Study the movie, posters and magazine photos of the costumes of your favorite Lord of the Rings characters.
Shop or search for second-hand leather jackets, dark shirts, pants, boots and robes for male characters. Choose dresses, prom dresses or wedding gowns in the correct colors for the female characters. You can also find patterns for gowns, bodices, long jackets and capes in most fabric stores.
Place items on a work surface to see how to arrange them for a costume. For example, as you study a photo of Legolas the elf, you will notice that dark gray pants will work with a light brown or green-colored robe or cape over his shoulders. He wears a long-sleeved shirt with a tunic over it. There are thin belts that are worn from his waist to shoulder. Leather arm bands run from his wrist to elbow and boots cover his calf to the knee. These can be made from pieces of pleather or suede. You can punch holes in the belts to adjust them to the size needed.
Dye any piece of fabric or clothing to the proper shade or color that the costume should be. Read the package directions to get the best result possible.
Notice the fluid look of the gowns. They have trains built into them that skim the floor. You can remove the long skirt from one gown and sew a bodice and sleeves to it from another dress for one of the women's costumes. A solid colored long nightgown will work when combined with rows of bead work and trims if you are making the costume for a child. When working with patterns, you can combine a set of sleeves with a bodice and a billowing skirt from a third pattern. Sketch out the pattern portions until you get the look that you are going for before you pin any pattern parts to the fabric.
Use old jewelry for belt clasps, cape closures, rings, necklaces and brooches that the characters wear. Make chain mail by attaching metal or plastic links together with jump rings from jewelry findings. Top the costume off with a wig or hair extensions according to the character and your budget. Men will be able to grow an Aragorn beard in a couple of weeks to have a more authentic appearance. A young man can use black Halloween make-up to create a shadowing on his face for the Aragorn beard.