Aladdin JR Musical: Cave of Wonders Tapper Costume Budget-Friendly Ensemble Build

This page breaks down how I built a Cave of Wonders Tapper costume for Aladdin JR on a tight budget, with links to the DIY hat, sewing patterns, fabric, and accessories used.
The entire costume build cost less than $15 per costume.

Cave of Wonders tapper costume for Aladdin Jr with metallic gold dress, jeweled belt, matching headpiece, and gold gloves for school musical production.

Instructions

  1. Top sewing pattern: EtsyPattern(1 yd)

  2. Skirt: simple skater skirt (1yd)

  3. “Gold” fabric‍ ‍($4.99/yd): Stretch Charmeuse Satin — shiny and slightly stretchy. Not too thin, not too thick. Very easy to work with, very little slip, limited fraying, and catches stage light beautifully without looking costume-cheap.

  4. Waistband fabric ($6.49/yd) Hologram 8mm Square Sequins

  5. Gold Gloves ($2.40/pair Amazon Link

This Cave of Wonders Tapper hat was a quick, volunteer-friendly, budget build made with simple materials and repeatable steps. Below, I’ll show how I made each hat and link the supplies that made it easy to scale for an ensemble.

Each hat costs less than $1.00

Cave of Wonder DIY Hat Instructions

Gold Cave of Wonders headpiece for Aladdin Jr with sequined cylindrical cap and flowing gold drape, inspired by an I Dream of Jeannie style hat for school musical production.
Supplies for making a Cave of Wonders headpiece for Aladdin Jr, including glue, Mod Podge, glitter, ribbon, gold fabric, paintbrush, and foam cup base.
Foam cup with center hole cut into the bottom for making a Cave of Wonders headpiece for Aladdin Jr school musical production.
Foam cup covered in gold glitter and ribbon trim for a Cave of Wonders headpiece during Aladdin Jr costume construction.
Sheer gold fabric attached inside a glittered foam cup while building a Cave of Wonders headpiece for Aladdin Jr school musical production.
Inside view of foam cup headpiece with crisscross elastic for securing a Cave of Wonders hat during Aladdin Jr costume construction.

SUPPLIES

Base Hat: ‍ ‍White Paper Food Containers
Neck drape: Gold Sheer Curtains (cheaper than buying fabric by the yard)
Glitter: Gold Glitter
Elastic: 1/8th elastic 50yds‍ ‍ or 1/8 elastic 12yds
Glue: Aleene's All Purpose Tacky Glue
Sealant:‍ ‍Mod Podge Gloss Sealer