How to Make an Awesome DIY Mary Poppins Costume

Wouldn’t it be great if we all had a Mary Poppins in our life?

Someone who makes the kids enjoy doing their chores and sing Super-Cala-Fragilistic-Expialidocious while whipping up a delicious dinner. Ahh, the life.

Originally released in 1964, “Mary Poppins” represented the pinnacle of Walt Disney’s filmmaking and storytelling career, and the film went on to receive a supercalifragilistic 13 Oscar® nominations.

It won Academy Awards® for Best Actress (Julie Andrews), Best Song (“Chim Chim Cher-ee”), Best Original Musical Score, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects. 
 
Based on the classic characters and stories of P. L. Travers, Disney’s screen version of “Mary Poppins,” follows the fantastic adventures of a magical English nanny who arrives at the Banks household in answer to a letter from Jane and Michael.

Poppins is the answer to their prayers, but in the most peculiar way.

Mary, and her chimneysweep friend, Bert, turn things upside down as they teach the children how to laugh and have fun.

In the process, they show the parents about the things that matter most in life.

She takes the children on many magical and memorable adventures, teaching the children along the way “anything can happen if you let it.”

From the rooftops of London to a jolly holiday in the English countryside (complete with penguin waiters), “Mary Poppins” is sure to delight audience of all ages and all generations.

Mary Poppins on Broadway

The Broadway musical Mary Poppins, is based more heavily on the stories of P.L. Travers, than the classic 1964 Disney film of the same name.  

FUN FACT: Did you know that Mary Poppins, the Broadway musical, is not an exact replication of the Disney we all know and love?

The score consists of a combination of the film’s Academy Award-winning music and lyrics by Richard M. Sherman and Robert B. Sherman, and new songs by Olivier Award winners George Stiles and Anthony Drewe.

How do you make a Mary Poppins costume?

Making a Mary Poppins homemade costume is simple. You will need:

• A Victorian jacket or pea coat (preferably in black color, but gray will work as well)
• Bow tie or tied ribbon (in red color to copy the exact look of the Mary Poppins outfit)
• White Victorian style button-up blouse
• Black skirts (knee length to ankle length; whatever you prefer)
• Vintage style boots (of course black)
• Mary Poppins style hat and umbrella

Which shoes are best for my DIY Mary Poppins outfit?

I’ll recommend Oxford Vintage shoes. However, if you don’t have a pair and don’t want to buy them for one-time wear, you can wear any black shoes you have.

Black boots with heels would be preferable.

How do I make my hair and makeup look like Mary Poppins?

Mary Poppins had a unique hairstyle and signature red lips. Generally, you can make a clean, classic low bun style.

Claire Ashley has an excellent detailed how-to video for Mary Poppins hair and makeup.

How much should I expect to spend on the costume?

An average DIY Mary Poppins costume for adults can cost you between a few dollars to a few hundred dollars.

It depends on the specific items that you already have and the extent of similarity you want in your costume in comparison to the original Mary Poppins outfit.

If you want to stay within a budget, you can find a lot of this stuff in second hand or thrift stores. It may take a bit more effort, but the cost savings may be worth it.

If you have some sewing skills, you may be able to save yourself some money by using a Mary Poppins costume pattern.

I want to create a mother-daughter duo with my Mary Poppins costume

Jane Banks and Mary Poppins would be so cute together as a Halloween costume duo.

Similarly, if you want to pair it with your son, husband or boyfriend, you can do so by making a DIY Bert costume.

What are the essential props in a Mary Poppins costume?

An umbrella and a hat are essential to complete the Mary Poppins costume.

You might want to learn the exact way to carry both of them by watching the movie clip.

Imitating small things like this can go a long way to making your look perfect.

What kind of hat does Mary Poppins wear?

Mary Poppins wears a black wide brim bowler hat (or a brimmed boater hat).

If you are crafty, you can add a few ribbons and flowers to match what she wears in the movie.

There is also this pre-made Mary Poppins hat you could buy if you’re short on time or crafting skills.

What does Mary Poppins keep in her carpetbag?

Everything. Really.

But a miniature hat stand, fake plant, and mirror are a few things you can easily keep in yours.

If you want to reenact the famous scene from the movie, make sure to take the hat stand out first.

Who is the original designer of the Mary Poppins costume?

Tony Walton, Bill Thomas, Gertrude Casey, Chuck Keehne are the masterminds behind the beautiful look of Mary Poppins.

How to make a DIY Mary Poppins Costume

While we can’t all be Mary Poppins in real life (wouldn’t that be grand?!?), we could totally dress up like her – and most of the items can be found in your closet!

If not, don’t fret – we’ve included links so you can grab any items you may not already own to make your perfect DIY Mary Poppins costume :)

Over the course of the film, Mary Poppins (never just Mary) wears quite a few jackets from peacoats to victorian jackets in black or navy – gray works too!

So using any of these pieces will work for your DIY Mary Poppins costume look.

We love that this is fashionable enough that you could wear it even when you’re not pretending to be Mary Poppins.

A key part of the costume is Mary Poppins red bow tie but it doesn’t have to be a tie specifically, tied ribbon or a DIY bow will work just as well.

A vintage white victorian ruffle button up blouse should work just nicely for your DIY Mary Poppins costume.

Knee length to ankle length black skirts are required.

*TIP* If you go with a knee-length skirt make sure to pair it with black tights.

Can’t forget the vintage oxford booties!

Or these black victorian boots.

One of the most crucial pieces to the DIY Mary Poppins costume is the infamous hat.

These can be created easily by spray painting a straw sunhat black and applying flowers via a hot glue gun.

Or you can buy this alternative on Amazon.

Don’t forget the finishing touches to your DIY Mary Poppins costume with white gloves, the iconic large black parrot umbrella (or a less expensive alternative is this duck head handle umbrella) and a handy carpet bag.