Princess Belle Dress Up Costume

This DIY Princess Belle Dress Up costume, inspired by Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, is quick to make using just a few supplies. We’ve made many dress up costumes and share our proven beginner sewing tutorials will walk you through it step-by-step.

For about $20, you can make this Princess Belle dress up costume inspired by Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

When I asked my daughter what she wanted to be for Halloween, she said Belle and I was ready to go to the Disney store and buy the new dress. But the 4-year-old said, “Please will you make me one, Mommy? I don’t want a dress like everyone else, I want one of yours.”

If she wasn’t my only, she’d definitely be my favorite.

Here is a Disney-inspired Princess Belle dress up costume for pretend play or Halloween!

RELATED READING: See All the Halloween Crafts and Food on Ruffles and Rain Boots!

Sewing for Beginners

Let me explain the extent of my sewing skills:

  1. I can sew in a straight-ish line.
  2. I have to look up a video EVERY TIME I need to sew on a button.
  3. I have more holes in my fingers than a sieve when I attempt to hand sew anything.

Now, I’m not telling you all that to embarrass myself. I’m stating it here because if you have a sewing machine, a needle, and some thread, YOU CAN MAKE THIS. Promise.

Make this DIY Princess Belle costume from Beauty and the Beast for about $20!

Supplies You’ll Need for the Belle Dress Up Costume

My entire craft store bill for this Belle dress up apron was a whopping $23 (we already had the $3 apron) and if I would do it again, I would make the roses from felt. That would bring the total down to about $19 (including the apron). That makes this a fun and frugal craft for Halloween or dress up.

  • A child-sized apron
  • Yellow satin
  • 12 yards of yellow tulle (don’t get the sparkly, expensive stuff)
  • Green (light and dark) craft felt
  • Gold ribbon
  • Get the free Belle dress template (use the Elsa pattern with a straight neck, making sure to add the 1/2 inch at the bottom of the bodice)

Make this Belle hairstyle to accompany the Princess Belle costume for Halloween!

Princess Belle Dress Up Costume: Cuts

  1. First, cut the bodice from the satin using this free princess template (see note above).
  2. Skirt piece – 25 inches wide by 18.5 inches high (these dimensions work for 3-6-year-olds but if this is for an older child, measure the length).
  3. Tulle – I cut the width – doubled over, just like it comes on the spool – by 21 inches. Again, if this is for an older child, measure the length. You’re going to gather it at the bottom, so keep that in mind.

Princess Belle Apron: Skirt Construction

  1. Next, you’ll start assembling the skirt. Double hem the satin skirt piece, making it about 23.5 x 17.5-inches. This eliminates fraying.
  2. Pin the tulle to the skirt piece, alternating 1.5-inch pleats with every layer of tulle (I folded my sheets so each sheet had two layers of tulle).
  3. Sew tulle to skirt piece.

Use this tutorial for a DIY Princess Belle dress up apron and pleat the tulle for a full skirt.

DIY Princess Belle Costume – Bodice

  1. Now, sew the ribbon (in two sections) to the bodice. Overlap one to make it look finished.
  2. Sew bodice to the apron (just tuck the satin under and pull it around the back).

Easily attach ribbon to the hem of the Princess Belle costume bodice

Finishing Details for the Belle Dress Up Apron

Next, it’s all about the details for our Princess Belle dress up costume… You can choose to hand- or machine-sew the veins on the felt leaves. If I had to do it again, I would have just done it for the three leaves on the bodice.

Sew veins on the leaves for extra detail on the Princess Belle dress up apron.

First, hand-sew the large flower and three various-sized leaves to center of the bodice for our Belle costume DIY. Psst: you’re DIY’ing the heck out of this thing…

Hand-sew the gathers in the tulle skirt piece and secure the end gathers to the other layers of tulle. First, identify where your top layer of gathers will be.

Identify where your gathers will end and sew vertically up and gather the tulle.

To sew a gather, just start at the bottom of the layer of tulle and thread a needle and thread in-and-out going up. Once you’ve reached your marker point, just pull the thread gently and tie off around the gathered section. Secure with a couple of knots and cut the thread.

Note: I made three layers of gathers and left the remaining layers straight. It was easier and I didn’t have to worry about little ones tripping on a gather.

Create gathers or ruffles with tulle for the Princess Belle dress.

Hand-sew on the smaller flowers and leaves on top of the gathered section to accent the gathers.

Yield: 1

Princess Belle Dress Up Costume

DIY a Belle costume for Halloween or dress up!

This DIY Princess Belle Dress Up costume, inspired by Disney's Beauty and the Beast, is quick to make using just a few supplies.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Active Time 5 hours
Total Time 5 hours 10 minutes
Difficulty Easy
Estimated Cost $5

Materials

  • A child-sized apron
  • Yellow satin
  • 12 yards of yellow tulle (don't get the sparkly, expensive stuff)
  • Green (light and dark) craft felt
  • Gold ribbon
  • Get the free Belle dress template here (use the Elsa pattern with a straight neck, making sure to add the 1/2 inch at the bottom of the bodice)

Instructions

Princess Belle Dress Up Costume: Cuts

  1. First, cut the bodice from the satin using this free princess template (see note above).
  2. Skirt piece - 25 inches wide by 18.5 inches high (these dimensions work for 3-6-year-olds but if this is for an older child, measure the length).
  3. Tulle - I cut the width - doubled over, just like it comes on the spool - by 21 inches. Again, if this is for an older child, measure the length. You're going to gather it at the bottom, so keep that in mind.

Princess Belle Apron: Skirt Construction

  1. Next, you'll start assembling the skirt. Double hem the satin skirt piece, making it about 23.5 x 17.5-inches. This eliminates fraying.
  2. Pin the tulle to the skirt piece, alternating 1.5-inch pleats with every layer of tulle (I folded my sheets so each sheet had two layers of tulle).
  3. Sew tulle to skirt piece.

DIY Princess Belle Costume - Bodice

  1. Now, sew the ribbon (in two sections) to the bodice. Overlap one to make it look finished.
  2. Sew bodice to the apron (just tuck the satin under and pull it around the back).

Finishing Details for the Belle Dress Up Apron

  1. Next, it's all about the details for our Princess Belle dress up costume... You can choose to hand- or machine-sew the veins on the felt leaves. If I had to do it again, I would have just done it for the three leaves on the bodice.
  2. First, hand-sew the large flower and three various-sized leaves to center of the bodice for our Belle costume DIY. Psst: you're DIY'ing the heck out of this thing...
  3. Hand-sew the gathers in the tulle skirt piece and secure the end gathers to the other layers of tulle. First, identify where your top layer of gathers will be.
  4. To sew a gather, just start at the bottom of the layer of tulle and thread a needle and thread in-and-out going up. Once you've reached your marker point, just pull the thread gently and tie off around the gathered section. Secure with a couple of knots and cut the thread. Note: I made three layers of gathers and left the remaining layers straight. It was easier and I didn't have to worry about little ones tripping on a gather.
  5. Hand-sew on the smaller flowers and leaves on top of the gathered section to accent the gathers.
  6. Sew veins on the leaves for extra detail on the Princess Belle dress up apron.

Did you make this?

Please leave a comment or share a photo and tag me @rufflesandrain

Forgiveness and Dryer Sheets

A big tip I have is to keep in mind that tulle is forgiving. Nothing really needs to be exact when working with tulle (which is why I work with it). Don’t fret and ALWAYS have a dryer sheet handy (or something that controls static).

DIY the Details and Keep on Crafting

To keep costs down, make your own roses from felt. Y’all, to be honest, I was too lazy and bought buttons at JoAnns that most resembled a rose. I’m the world’s laziest crafter, I know.

You will have material left over in case you want to whip up a quick Halloween Trick-or-Treat bag or a purse. For every dress-up outfit I make, the little one gets a matching handbag – I’m a sucker.

Summary

You’d be the mother (grandmother, auntie, care-giver) extraordinaire if you made this Princess Belle Dress Up Costume for a little one in your life. And if you have any questions, ask them in the comments!

Would you please pin this to your favorite dress-up or Halloween costumes board?

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6 Comments

  1. This one and your girl is adorable! Can I tell you again how I wish we were neighbors? I would bring you dinners and yummy treats all of the time if you could sew an apron or two for my kiddos every once in a while.

  2. I wish I had a talent. Really. You must have gotten your Grandma Nenni’s talent for sewing because you did NOT get it from moi …

  3. Aw, how cute! That’s great it’s a fairly cheap costume to make. I’m sure my niece would love something like this. I was never very good at sewing (even WITH a sewing machine) when I was taught in girl scouts. I made one skirt though, even though I got a lot of help. hah

    -Lauren

    1. Yes, definitely inexpensive to make (which is why I keep making them)! :) And honestly, I have no idea what I’m doing with sewing, so it’s perfect for us newbies, too.

      Let me know if you make it for your niece!

  4. This is beautiful! I can’t sew to save my life and if you say I can make this, then I would have to give this a try. Madison would just LOVE this! She’s watched Beauty and the Beast once but her favorite is still Elsa. It’s still a “Frozen” world here. :)

    1. Oh, how the little ones are still so in love with Elsa. :) Elise still has the love for the polar princess, too. You should make her the little Elsa apron (it’s even easier than this one)!

      Isn’t it crazy how big they’re getting?!