Writefully So...: DIY Rapunzel Running Costume #runDisney

As you know, my hubby and I are running the Dopey Challenge in 2015. The Dopey Challenge is 4 races over 4 days beginning with a 5k and increasing in distance, culminating with a full marathon. Whether you’re planning your first Disney race or your tenth, you may want to consider a costume. See my post about Disney races and costumes here.

Last month I posted about my Tinker Bell costume for the upcoming 2015 Dopey Challenge. That's one costume down, three more to go.

Tink was a simple, all-store, no-sew costume. Unfortunately, not all of my costumes are that way. I cracked out the Singer for my Rapunzel costume. Here's my inspiration for the costume:

I knew I wanted to make a Rapunzel costume almost right away. Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies of late (yes, I liked it better than Frozen *gasp*) and I love her story.

But I knew I wasn’t going to tolerate running in a wig or anything like that. Rapunzel's hair (oodles and oodles of hair)is probably her most unique identifying characteristic but I decided not to replicate it. What does that mean for my costume? Well, it means my outfit was going to need to be kick ass in order to evoke the Rapunzel image.

I started with a sparkle skirt from Sparkle Athletic. I love these things. They are light, breezy, and stretchy enough you can pull them over any of your standard running clothing.

Next, I pulled an old Nike athletic shirt that I’ve had for ages. This is a tech shirt (so no cotton, yay!) and it’s tried and true. I know it will be comfy for the entire run (did I mention I plan to wear this one for the full Marathon?).

If you've been following my costume posts you know of my abhorrence for thigh rub. I mentioned it in my Running Costume Tips post here. So, IMO, no costume is complete without shorts to prevent the dreaded thigh rub. I got mine (pictured above) at Dick’s sporting goods. They were in the softball area (I think) and they hit below mid-thigh. Perfect. I love them.

Next, I grabbed some simple spools of ribbon at Walmart. I knew I wanted ribbon with some substance. Grosgrain would have been best (because it doesn’t unravel after it’s been cut) but I couldn’t find it in my Rapunzel colors. (Hint: a legit craft store like Hancock Fabrics or JoAnn’s would likely have it).

Once I had my ribbon and lace I pinned it in place on my shirt.

Now you could sew this by hand – if you had no machine available – but the machine is better suited for this task. Sewing on the machine stresses me out to no end. I know people who find it relaxing and peaceful but I don’t. So believe me when I tell you I avoid the machine at all costs. I just couldn’t justify doing a project this size by hand. (Note: if you want to use fabric glue be careful. Often, fabric glue hardens and changes the flexibility of the fabric. Not something you necessarily want on a shirt that will be rubbing against your skin for 26.2 miles).

Rapunzel's dress has three-quarter sleeves which I love but I didn't want to run in long sleeves. I shortened some amazingly sparkly running sleeves from Sparkle Athletic.

And since Rapunzel's sleeves have lace I added some.

It’s the details that make a costume really stand out. I had to have a Pascal (from Disney store) and a frying pan (from a children’s kitchen set from Amazon).

Last, but not least, I wanted a crown. Most of my costumes for the Dopey are not, technically, princesses. But Rapunzel *is* a princess.

So I wanted to do it right by adding a crown. But I’ve run a marathon in Mini Mouse ears and it was torture. I couldn’t just buy any crown, plop it on my head, and run. Nope. So I started with a visor.

I grabbed a visor from Sparkle Athletic (same place I bought my purple skirt and elements for my Tink costume). These visors look small but they are all stretch. I wore mine around the house for a few minutes and it felt great. Note: I’m writing this before my scheduled training run in costume. I haven’t forgotten my own advice. I plan to run in full regalia. Just haven’t done it as of this post.

Next, I bought a Rapunzel tiara from the Disney store. These are heavy duty metal crowns. I probably would have preferred a cheaper plastic one…but ah well. My hubby, Handsome Jack, helped me clip the metal edges off the crown. From there I glued and stitched it onto the brim of the visor.

Here’s a glimpse at the finished crown/visor product.

I love this costume so much. It’s my favorite so far. It’s comfy (I especially love the shorts - they stay put and don’t ride up during runs) and glittery. Even though I didn’t do anything special for the hair I feel like this details on this costume make it obvious that this is a Rapunzel costume.