Last year, Ryan + I decided to dress up as Jon Snow + Daenerys Targaryen for Halloween. Game of Thrones is Ryan’s all-time favorite show + since it ended in 2019, it was the perfect time to recreate this ultimate power couple. My goal was to make my costume as realistic as possible for under $100. This is how I transformed myself into the Mother of Dragons on a budget!

Choosing The Look
Khaleesi has SO many iconic looks. It was hard to pick one, but I decided on what I thought was her most boss outfit — the white + gray fur coat from Season 7.

My inspiration photo:

The Coat [$49.99]
I knew I wasn’t going to be able to create this intricate coat myself, so I was okay with this being my major purchase for the costume. I ordered a small + it fit perfectly [I am typically a small or medium in shirts/sweatshirts/coats]. The coat was $49.99 when I purchased it in 2019. 2021 update: it is now $79.99… thx COVID. Still a major steal for how detailed + high-quality this costume is. Included with the coat is the silver chain Daenerys wears over her shoulder. The chain has two open circles throughout, as hers does, but it does not include her *NECESSARY* dragon brooch. The dragon brooches I found on Etsy were upwards of $60, so naturally, I DIYed it for only $11.

Khaleesi’s brooch from the show:

The brooch I created:

Creating the Dragon Brooch [$11]
This one took some brainstorming, but I was determined to craft this brooch as inexpensively as I could. I went to Walmart to see if I could find any dragon toys that I could spray paint silver + attach to the chain. There weren’t any dragon toys that were small enough in scale, but then I passed these $1 DINOSAUR TOYS. 2021 update: my original dinos are out of stock, so try these! I purchased three of them [$3], because her brooch is three dragon heads. They are made out of a rubbery material, so I was able to cut their heads off easily. I then spray painted them with this mini metallic “Chrome” spray paint [$4] + used this Loctite Ultra Gel [$4] to glue them into the silver circle on the chain!

The Boots [$7]
A little fun fact about me: I used to enter contests all the time as a teenager [magazine sweepstakes, online video contests, promos at concerts/shows, you name it] + I won some cool stuff. Many years back, Chinese Laundry had a Pinterest contest + I won a pair of booties from them. They ended up being the perfect style boots for this costume, but they were brown + hers are gray. I picked up this small can of fabric spray paint in “Gray” [$7] + went to town. I recommend buying two cans, because I ran out as I was finishing up. It was okay though — they ended up having this distressed look that I loved!

If you don’t have old similar-style boots hanging around, these boots are a great affordable option [$25]. To achieve Khaleesi’s no-lace look, spend the extra $14 for these.

The Wig [$0]
I already owned this 26″ platinum blonde wig from my Alice In Wonderland costume the year prior. I thought about purchasing a Mother of Dragons-specific wig [hello SIGNATURE gorgeous braids], but I decided to bite the bullet + save. Yes… I braided my wig myself + yes, it took eons. I highly suggest using clear elastics. I did this last minute + only had black on hand.

The key here is the application of the wig. I wanted it to look as natural as possible at the hairline. This video + this video are the ones I found most helpful. I used the nylon wig cap that came with my wig + this wig glue.

The Makeup [$0]
Khaleesi’s makeup look for this outfit is super neutral, so I already owned all of the products I needed. I watched this super helpful makeup tutorial + it taught me everything I needed to know. She goes in depth on how to contour your face to closer resemble actress Emilia Clarke’s [thick brows, high cheekbones, defined upper lip] + I was super impressed with how it turned out!

Other Accessories [$15]
I wanted this costume to be as realistic as possible, so I picked up the same gray tights + light gray gloves she wears with this outfit. I recommend getting tights [$7] at TJMaxx or Walmart. The gloves I found at Walmart [$8] have since been discontinued, but I found another great pair of tech gloves at Target for less than half the price! I recommend getting tech gloves so you don’t need to keep taking your gloves off use your phone/take pictures at your Halloween party!

The Final Result [$83]
I absolutely loved how everything came out + I wouldn’t have done a single thing differently [except leave myself time to buy some clear elastics!!]. It’s my favorite costume I’ve ever done + I loved having Ryan join me as Jon Snow. Everyone was obsessed with our costumes + we got sooo many compliments! I was pumped that I came in under budget as well. If you’d like me to do a post on how Ryan achieved his King In The North look, DM me on Insta: @aurainteriors_

Happy Halloween!! 🙂