Don’t know how to sew? No problem! Making your own Pole Dance Costumes
- Ash McKay
- Mar 17, 2023
- 5 min read
No-Sew and Minimal-Sew Costume Ideas for Pole Dancing
So you’ve been thinking about performing. It would be fun, you can show off your cool new tricks, and maybe you’re doing it for the ‘Gram. (I mean Instagram. I don’t know, maybe you show your pole videos to your grandma.) But what’s next?
I talked about planning for a showcase or competition in a previous post here. You’re thinking, “that’s great Ash, but I just want to start with something simple for the first one. I don’t need a full-on training routine and decked-out costume.” You just want to dip the proverbial toe, as it were.
Great! You have an idea for a routine, you’ve put together a few combos you like and now you're practising it. Have you thought about what you’re going to wear? Maybe you’re not ready to drop cash on a costume—totally fair (look at me being a bad salesperson again) but you also don’t know how to sew.
Well, I’ve got some good news for you! I’ve collected my favourite costuming techniques that require no sewing at all, plus a few sewing tips for those ready to jump in.
Index
Costume Ideas
To start us off, I made a short list of ideas you can assemble from items in your closet or find at the thrift store today.
Nerd
Rockstar
Flower child Hippy
Office Worker
Witch or wizard
A number of characters for TV or Movies (think an old blue bridesmaid gown for Elsa from Frozen or a button-down shirt and a pair of white briefs for Walter White from Breaking Bad)
Almost anything from a Halloween shop
Thrifting and Upcycling
Missing an item that would make the costume perfect? I love thrifting to find missing pieces in a costume. Sometimes I see things at the thrift store that I don’t know how to use yet, but I just know they would make a great costume piece. Keep your peepers peeled, people!
Maybe you have something that’s almost right but needs a little work. That’s when we move on to upcycling a garment.
No-sew Customizations You can do Today
Glues
Hem Glue/Hem Tape
Pro: Hem glue or tape is a quick and easy way to hem clothing.
Con: Most hem tapes need a clothing iron to apply. Hem glue/tape will remove any stretch the fabric may have. I only advise using it only on non-stretchy fabrics.
Fabric Glue for Applique and More
Creative Commons License for right most picture: "The Limited 'Drew' applique jeans" by m01229 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Examples of Applique
Pro: Fabric glues work well for joining bits of fabric together. Think appliques and trims.
Con: Again, like the hem glue, this may remove any stretch the fabric has.
E6000 Glue
Pro: The glue beast of the costuming world, E6000 can be used to apply rhinestones, sequins and more to just about anything.
Con: Use in a well-ventilated room. It can be time-consuming to individually apply bits to your costume this way.
Paints, Dyes and Designs
Fabric Paint
Paint it up! Free-hand it or use a stencil. Depending on the brand, they will recommend either ironing or using the heat from a dryer to set the paint.
Printable Heat-Transfers for Custom Designs
Pros: Surprisingly easy and looks good on application.
Cons: Need access to a printer and clothing iron. Applying printable heat transfers to any fabric that has to stretch a lot may cause the design to warp or pull apart. Keep the heat-transfer small or in smaller pieces. They also only look nice for a limited number of washes before they start to peel away.
Fabric Dye
If it’s a natural fibre (ie Cotton, linen, bamboo, etc) you
can use most fabric dyes or even food dyes.
For polyester blends, I’ve had great success with fabric dye specifically created for polyester fabrics. Traditional dyes don’t penetrate the fibres of polyester, therefore needing a special dye.
For either kind of dye, you’ll need a pot for your stove top that you only use for dying (it will no longer be food-safe) and lots of time to stand in front of the stove.
Like fabric paint, it will also require heat to set the dye. Follow the directions on the bottle, as it’s different with every brand.
Cut it up and Leave it Ragged
Make it a part of your story. Maybe your character is punk or just trying to survive the apocalypse; they don’t have time to hem their shorts!
Sewing Tips for Beginners
Hand Stitching - Ladder stitch
I covered how to do a ladder stitch in my How to: Costume Care & Repair blog post. Check it out there. This stitch won’t give a lot of stretch, but it’s a great little stitch for closing up small areas.
Zig-zag Stitch on a Sewing Machine
Zig-zag stitch is it when it comes
to sewing any kind of stretchy fabric on your sewing machine. Unless you spring for specialized machinery, this is what you will use for almost all your polewear projects.
Most modern home sewing machines have at least one zig-zag stitch (if not a variety of options to choose from.) Read through the section of your manual for how to set up the zig-zag stitch and always test on scraps of fabric first.
When running the fabric through the machine, hold the fabric with even tension. There’s no need to overstretch the fabric while sewing, the zig-zag will allow the fabric to stretch.
Don’t forget to backstitch at the beginning and end of each seam to lock the thread in place!
What You Need to Know About Fabric
Adding Trim to Your Costume
Whether it’s strings of sequins or lace applique, the most important thing you need to remember is if the trim doesn’t stretch before you attach it to your costume, it will stop the stretchy fabric from… well, stretching.
Creative Commons License for leftmost picture: "The Limited 'Drew' applique jeans" by m01229 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
Examples of applique and strings of sequins
It seems obvious, but I've even forgotten this important bit a number of times. You can get around this by cutting the trimming into small segments and applying it piecemeal. It’s more tedious, but you’ll be glad you did. You can also opt to look for trimming or applique that is made with elastic.
Spandex
There’s no need to be afraid of working with spandex (aka elastane or, by its brand name, Lycra!) It’s what makes polewear stretchy and your jeans comfy. Spandex blended fabrics are considered ‘4-way stretch’, meaning they stretch in all directions. You’ll typically find spandex blended with cotton or polyester.
If you have some experience sewing woven fabric, then sewing stretchy fabric will not be too much of a stretch for you (I’m SO funny.)
My top 3 tips for working with Spandex:
Use the zig-zag on your sewing machine for pretty much everything you would use a straight stitch for. That includes hems and finishing edges.
Hold the fabric with even tension while running it through the machine. If you're using a zig-zag stitch, you won't need to overstretch the fabric while sewing.
This last tip is only if you're creating your own pattern or converting an existing pattern for spandex. We’re about to get math-y.
You will need to do a 10% reduction to your measurements in both directions.
ie. If the hip measurement is 38” x 0.90 = 34.2” // 96.50 cm x 0.90 = 86.85 cm. 34.2” // 86.85 cm is your new measurement.
Speaking of pattern drafting…
I’m currently writing a post about how you can make a sewing pattern using your favourite pair of pole shorts. Subscribe to the mailing list or follow on Instagram to stay up to date on future drops.
And with that, I bid you happy costuming!
Ash
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