For Halloween this year, I thought it’d be fun to make an Alice in Wonderland house costume! It takes a classic dress-up moment and punches it up with a whimsical twist — the house!

This look is inspired by the scene in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland where Alice grows too big after eating a cake labeled “Eat Me.” She becomes enormous, getting stuck inside the White Rabbit’s house, with her arms and legs poking out the windows and doors. Later, she eats a garden carrot and shrinks back down to her normal size.

When my cousin told me his wedding celebration was going to be a costume party, I knew it was the perfect excuse to go all out. Here’s exactly how I made this magical costume — from foam core to finishing details — so you can make your own too!

Alice in Wonderland House Costume

SUPPLIES

(3) pieces of foam core board (20″ x 30″)
X-Acto knife or box cutter
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
White gaffer’s tape (for strength and clean edges)
Ruler or measuring tape
Pencil for marking
Jumbo popsicle sticks
Dollhouse door and window
Paintbrushes
Pink Paint– Beloved Pink by Behr
2 Yards White webbing or ribbon (for straps)
Optional: Dollhouse shingles for the roof
Costume base: blue dress, apron, white collar, knee-high socks, black Mary Janes, white bow headband, and a key necklace

step 1- Build the House Structure

Start with the foam core to create the main house shape.

Front and back pieces: Cut two rectangles out of the foam core that are 20″ wide by 17″ tall.
From the top edge, mark 10″ from the bottom of each side and 10″ from the side on the top. Connect the dots and draw a triangle to form the roof peak.
Use an X-Acto knife to carefully cut out the roof shape. Note, get a fresh blade so you get crisp cuts.
Side pieces: Cut two rectangles that are 18″ wide by 10″ tall.

Once all four walls are ready, choose one piece to be the front of the house — this is where you’ll add the door and window.

step 2- Add the Door and Window

I bought a dollhouse door and window to give my house extra charm.

Paint them the color of your choice (I chose pink to match Alice’s half-timbered house look).
Trace around each piece on the foam core and cut out openings for them.
Glue the door and window in place using hot glue.

step 3- Create the Half-Timbered Design

In the story, the White Rabbit’s house is pink and white with timber details. To mimic that, I used jumbo popsicle sticks.

Cut off the rounded ends of the popsicle sticks. I used scissors for this.
Paint them pink and let them dry.
Glue the sticks in a crisscross or geometric pattern across the house to give it that storybook cottage feel.

step 4- build the roof

For the roofline:

Cut four strips of foam core about 13.5″ long by 1.5″ wide.
If you have dollhouse shingles, glue them on for texture — it adds the perfect finishing touch! For the shingles, I measure up 1-1/4″ from the bottom and make a line. Then measure up every inch. Then I glue the shingles on those lines.

step 4- Assemble the House

Now it’s time to connect everything!

Use hot glue along the edges to join the walls together.
For extra durability and a clean look, tape the seams with white gaffer’s tape.

Glue the roof pieces onto the peak of the house. Again, reinforce the seams with the tape.
You’ll now have a sturdy rectangular house shape that’s light enough to wear.

step 6- Add Straps to Make It Wearable

Time to turn your mini house into a costume!

Cut two pieces of white webbing or ribbon — these will become shoulder straps. I used 1 yard of webbing per strap.
Step inside the house to decide how high or low you want it to sit.
Have a helper mark where the straps should attach.
Once the lengths match, hot glue and tape them securely to the inside top edges of the house.
Make sure both straps are even so the house sits straight when worn.

Tip: Reinforce the straps with a piece of gaffer’s tape over the glued ends for extra hold.

Finishing Touches: Becoming Alice

Now that your Alice in Wonderland house costume is ready, it’s time to dress the part!

Here’s what I wore to complete the look:

A blue dress (I sewed my own so I could wear it later in everyday life!)
White collar and apron
Knee-high socks
Black Mary Janes
A white bow headband
A key-shaped necklace — a fun nod to when Alice unlocks the little door at the start of her adventure

Once everything’s put together, you’ll look like Alice mid-adventure — giant-sized, stuck in a pastel pink house, and as whimsical as can be!

after

This Alice in Wonderland house costume is truly one of my favorite projects I’ve ever made. It’s playful, nostalgic, and completely unique — the perfect blend of DIY creativity and literary inspiration. I love that it tells a story the moment you see it. Whether you’re headed to a costume party, trick-or-treating, or just want to make something magical, this project is guaranteed to stand out.

After all, we’re all mad here — might as well make it fabulous!

price breakdown

For this project, I spent $6 on foam core, $3 on the dollhouse window, $7 in popsicle sticks and $2 on the webbing for the shoulder straps. Everything else I had on hand. This came to $19 for the house part of the costume.

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