Arabian dancer costume detail for Aladdin Jr showing cream tank top, coral sash, patterned scarf, and multi-colored satin skirt of rust, light orange, dark orange, brown, panels for school musical production.

Aladdin JR: Arabian Dancer Costume
Budget-Friendly Ensemble Skirt Build

This page shows how I built simple Arabian dancer skirts for Aladdin JR using inexpensive panel-cut fabric, leftover fabric for the sash, and lightweight scarves for movement. The design is easy to repeat for a large cast, the colors pop on stage, and the fabric moves beautifully under the lights. Lightweight, flowing, and affordable to make in multiple sizes.
The entire costume build cost around $5 per costume!

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Simple elastic-waist skirt (1–2 yards depending on size)

  2. Fabric‍: Polyester China Silk Lining($2.50/yd) (60in width)
    Colors: Copper, Rust, Dark Orange, Orange.

    • Cut fabric into 12-inch x 30-inch panels. At this size, you can usually get 6 panels from 1 yard of fabric.

    • Sew panels together in alternating colors, as shown in the photo. For most 5th–8th grade dancers, I usually use 8–12 panels per skirt, depending on the fullness needed.

    • Add a waistband and elastic. 1-inch to 1.5-inch elastic works well.

    💡The more yardage you buy, the lower the cost. For example: 4–29 yards drops to about $2.25/yard.

  3. Sash: Use leftover fabric pieces to make a sash. Cut approximately: 8–10 inches wide x 5–6 feet long.

  4. Dance scarves: I had some chiffon lying around. Cut chiffon into 12-inch x 26-inch panels. Finish the edges with a serger-rolled hem.

  5. Tank Top: cream; a white or black tank top would work (student-provided).