Cindy Lou Who is the lovable character who wins the heart of the villian, restoring the Christmas spirit, in the classic holiday story "How the Grinch Stole Christmas." What began as a book by famous author Dr. Seuss later became a cartoon and then a full-length movie. A variety of Cindy Lou Who costumes can be made depending upon which version of the story you would like to reflect.

In the early "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" picture book and cartoon, Cindy Lou Who appears wearing a long, full-coverage pink nightgown. The nightgown is scalloped around the neck. If you are unable to find an ankle-length, long-sleeved light pink nightgown in a retail store, it is relatively simple to make at home with a length of pink fabric and a basic nightgown pattern.

The Cindy Lou Who character in the movie, which came out in the year 2000, wears a checkered dress underneath a red cape. This is accented by red tights and black Mary Jane shoes. While a good choice for the red cape would be a Christmas tree skirt with a white trim, a cape can be easily made at home from red fabric. You can also check your local department and thrift stores for a cost-efficient checkered dress and shoes.

The hairstyle of the Cindy Lou Who characters in the cartoon and movie also differs considerably. In the cartoon, Cindy Lou Who appears with short, blonde hair with red ribbons and an antenna on either side of her head. To give the appearance of short hair, you can either pin up the length of long hair or purchase a wig. Red hair ribbons can be easily purchased, and antennae can be simply fashioned out of thin wires securely attached to either side of a headband. Small colored pom-poms can be attached to the tops of the antenna using hot glue.

In the movie, Cindy Lou Who has an elaborate braided hairstyle. While wigs in this style are available, they can be quite expensive. Cost-efficient options for creating this look include using pipe cleaners within the braids to help them to stand up, and shaping the updo portion of Cindy Lou Who's hair around a cardboard cone and securing it with wire. As with any elaborate hairstyles, plenty of hairspray should be used to hold it all in place, and don't forget the signature red ribbons.

In every rendition of "How the Grinch Stole Christmas," Cindy Lou Who has large eyes framed by long eyelashes. For adults, teen-agers and older children, fake eyelashes or mascara can be used to recreate this effect. In young children, it may be easier to use eyeliner to draw on the appearance of long eyelashes. The rest of the makeup should be kept fairly simple. Use a small amount of pink blush to create rose cheeks, and a thin layer of a natural-looking pink or red lipstick.