver berries red using three coats of acrylic craft paint. It covered the silver well, but the finished product was dull. So I coated the red berries with nail polish. Practically perfect!
Step 2
Since I wanted to remove the decorative hat items after the race, I didn’t want to affix them directly to the hat. I cut out small squares of felt and hot glued the items to the felt. On three of the squares I glued a daisy in the center with a cherry on either side and one leaf. On the other square I glued a longer daisy stem and pink flower stem on the back side of the felt, and three cherries and a leaf on the front.
Step 3
I used a needle and black thread to attach the felt to the hat using several stitches. This was the trickiest part!
Step 4
I attached the ruffled trim to the white tank using a needle and white thread and several long stitches that would be easy to cut later.
Step 5
I removed the ribbon from the gift bag and formed it into a bow and sewed it. In retrospect, glue may have been easier to create the bow. I then sewed the bow to the trim I had already attached to the tank.
Step 6
I measured and cut the ribbon for the skirt. After attempting to use double-faced tape first and failing, I loosely affixed the ribbon to the skirt with a needle and white thread.
With my costume finished, I was ready for a jolly holiday!
I really enjoyed my experience with this costume. It was comfortable to run in, and everything stayed in place. Dressing in character made the race more fun. With her silly hat, you can’t help but smile at Mary Poppins. If you’re looking for a costume idea, give this one a try.
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