Creative costumes are as fun to make as wear.
Whether you are making a costume for a school play or Halloween party, you can turn everyday household items like cardboard boxes and rubber gloves into cute and creative costumes. Craft stores and department stores are also great places to look for additional items to turn from ordinary into extraordinary.
Sweet Treat Costume
Turn someone into a sweet treat with a cookie sheet costume. Use a gray piece of poster board to create the pan. On the backside of the poster board, draw a one-inch diagonal line at each corner. Cut along the line and turn the poster board over. To create the sides of the pan, overlap the corners and stick them together with two-sided tape. Trim the corners so they are rounded like a cookie sheet. Trim a piece of white foam board down to 20 x 27-inches. Two-sided tape or hot glue can be used to fasten the foam board to the back of the poster board.
To create a large cookie in the center of the poster board, duct tape the long sides of three 12 by 18-inch sheets of brown craft foam or felt. Draw a large gingerbread cookie on the taped side of the foam. Carefully cut out the shape with a craft knife. Cut out a face opening in the head of the gingerbread cookie, approximately six-inches wide by eight-inches long. Glue three large red buttons onto the gingerbread. With the left over pieces of brown foam, hand-draw or trace a gingerbread cookie cutter to create four smaller cookies. Use white dimensional paint to paint buttons on the small cookies and any detailing you would like on all of the cookie shapes. When the paint has completely dried, glue the large gingerbread onto the center of the gray poster board and glue one small gingerbread cookie in each corner. With the craft knife, cut the face opening through the poster board and foam backing.
Cutting 2 ½ yards of 1 ½-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon in half makes good shoulder straps. Use duct tape to attach the ribbon half way down the backside of the foam board. Place three pieces of adhesive backed Velcro on the lower backside corners of the foam board. Have the person try on the costume and cross the straps at her back. When the face opening is at a comfortable level, place two pieces of adhesive backed Velcro to each strap where they will attach to the Velcro placed on the board.
An oven mitt on one hand and a spatula in the other will complete the costume.
Clean Machine Costume
A creative way to create a washing machine costume starts with a large cardboard box. First, use a strong packing tape to completely seal one end of the box. On the opposite end, cut the flaps off, reserving one for later. Completely cover the outside of the box with a white adhesive-backed paper. Cut a nine-inch circle out of the middle of the sealed end of the box for the head. To create armholes, cut a hole in two sides of the box. Cut an 11 1/2-inch hole in the center of the front of the box to resemble a front load washing machine.
Crumple pieces of colored cellophane and place them between two clear plastic plates. Use foil tape to seal the edges of the plates together. Place two pieces of adhesive-backed Velcro to the box, one on each side of the cut out circle. Put adhesive-backed Velcro on each side of the plastic plates. Stick the two pieces together. Cover any exposed Velcro with foil tape to create the look of hinges and a handle.
Cover the saved box flap with white adhesive-backed paper and hot glue it to the back of the box, this will be used to place the washing machines dials and knobs. Wash and dry the lid of a laundry detergent bottle and hot glue it to the front left side of the back flap. Use hot glue to fasten two plastic water bottle lids next to the large lid. Use a permanent marker to draw details around the knobs.
To finish the costume, glue or tape an empty detergent box or bottle onto the top of the box along with socks, a towel, shirt, etc. Once the person is in the costume, fasten an article of clothing on top of their head.
Ocean Life Costume
Turn a plain straw hat and bubble packaging into a cute jelly fish costume. Lay one yard of blue fleece onto a large flat work surface. Completely covers the undersides of the straw hat brim with hot glue and lay it down in the center of the fleece. Once the glue has dried, trim the extra fabric and cut away the fabric in the head hole so the hat can be worn.
Cover the top of the hat with bubble packaging, keeping it securely in place with packaging tape. It should then look like a large dome. Cut a large circle out of sparkly blue material to cover the hat and overhang by six-inches. Cut out six strips of sparkly blue material, each measuring 1 ½-inches wide by 3 feet long. Glue one end of each strip to the underside of the hat brim. Cut 3 foot long pieces of dark blue curling ribbon, sheer blue ribbon and red rik rak ribbon and glue along the underside of the hat brim. Space each ribbon approximately one-inch from the edge.
Tuck the ribbon inside the head hole of the hat and place it upside down on the sparkly blue fabric circle. Pull the fabric over the edge of the brim and glue it in place making even gathers to cover the ends of the ribbons.
The costume is complete when worn with blue leggings and a blue long sleeve shirt.
Cute Barnyard Costume
A cute chicken costume can be made with items found at your local department and hobby stores. Take two long-sleeved white leotards and put one inside of the other. Stuff cotton or wool batting in between the two leotards until the desired thickness is reached. The batting will also help keep the person wearing the costume warm. Sew the necklines and leg holes shut to keep the batting in place, but be careful to leave openings for the person to wear it. Drape white feather boas around the leotards so that it is completely covered in feathers and use safety pins to temporarily hold them in place. Secure the boas in place by hand stitching them with white thread every four to six inches. Remove all of the pins.
Cut out two pieces of red felt in the shape of a rooster's comb and stitch them together leaving just the bottom open. Turn the felt right side out and stuff with batting, making sure it is pushed into all of the spaces. To attach the comb to a white bonnet or stocking hat, stretch it over a round object and use hot glue to fasten the comb to the top of the hat.
Use a pair of yellow rubber gloves to create the feet. Stuff all ten fingers with batting and turn the gloves palm side down. Put one athletic shoe inside each glove pushing them in tightly until the fingers curl up slightly. With a craft knife, cut a straight line from the tongue of the shoe to the heel. Pull the end of the cut line behind the heel. If there is more than two inches of rubber glove behind the heel, trim the excess. Fold the glove opening and secure with hot glue. Complete the outfit with a pair of white leggings or tights.
Related posts
You can buy very nice set of angel wings in a costume shop.In Roman mythology, Cupid was the son of Venus, the goddess of love. Know as the god of love, he was often portrayed with both wings and...
Use masks and costume accessories in decorating.The glam and glitter of a costume party provide lots of visual interest. Either keep decorations to a minimum to focus on the...
Whether you know how to sew or not, browsing pattern books is a great way to get inspired when it comes to making a costume. You'll see that many homemade costumes are built with the same basic pi...
Use fluffy ballerina tutus to create Halloween costumes.Tutus were once reserved for ballerinas, but the short fluffy skirts have made their way into mainstream fashion. Tutus are typically made f...
Dress your child up as a bug or butterfly.Halloween costumes don't always have to be creepy or terrifying. Try dressing up a little differently next Halloween by giving a child a funny costume. Hu...
