When we were planning for our first-ever Halloween Disney Cruise, I knew we needed to pull together a fantastic couples costume plan stat! I know I am not the only one who fell in love with the movie and music of Encanto when it came out. So for this year, we planned out a Mirabel and Bruno costume. I spent so much time on Mirabel’s skirt that I just ended up ordering a cheap Amazon Bruno poncho for my husband but here I am going to go over the steps I took to put together my very own Mirabel costume.
Who is Mirabel?
Mirabel is from the animated film “Encanto.” She is a young woman with a vibrant personality and a deep sense of empathy. Mirabel stands out among her extraordinary family members in the enchanting Colombian village of Encanto, where everyone possesses magical powers except for her.
As the film unfolds, Mirabel embarks on a heartfelt journey of self-discovery, navigating her way through the complexities of family dynamics and personal growth. Her unwavering resilience and determination shine through as she seeks to uncover the truth behind the fading magic of her family and save the Casita from an uncertain future.
Assembling a Skirt for a Mirabel Costume
The most important part of Mirabel’s outfit is her skirt of course! Mirabel’s skirt is not just a piece of clothing; it is a representation of her heritage, individuality, and the magical world she calls home. It serves as a visual symbol of her journey, reminding us of the importance of embracing our roots, celebrating our uniqueness, and finding our place in the tapestry of life.
When making this costume the fun part about it is you can weave in your own family history if you like and add in icons and symbols that are personal to you! Can you find the hidden Mickey that we added into the skirt’s design?
Skirt Base for Mirabel
First things first you will need a blue or teal colored a-lined skirt. You can thrift one, sew one, or order one online. For mine, we bought felt and sewed a basic one together. We didn’t fuss with purchasing a pattern, though in hindsight I think it would have helped get the sizing a bit better the first go but it all worked out.
To make the skirt I have, we went to Joann’s and found three shades of teal and sewed straight blocks together. Once that was done we cut the “A” shape to the skirt. Then hemmed the bottom and added an elastic band to the top.
Adding Mirabel Patches
In the movie, you will notice that Mirabel’s skirt is embroidered with a symbol that represents each one of her family members and their special abilities. If you have the skills to hand sew them onto your skirt you absolutely can! I didn’t and also didn’t have the time, but I do have an embroidery machine!
There was a shop that had pre-done embroidery machine designs on Etsy so I could stitch out my own color combos for my skirt. The same shop also has stitched-out patches you can purchase as well if you don’t have your own embroidery machine.
The patches that I included on my Mirabel skirt were:
- Candle for Abuela
- Capybara
- Musical Notes for Super-Hearing Delores
- Chameleon for Camilo the shapeshifter
- Cat and Tucan for Antonio who has the ability of animal communication
- Green Glasses for Bruno the fortune teller
- Bread Basket for Julieta who heals with food
- Sun and storm cloud for Pepa who can control the weather
- Portrait of Mirabel
- Flowers for Isabella who can manipulate and generate flora
- Hand and Dumbell for Luisa who has the power of strength
Mirabel Skirt Design Placement
Once you have all your patches ready it’s time to figure out placement. I recommend pinning where you think you want the patches to go to test them, give the skirt a try on and see if you need to make any adjustments.
Of course, you can use this an opporunity to rewatch Encanto dozens of times to figure out where her skirt has the various icons placed. If you are looking for a faster option be sure to check out the Instagram of the Disney Costume designer responsible for coming up with the concept of Mirabel’s skirt. You can see a full sketch of the flat lay for Mirable’s skirt here, and you can see a front view here.
Adding Fun Felt Embellishments
Now it’s time to add in all the fun extras of Mirabel’s skirt. There is a really loooong snake that wraps around the bottom of a large portion of her skirt. Then we added on some felt flowers with buttons for the centers of the flowers. This step is where we added in a hidden Mickey too! Other things added to the skirt were: hearts, ribbon, and scattered flower petals.
For the bottom of the skirt it’s actually a double later of blue lace with a blue tassel placed on top! Then I evenly spaced on these pink tassels I found on Amazon.
Making Yarn Butterflies
The finishing touch to the outfit was yarn butterflies. I made these butterflies from simply looping the yarn several times around four fingers until in was a few inches heigh. Then I would pinch the middle and immediality sew stitches down the pinch I made. This gives it the illusion of being two wings. I finished with wrapping a pipe cleaner around the middle to have the butterfly body and to cover up the machine stitches.
Let me know in the comment section below if you end up making your own Mirabel skirt! And be sure to share any helpful tips you found along the way.
I have been visiting the parks annually since my parents first brought me at just a year old. Recently I was able to fulfill my life long dream of being a Florida local and moved from the wintery Northeast to the sunshine and fun of central Florida. Now I am hoping to share my Disney knowledge with you so you can have the best vacation possible!
