How to Make Your Own Martha May Grinch Costume at Home

So you want to be Martha May Whovier for Halloween or a Christmas party. Smart choice. She's iconic, festive, and honestly? The costume is ridiculously fun to put together.

I've helped my sister create a Martha May the Grinch costume twice now. Both times people went crazy for it. It's one of those costumes where everyone immediately knows who you are, and that's the dream, right?

Good news: you don't need to be a sewing expert or spend a fortune. Bad news: you're gonna need patience and probably a hot glue gun. Let's break this down.

What Makes Martha May... Martha May

That ridiculous updo. The sparkly dress. The fur. The over-the-top glam of it all. She's a Who living in Whoville going for maximum festive drama.

The Jim Carrey movie version has her in a sparkly form-fitting dress with fur trim, crazy tall hair, and general fabulousness. That's our blueprint for the perfect Martha May Whovier outfit.

What You'll Need

For the dress:

• Red or pink form-fitting dress (thrift stores are gold here)

• White faux fur

• Hot glue gun and lots of glue sticks

• Glitter fabric or sparkly embellishments

• Sequins or rhinestones

For the hair:

• Industrial-strength hairspray

• Hair gel or mousse

• Bobby pins (buy way more than you think)

• Possibly a wig if your hair isn't cooperating

• Ornaments or decorations

• Gold or red ribbon

Accessories:

• White or fur-trimmed gloves

• Heels

• Makeup supplies

Making the Martha May Whovier Costume DIY

Find the Base Dress

Hit up thrift stores first. You want something red or hot pink, form-fitting, preferably knee-length or shorter. It doesn't need to be perfect because you're modifying it anyway.

I found a red cocktail dress at Goodwill for $8. Too plain, but that's what fur and sparkles fix.

Can't find anything? Check Target, Forever 21, or Amazon. You're looking for the right shape and color, not quality.

Add the Fur Trim

Get white faux fur from a fabric store or online. You need maybe a yard or two.

Cut strips to go around the hem of your dress. Use fabric glue first, then reinforce with hot glue. Work in sections. Let it dry completely.

Pro tip: Fur gets everywhere. Do this somewhere you don't mind cleaning. My sister's apartment looked like a yeti exploded.

Add Sparkle

Martha May is sparkly. Very sparkly. Options:

• Iron-on rhinestone sheets (I'm lazy, so I did this—took 20 minutes, looked expensive)

• Individual sequins hot glued in patterns

• Glitter fabric pieces

• Pre-made appliqués from craft stores

Hand-sewing sequins looks amazing but takes forever. Your call.

The Hair (The Most Important Part)

Real talk—the hair makes or breaks a Martha May the Grinch costume. That ridiculous tall updo is ICONIC.

Two options: your own hair or a wig.

Using Your Own Hair

Works best with long-ish hair:

1. Tease it like crazy. Seriously go at it.

2. Pull into the highest ponytail possible. Multiple hair ties.

3. Backcomb the ponytail straight up.

4. Use wire or pipe cleaner wrapped in hair to create structure. Shape it tall.

5. Wrap hair sections around this structure, pinning constantly. Use ALL the bobby pins.

6. Curl the ends for that Whoville swirl.

7. Spray until it doesn't move. Then spray more.

8. Add decorations: ornaments, ribbon, tinsel.

My sister's hair stood 8 inches tall. She couldn't fit in the car normally. Perfect.

Using a Wig

Honestly? Easier. Get a red, pink, or blonde wig. Whos have colorful hair so you've got options.

Style the same way—tease, spray, make it tall and ridiculous. Wigs are easier because you can go crazy without damaging your actual hair.

Amazon or costume shops have decent ones. Don't spend a fortune.

Makeup and Finishing Touches

Martha May's makeup is very... much:

• Dramatic false lashes (bigger the better)

• Bright pink blush

• Red or pink lipstick

• Maybe glitter around your eyes

• Contour for cheekbones

White or fur-trimmed gloves add a nice touch. Heels are a must.

Want to commit? Carry a small Christmas decoration as a prop.

Where to Find Pieces for Your Martha May Whovier Outfit

Not everyone has time to DIY everything. I get it.

For structured pieces, places like Just American Jackets sometimes have theatrical or costume elements you could modify with fur and sparkles. They carry statement pieces that work as great costume bases.

Etsy sells Martha May Whovier costume components, wig pieces, even fully assembled costumes.

But honestly? DIY is more fun and way cheaper. Plus you customize it exactly how you want.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• The hair falling: Use enough hairspray and bobby pins. Over-engineer that thing.

• Fur shedding: Cheap fur sheds like crazy. Either buy decent quality or accept you'll leave a trail of fluff. We chose acceptance.

• Can't sit: Super tall hair makes sitting challenging. Factor this in. Car rides, restaurant booths, low doorways—all issues.

• Dress too tight: You want form-fitting, not can't-breathe. You'll wear this for hours.

• Last minute: This takes time. Hot glue needs to dry. Start at least a week early.

Making Your Martha May Whovier Costume DIY Actually Look Good

A Martha May Grinch costume can look amazing or like you tried for 20 minutes and gave up. The difference is details.

Take time with fur trim. Make it even and secure.

Go big with the hair. Bigger than feels normal. It should feel ridiculous—that's when it's right.

Add enough sparkle that you catch light when you move.

Practice Martha May attitude. She's confident, flirty, knows she looks good. Channel that energy.

Buying vs. Making Your Martha May Whovier Costume

You can buy a pre-made Martha May Whovier costume online. Amazon, costume shops, Etsy all have them.

Is it easier? Yeah. Cheaper? Sometimes. More fun? Debatable.

Making it is worth it because:

• You customize it exactly how you want

• Feels more impressive when people ask

• Usually looks better than cheap mass-produced ones

• The process is actually fun

But if you're time-crunched or crafting isn't your thing, buy one and add your own touches. Check Just American Jackets for base pieces or statement jackets that can complement your Martha May Whovier outfit.

Final Thoughts

Making a Martha May Grinch costume takes effort. There's hot glue involved. Your hair will be crunchy. You might get glitter everywhere.

But when you walk into that party and people immediately go "OH MY GOD YOU'RE MARTHA MAY"—worth it.

It's fun and festive without being generic. It's theatrical and silly and very Christmas.

Start early, don't stress perfection, and commit to the ridiculous tall hair. That's the key to your Martha May Whovier costume DIY success.

My sister wore hers to a Christmas party and won the costume contest without even entering. The host just gave her a prize because everyone kept talking about it.

That's the power of a good Martha May Whovier outfit.

And hey, if your hair doesn't work out, there's always next year. Or just wear a Santa hat and call yourself a Who. Nobody can prove you're not.