Hidden Mickey Lularoe Dress DIY

Admittedly, I did score the ultimate Carly for this hidden Mickey Lularoe dress DIY to wear to Disney. But since the idea of it being hidden is the fun of finding a Mickey head in an unlikely place, I think this can work on any print. If you use a print that doesn’t scream Disney, you’ve really captured the spirit of a Hidden Mickey and $aved money by using something you already own. However, I’ve found some alternatives to my Minnie red polkadot dress and put links for you later in the post. Have fun and show your Disney side by giving your Carly or swing dress a new identity while saving your money for the parks!

Finding My Dress

Our friends all knew we frequented Disney. (shout out to Facebook for drawing attention to “They’re at Disney – again?”) Therefore, when this dress came out of the box, my friend knew exactly who needed it and held it for me. I didn’t care it was a bit too big. Nope! Did. Not. Matter. When the perfect pattern of Lularoe presents itself, you buy it, because you’ll never see it again. It’s like thrift store shopping without money left in your checking account.

Riffing on Lularoe

Lularoe cornered the market on crazy patterns to the point it became their identity. Have you wondered what exactly was the concept behind hiding one amazing shirt in nobody’s size among a haystack of hideous shirts? And forget about finding it . . . Ever, because it didn’t exist in this dimension of time/space. “There can be only one.” (Name that movie.) Who was the designer who thought grandma’s drapes from the 60’s plus 80’s neon polka dots and red triangles would be in demand on … anything ? Maybe it was irony and some of us missed that fashion memo. I think it became a social experiment in desensitization. How long after you bought that first piece did it take you to step over to the dark side and justify your purchase with “I could sleep . . . or scrub the trash cans in that. . . Sure. . . Maybe if I turned it inside out?”

Drawing a Line in the Sand

Being thrifty, and some may call it cheap, I was pretty resilient to the siren song of the “Too Horrendous to Be Seen in Public” Lularoe. (You know that’s a thing.) But even I have had my Luluaroe walk of shame. I have a heavily discounted (justification) shirt I consider marginal (denial). The cheaper it got, the less offensive the pattern was. And, to my disgrace, I have been seen in public in it. A hidden Mickey head would definitely improve it (or better yet – a cape) but I haven’t tried this with a shirt. I think it’d need to be scaled down to a smaller size . . . unless I wanted to wear a hoochie top – which I do not. Be advised: Some patterns are simply not worth salvaging. Not even for this. Choose wisely and put them out of everyone’s misery.

Disney Addiction 

I’ve loved Disney since before my kids were born. We all love Disney. If you don’t, then why are you even reading this post? Life is too short for that. We each have our Disney Love Story that’s SO fascinating.. . . to us. Suffice it to say that I have pinched pennies like crazy and lived with 1 pair of jeans to be able to take a very budget Disney trip off site. Totally Worth It! I’ve sold Disney as a travel agent, been a Florida resident AP holder who went weekly, splurged on deluxe resorts, and been spoiled by family who are DVC members. I’ve been fortunate to have a wide variety of experiences at Disney World. Many of our holidays, traditions, and great family memories were at Disney. My hope is that we’re all able to make memories at Disney again, soon. Disney has to survive the lock-down, because I don’t want to live in a world where it doesn’t.

Inspired by Hidden Mickeys 

When I put on this dress, it was big enough for Frumpyland, an unofficial land that I’ve seen travelers pay homage to, but I didn’t want to go there. Meow. I wanted to improve the fit, bring in more Disney, and show my capri black leggings. In case you haven’t been to Disney in July, this was still 3 yards of fabric away from tolerable. I was melting for this photo shoot, but I digress. First I considered a bow, a la Minnie, but I thought about Lularoe consultants using quarters and decided I could take that idea and go bigger. My family enjoyed hunting hidden Mickeys so much that I put them in my home, so why not wear one?

Finding Your Hidden Mickey Dress

I did a little shopping and found some dresses that are budget-friendly and almost the same as mine. Remember that you need extra fabric to make a hidden Mickey dress, so I suggest sizing up.

First up is a dress almost exactly like mine, but it’s shorter. Maybe. It’s a given the model is a few inches taller than me.

Then there’s the black and white version. There’s also a leopard print that has an Animal Kingdom vibe.

This black with red is very cute, but it’s either for winter or the sleeves need shortened. You could repurpose the fabric for a matching hair band or as trim on the bottoms of black leggings.

How to Make a Hidden Mickey Head on Any Dress

I started with 3 circles in 2 sizes, using 2 canning rings for the ears and a plastic lid from a non-recyclable for the head. You can use rubber bands or hair ties, but I chose hair ties thinking they might be easier on the fabric of the dress. 

Next, align them. This took a bit of adjusting, but here are pictures to show you the distance I placed mine as well as the measurement of the lids. I suggest lay the dress out flat and aligning all 3 circles. 

You need to leave adequate space to gather the fabric between the pieces. It’s easiest to lay them out on top and then move them underneath one piece at a time, measuring as you go. Make sure to smooth the fabric out.

Wrap the hair bands around and adjust the gathers. Don’t tighten them all the way so you can reposition. (Note the side seam) When they’re where you want them, finish tightening the bands, and you’re done! 

Additional Tips for Your Hidden Mickey Dress

I didn’t use cardboard or poster board because it would get bent which would show. It’s also not waterproof, and Florida rains on a daily basis, especially in the summer. If you’re wearing this to Disney, it needs to be waterproof and able to get bumped around without losing shape. I would’ve preferred 2 plastic lids for the ears, but I didn’t have them. I wouldn’t use anything with graphics, because that could show in the right light even if it doesn’t at home. To summarize: 

• Use bendable, waterproof materials for the circles.
• Avoid graphics. 
• Salvage from the recycling or *even better* plastics that can’t recycle so it’s an upcycle.
• Use lids (rather than cut circles) for perfectly smooth edges rather than cutting your own, because even slightly rough edges will show.

In all my Disney trips I didn’t see anyone else wearing a Hidden Mickey dress like this Lularoe Carly. If you have a Carly in your closet, this is a FREE and simple way to show your Disney love. It doesn’t matter if you don’t have my red polka dot dress, because this makes any Carly a Disney dress. You don’t even have to use a Carly. I’d love to see this in other prints! If you try it, please give me a shout-out in the comments.