Packed with over 100+ high-quality resources, this toolkit provides everything drama teachers need to deliver engaging lessons in costume design. Whether you’re supporting GCSE and A-level students pursuing design pathways or introducing costume concepts to a wider class, the toolkit balances theory with practical application and imaginative exploration.
The Function and Principles of Costume: Help students understand the vital role costume plays in shaping character, story, and atmosphere.
The Elements of Costume: From fabric and texture to colour and pattern, students will explore the tools of the trade.
Historical Costume Guides: Inclusive timelines from Ancient Greece to the 2020s, complete with visuals and research prompts.
Breakdown Charts and Costume Plots: Essential templates to organise costume journeys across productions.
Exploring the Play: Guides for first impressions, key themes, symbolism, context, and mood boards.
Genre and Visual Collages: Inspire students to connect costume design to genre, emotion, and storytelling.
Character Design: From costume lists to annotated sketches, give students resources to experiment and design with confidence.
Design Aspects: Colour, fabric, texture, and pattern activities to spark creativity.
Drawing and Sketching: Step-by-step guides for hand-drawn or digital design, plus 30 sketch templates to get them started.
Technical Skills: Resources on patterns, draping, upcycling, and sewing to connect design concepts with real-world making.
Measurement and Fitting Charts: Male and female templates and cast recording sheets for practical organisation.
Make-up and Hair Templates: Complement costumes with complete character looks.
Covers safe working practices in costume making, sewing, fitting, and handling technical equipment—ensuring students approach projects with confidence and care.
Design Journals and Reflections: Structured activities to record process, exploration, and evaluation.
Annotated Sketch Guides: Sentence stems and examples to help students articulate design intentions.
Production Meeting Templates: Encourage collaboration and documentation aligned to assessment objectives.
One of the most powerful tools in the Costume Design Toolkit is the Costume Reference Sheets collection. This is the most comprehensive set of reference technical illustrations ever curated for classroom use—featuring over 750 detailed drawings showcasing costume construction across eras, genres, and cultures.
From intricate collars and cuffs to the subtle variations of pockets, buttons, and finishes, these sheets provide students with the technical vocabulary and visual guidance they need to elevate their designs.
Whether your learners are:
Sketching character designs for coursework,
Researching historical accuracy, or
Experimenting with stylistic choices for devised theatre projects,
The Costume Reference Sheets are the perfect inspiration bank. They bridge the gap between creativity and technical rigour—helping students move beyond imagination alone and towards designs that are both innovative and authentic.
Flexible Design: Use the toolkit as a complete scheme or select resources to slot into your teaching plans.
Ready-to-Use Materials: Includes high-quality PDFs for printing and PNGs for digital platforms, portfolios, and presentations.
Assessment-Ready: Fully aligned with GCSE and A-level design route criteria, supporting students to achieve their very best.
Packed with over 100+ high-quality resources, this toolkit provides everything drama teachers need to deliver engaging lessons in costume design. Whether you’re supporting GCSE and A-level students pursuing design pathways or introducing costume concepts to a wider class, the toolkit balances theory with practical application and imaginative exploration.
The Function and Principles of Costume: Help students understand the vital role costume plays in shaping character, story, and atmosphere.
The Elements of Costume: From fabric and texture to colour and pattern, students will explore the tools of the trade.
Historical Costume Guides: Inclusive timelines from Ancient Greece to the 2020s, complete with visuals and research prompts.
Breakdown Charts and Costume Plots: Essential templates to organise costume journeys across productions.
Exploring the Play: Guides for first impressions, key themes, symbolism, context, and mood boards.
Genre and Visual Collages: Inspire students to connect costume design to genre, emotion, and storytelling.
Character Design: From costume lists to annotated sketches, give students resources to experiment and design with confidence.
Design Aspects: Colour, fabric, texture, and pattern activities to spark creativity.
Drawing and Sketching: Step-by-step guides for hand-drawn or digital design, plus 30 sketch templates to get them started.
Technical Skills: Resources on patterns, draping, upcycling, and sewing to connect design concepts with real-world making.
Measurement and Fitting Charts: Male and female templates and cast recording sheets for practical organisation.
Make-up and Hair Templates: Complement costumes with complete character looks.
Covers safe working practices in costume making, sewing, fitting, and handling technical equipment—ensuring students approach projects with confidence and care.
Design Journals and Reflections: Structured activities to record process, exploration, and evaluation.
Annotated Sketch Guides: Sentence stems and examples to help students articulate design intentions.
Production Meeting Templates: Encourage collaboration and documentation aligned to assessment objectives.
One of the most powerful tools in the Costume Design Toolkit is the Costume Reference Sheets collection. This is the most comprehensive set of reference technical illustrations ever curated for classroom use—featuring over 750 detailed drawings showcasing costume construction across eras, genres, and cultures.
From intricate collars and cuffs to the subtle variations of pockets, buttons, and finishes, these sheets provide students with the technical vocabulary and visual guidance they need to elevate their designs.
Whether your learners are:
Sketching character designs for coursework,
Researching historical accuracy, or
Experimenting with stylistic choices for devised theatre projects,
The Costume Reference Sheets are the perfect inspiration bank. They bridge the gap between creativity and technical rigour—helping students move beyond imagination alone and towards designs that are both innovative and authentic.
Flexible Design: Use the toolkit as a complete scheme or select resources to slot into your teaching plans.
Ready-to-Use Materials: Includes high-quality PDFs for printing and PNGs for digital platforms, portfolios, and presentations.
Assessment-Ready: Fully aligned with GCSE and A-level design route criteria, supporting students to achieve their very best.
