How to Make a Clown Costume

Co-authored by Hannah Madden

Last Updated: December 12, 2021 References Tested

Whether you want to dress up as a clown for Halloween or another event, these costumes are popular and easy to make, so you can throw one together pretty quickly. You can make your costume cute, classic, or even a little creepy to customize your look however you want it. With a few items from home plus a few from the thrift store, you can put together a DIY clown costume that will make everyone stop and stare.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Making the Outfit

1
Glue buttons or pom-poms down the center of a plain white shirt. Find a plain white T-shirt that you don’t mind making into a clown costume. Find some large pom-poms or colorful buttons and line them up down the center of your shirt. Use a dab of hot glue to attach each one, then let your shirt dry for about 10 minutes.^{[1]
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- If you don’t have pom-poms or buttons, that’s okay. A plain white shirt will do just fine with the rest of your costume pieces.
- Alternatively, wear a shirt with a bright or bold pattern.
2
Glue a large bow tie to the collar of your shirt. Find some polka dot fabric in a bright color and fold it into a 6 by 3 in (152 by 76 mm) rectangle. Cinch the rectangle in the middle with a rubber band, then glue the bow tie to the front of your shirt right underneath the collar. Leave it to dry for about 10 minutes so that it’s really stuck.^{[2]
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- You can also find premade bow ties at most party supply stores.
- Make the bow tie large and kind of floppy so that it adds to the clown persona.
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3
Find a frilly skirt or some colorful pants. For your clown bottoms, you can either throw on some rainbow, checkered, or plaid pants, or you can wear a frilly skirt made of tulle. Check in your closet or at your local thrift store to find something that a clown might wear.^{[3]
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- Choose bright and colorful bottoms if you wear a white top.
- If you're wearing a bright, patterned top, you can wear plain or bright bottoms.
- Put some colorful leggings on underneath your skirt for a really eye-catching outfit.
Tip: For even more of a clown look, find some pants that are too big and hold them up with suspenders.
4
Wear a pair of shoes that are 2 sizes too large. Ask your older sibling, your parents, or one of your friends if you can borrow a pair of their shoes that are too big for you. Stuff the front of the shoes with newspaper until you can walk in them, then tie them up tight so they don’t slip off throughout the night.^{[4]
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- You could also wear any pair of bright shoes you own or even spice up your costume by donning some rollerskates.
- For a cute, girly clown, stick with shoes that are your size. Then, stick a safety pin or alligator clip through a pom pom and attach it to the tip of your shoe for a rainbow addition that’s easy to remove later.
5
Attach suspenders to your pants for more authenticity. Find some brightly colored suspenders and clip them onto the waistline of your pants or skirt. Pull them up over your shoulders so that they make a border around the pom-poms or buttons down the front of your costume.^{[5]
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- If you don’t have suspenders, try sewing 2 lengths of ribbon on either side of your pom-poms or buttons. Use a straight stitch, and select brightly colored ribbon, like yellow, red, or blue.
6
Pour fake blood onto your shirt and pants for a creepy clown costume. If you’re going for a more creepy, scary vibe this Halloween, grab some fake blood and dab it onto your outfit with a sponge. Focus it on the front of your shirt to make it look like you might’ve just taken a bite out of something fresh.^{[6]
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- You can find costume blood at most Halloween supply stores.

Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Doing Your Hair and Makeup

1
Paint your face white with face paint. Grab some white foundation or face paint and a sponge makeup brush. Put a thick layer of white all over your face, and drag a little bit of it down your neck, too.^{[7]
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Tip: You might have to put a few layers of white face paint on before it’s thick enough.
2
Draw red circles on your cheeks. Grab some red face paint and draw a 3 in (7.6 cm) wide circle on the very top of your cheeks. Fill the circle in completely for an exaggerated blushing look that most clowns have. Then, repeat on the other side.^{[8]
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- If you don’t have red face paint, use red lipstick instead.
3
Add oversized lips with red lipstick. Grab a tube of red lipstick and put it all over your lips. Then, draw an outline of your lips about 2 inches (5.1 cm) around your entire mouth, then fill that in with the lipstick as well.^{[9]
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- Try to find a firetruck red lipstick color so it stands out against your white face paint.
- If you’re going for an evil clown look, pick black lipstick instead.
4
Draw black semi-circles over your eyes. Take a black eyeliner pencil and draw a semi-circle outline up and around each of your eyes. Stop the circles in the middle of your forehead to create large, exaggerated eyes for your clown face.^{[10]
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- If you don’t have a black eyeliner pencil, you can use any dark color of face paint that you have, like blue, purple, or green.
- For a creepy clown look, draw 2 black vertical lines starting from the middle of your forehead and down over each eye. End the black line just above your cheeks for a creepy, doll-like look.
5
Fill in the semi-circles with blue eyeshadow. Grab an eyeshadow pallet and a large makeup brush to start filling in your clown eyes. Brush blue eyeshadow into the black semi-circles that you created to give your clown a wide-eyed expression.^{[11]
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- You can pick any color for your clown eyes.
6
Add some black eyebrows right above your eyes. Take your black eyeliner pencil again and draw 2 thick, black eyebrows about 1 in (2.5 cm) above your drawn-on eyes. Fill them in completely to make them look huge and fluffy.^{[12]
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- The eyebrows will probably be right next to your hairline.
7
Drip some fake blood down your face for a creepy clown costume. If you want to be truly scary, grab some fake blood and drip it down from your mouth onto your neck. You can let a little bit get onto your clown shirt if you want to look like a messy eater.^{[13]
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- For a really scary clown costume, find some fake, pointy teeth that you can wear with your outfit.
8
Add a rainbow wig to finish off your look. Check around at a thrift store or costume store near you to see if you can find a curly rainbow wig. Tuck your hair up underneath a wig cap and throw this wig on for the ultimate clown outfit.^{[14]
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- If you can’t find a rainbow wig, use some temporary hair color spray to turn your hair into a rainbow.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I have to paint my face, or can I wear a mask?

Community Answer

Either! Both are totally acceptable. If you want to look more realistic, then paint your face. For a scary clown like Pennywise, a mask could be better, depending on the quality of the mask.
Question

Do I have to wear a wig?

Chantel

Community Answer

You can wear a wig if you want the whole clown custume experience, but if you feel uncomfortable, you don't have to wear the wig.