Fiber optic costume guides

Make your own glowing costume

Three complete, step-by-step builds made with our Fiber Optic Costume Kit: wings, a jellyfish dress and a tail coat. Every step, photo and tip, from the materials list to the final trim.

Pick one by how much you like to sew. The tail coat is a weekend of hand stitching on a coat you already own; the wings are a full leatherwork project.

Natalie Walsh's fiber optic wings glowing blue in front of the Bay Bridge at night

All three guides are by Natalie Walsh, fashion designer and former Instructables designer, first published on Instructables and shared here with her permission.

Beginner friendly9 steps

Fiber Optic Tail Coat

The easiest build here: start with a coat you already like. Fibers sweep over the shoulders and down the front in lines, then hang loose off the tails.

Read the guide

Intermediate19 steps

Fiber Optic Dress

The jellyfish dress: fibers run from a pouch in the back, over the straps, down the bodice and out over a bubble skirt lifted with tutus. Sew it from scratch or start from a V-neck circle-skirt dress.

Read the guide

Advanced24 steps

Fiber Optic Wings

A black leather harness with two tiers of feathers. The fibers feed up through the feathers and fall off the shoulders to make the wing shape, so it packs flat and moves through a crowd.

Read the guide

More inspirationGlowing Halloween costume ideas

Four things every build shares

Plan the light first

One light feeds every fiber, so decide where it sits (a snug pouch at the center back worked on all three) and how you'll reach its buttons and charge port.
Work in bundles

Never comb the whole bundle. Pull out groups of 8 to 12 fibers and tie each off before you sew.
Clear thread, lots of it

Every build is hand sewn with clear thread or stretchy clear cord. Queue up a few movies.
Trim last, and layered

Light comes out of the cut ends, so trim at different lengths like a layered haircut.