Madhatter contact lenses

After much deliberation, this site was far and away cheaper than others.

http://ww.youknowit.com/online-shop/mad-hatter-contact-lenses.cfm

The benefit, they will LOOK COOL as *&%$..

The downside, I typically wear contacts and due to my prescription, I couldn't get prescriptioned lenses...Oh well, do what you have to do for Halloween, right???

(and yes, I am aware these aren't the exact lenses that other sites are selling, however, these were $20ish for the pair, while other sites are as much as $60 for the pair...Plus, no prescription was needed for this site and I was able to use PAYPAL.)

3rd thrift store visit...SCARF located.

Colors aren't dead on, however, if you have seen the movie, all you really need to do is find pieces that are dated to this era. The madhattter was literally MAD and i'm pretty sure he put on just about any piece of clothing or garment in his site...

Another trip to the thrift store...

After another trip to the stores, I have now located the striped pants, shirt, & shoes.

pants: $2.00
shirt: $1.50(but have to dye it pink w/Wal-mart RIT dye)
shoes: $3.00 Another GREAT find..

The scarf seems to be a very difficult item to locate. Really??? I cant imagine why there arent more silk scarves approximately 4'L x 18" W.

Madhatter Hat Pins

The hat pins look to be a pretty integral part of the costume. The childhood babysitter and her daughter left my family tons(literally) of old costume jewelry. Some of it is great while other pieces are literally laughable. After hours of sorting through it all, I found these pins....









After a few failed attempts, I used irrigation flags for the actual pins. I used pliers to bend the pins around the backs of each brioche, so I can remove them after the party and the brioche pins are still in tact. So far, this is my favorite accessory to the costume.

Raiding Mom's Sewing cabinets

As a child, my mom was always sewing different things. When cabbage patch dolls were so popular, she made tons and sold them at different festivals. I knew when I started researching this costume, she could help me sew different things and I could use some of her authentic sewing supplies.

Pictured to the left are some of her many spools of thread.

The sash chain, wire and spools of thread were used to make the madhatter's threadholder.

Trips to hardware store & Wal-Mart

On this day, I headed to the local hardware store. Had to pick up some "sash" chain for the madhatter's thread holder and while I was there, I grabbed some gloves(cut fingers out of them to make them look worn).
Also, stopped by Wal-mart to grab some lace that needs to be sewn into the sleeves of my coat...you have NO idea what funny looks the ladies there give me for being in the sewing department and especially for making a purchase.

The find of all FINDS...

a brief stop at Columbus Thrift shop uncovered my most prized piece.. .
"the Coat"


Cost: $6.00

I even picked a up a vest and a teacup/saucer. Total cost for visit was $9 and some change...

the decision has been made...The Madhatter it is!

after months of research & deliberation, I have decided to go with Johnny Depp's character, "The Madhatter".

Collection of Photos

These are some images I have collected for inspiration.

Notice the striped pants, tailored coat, pink handkerchief, thread holder, & (most importantly) the hat pains...these are the details that will make the costume stick out more than others.