Costume & Crafting Help

[Drawingablank]

For #3 - why not attach them to a rigid plastic headband. The headband itself could be camoflaged with something.

[Ratty]

See my tail? Its made on a coat hanger. It stands straight out because the wire has a 2 or 3 inch diameter circle of wire hand sewn to the skirt on the inside. Because the skirt is tight, the loop of wire lies flat against my backside. Maybe you could attach them to a snug fitting or ridged hat, headband, helmet. Two things that are a great start for headgear are bike helmets and baseball caps, (with the bill removed). You can attach a bunch of stuff to an adjustable baseball cap and it stays put.

[wandergirl]

great ideas you guys, thanks. I probably wouldn't want a hat, even though it makes sense, because I like the look of horns/antlers peeking out of my hair. BUT, a headband might work. I was thinking it'd be uncomfortable if I wrapped wire around it, but I suppose I could sew or glue on some kind of fabric or padding?

oh and if I make more, I'll form them around hangers or armature wire for sure.

[catinthefunnyhat]

great ideas you guys, thanks. I probably wouldn't want a hat, even though it makes sense, because I like the look of horns/antlers peeking out of my hair. BUT, a headband might work. I was thinking it'd be uncomfortable if I wrapped wire around it, but I suppose I could sew or glue on some kind of fabric or padding?

oh and if I make more, I'll form them around hangers or armature wire for sure.

I like the headband idea. As for making it more comfortable: Memory foam on the underside? It would probably help with getting a secure fit, too. I know from experience that cotton batting won't be effective for either purpose.

I have a Medusa headdress I made for Halloween years ago. It looks great, but it's top-heavy and uncomfortable. The base is a plastic colander. The snakes are wired with heavy wire which is threaded through the colander holes. I put some cotton batting inside the colander, to cover those bits of wire, but they don't actually help much. I'd need to make it more comfy if I'm to bring it to BM, and I've been leaning heavily towards memory foam. I think it would make it both more comfortable and more secure. I'll probably have to limit its use to cold nights, though. It would be a one-way ticket to heatstroke during the day.

[wandergirl]

memory foam is a good idea.
oooooh, photos of medusa headdress? I wanted to be a post-apocalytpic medusa for halloween last year and had this vision of a mohawk made out of snakes. it didn't work out. but now I have a whole lot of rubber snakes.

[tattoogoddess]

If you are thinking about making something like those horn I think making them out of expandable foam blown onto a cot wire would work quite well. That stuff does not break. Then just carving it down and painting it.

[theCryptofishist]

2. I'm making (bat, bird, butterfly, something) wings out of armature + EL wire. but I also wear a camelbak at night. any ideas how to wear them both? ideally, in such a way that I can access my camelbak without too many loopy-headed gymnastics?

I know someone did this a couple of years back, but I don't remember who, or how. I also don't remember if there was a post-playa report.
Obviously, be wearing the camelback, with bladder full, and other stuff you think you'll carry, when you make the measurements.
You could make the wings attach to the camelback. It would save you having to take them off as separate items when you sit down. (I'd say and when you dance, but maybe you want them on when you dance, and I disapprove, because that's so sparkle pony, but that's not really any of my business.) I'm trying to figure out how to fix my collapsable headphones that I fixed wrong before so now the open up too far and fall off my head, so, I'm not a good person to ask. (Although, I might be interested in the answer...)

[theCryptofishist]

Oh fuck, somehow I read "wings".


And as for Medusa...When I was a kid I went to a costume party at Athena. My mother made me a wonderful Medusa head... I know, different problem. It just seemed interesting that there was this overlap.

[Jax Dee]

hi all! I thought about starting a new thread, but this one serves the same purpose. I would love some costume brainstorming help on a few different things.

1. is there anything playa-friendly one can use to spike/hawk hair that also won't inadvertently turn it into one gigantic dreadlock for the remainder of the week?

2. I'm making (bat, bird, butterfly, something) wings out of armature + EL wire. but I also wear a camelbak at night. any ideas how to wear them both? ideally, in such a way that I can access my camelbak without too many loopy-headed gymnastics?

3. I've made a bunch of clay horns and antlers, like these. but I've discovered any that aren't tiny want to flop over when I tie them on my head. any way to troubleshoot the ones I've already made? (with only ribbonholes in the bottom?) like, attach them to something, somehow? I could also make more with armature wire embedded inside and affix it to something. (what?)

yay costuming!

I. I take dry shampoo with me (Suave makes some that is less than $3 a bottle) and that helps clean the gunk and dirt out of my hair and also helps give it hold and body. After a couple days, between dry shampoo, playa dust, and a little water or gel...anyone can hawk their hair. I would use a gel that goes stiff and can be combed out later with the dry shampoo, any kind of paste is gonna just become mud in your hair.

2. Waxpraxis made EL wings for his wife last year and documented it in this thred, if you search back you can find it. It looked easy enough to modify the shoulder elastic so that it could be worn easily over a camelback.

3. If the horns are small enough and not really heavy they would attach well to the hair clips used for weaves and hair feather. A flat rectangular comb-like "snap" that hold whatever is attached to it pretty firmly in your hair. You might be able to glue the horns to such a clip and therefore hide them in your hair to look "natural"

[theCryptofishist]

Damn, I love you Jax.

Thread drift, sorry.

[Jax Dee]

Damn, I love you Jax.

Thread drift, sorry.

Aw thx Fishy! ((Fishy)) Ok...back to your regularly scheduled thread...

[wandergirl]

yay, thanks so much for your ideas! dry shampoo and gel, check. I'll play with some hair clips for sure. I made the horns/antlers out of super light air-dry clay over foil skeletons, so they barely weigh anything. they just don't want to stand up.

re: wings, I'll definitely remove them when I dance, lol. I hate getting bonked with other people's wings when I'm dancing. SUPER annoying.
also I'm thinking bat wings because they're probably the least sparkle pony-esque.

in other news, I just found the most awesome thrift store coat for ten freaking dollars. now I have three! last year I froze my ass off on burn night, so apparently I'm overcompensating this year.

[theCryptofishist]

Well, you can always give a coat or two away.
(I bet there's a clueless or unlucky birgin that would need one. But it all depends on how your burn goes, of course...)
Yeah, there are sorts of feathered and butterfly wings, but bats are rare and so are beetle wings. Of course, beetles have shell wings and flying wings...

[wandergirl]

whoa. beetle wings could be VERY cool.

[theCryptofishist]

Especially if you could get some iridescence going on on the inside wings...

[catinthefunnyhat]

A couple of photos of me in Medusa drag were taken by other people (whom I don't actually know) and posted on Flickr. They've got copyright stuff all locked down, so I can't hotlink their pictures here. Click on this link to see one. Click on this link to see another.

This was Halloween 2006, so it's a younger and slimmer me...

Also my homemade "wig cap" (an old pair of white fishnet stockings, covered in makeup) is totally showing. How gauche!

[catinthefunnyhat]

Irridescent beetle wings would be amazing....

[catinthefunnyhat]

Sorry to clog up this thread, bu I just realized that VampireKitten is wearing antlers that stick out from her hair in her profile pic. Maybe you could PM her for help? Might be better than our speculations...

[AntiM]

I have some shredded lace bat wings. Hot Topic clearance rack. Embellished with MOOP for a moop fairy costume, I made clatter bells from plastic cups and mardi gras beads which cascade down the middle of the wings in the back.

[inthecolumbiagorge]

great ideas you guys, thanks. I probably wouldn't want a hat, even though it makes sense, because I like the look of horns/antlers peeking out of my hair. BUT, a headband might work. I was thinking it'd be uncomfortable if I wrapped wire around it, but I suppose I could sew or glue on some kind of fabric or padding?

oh and if I make more, I'll form them around hangers or armature wire for sure.

Our horns just are on a thick string...ie shoelace.....that ties under your hair (if you have any:-) I only mention that because I don't!) and stick up very well out of the hair. Even my hubby wears them....of course he is the most devilish of us anyway! We bought our first pair and made some others from femo. You have to embed the lace in the stuff when you are forming the horns.

[wandergirl]

WOW. catinthefunnyhat, that headdress is gorgeous!

PMing vampirekitten is a good idea! I've seen her avatar around.
inthecolumbiagorge, I've found a shoelace works for my smaller horns, but some of the antlers are about ten inches tall and they probably need to be affixed to something rigid.

also I love the idea of translucent panels in the beetle wings, especially if the EL wire reflected off it. omg so many projects. thanks everyone!

[StevenGoodman]

Bought another pattern for the kimono. I think this one will work better for what I need than the one I have. It was pretty cheap ($5) so don't feel too bad about having to buy another. Just excited to feel like I'm finally on the right path.

In the mean time I need to try to get some progress on other items and then I'll be happy as a clam.

I have used this kimono pattern in the past. Hum, might need to make another one...

Martini Steve

[StevenGoodman]

1. is there anything playa-friendly one can use to spike/hawk hair that also won't inadvertently turn it into one gigantic dreadlock for the remainder of the week?

My only suggestion would be pretty permanent for the whole event. In the bad old days we used unflavored gelatin for mohawks. But it doesn't really wash out easily... The days before good gel...

I don't see why you couldn't use a good gel; and wash it out. But you would need a way to soak your head!

And yes, you can spike your hair after a day or two, without doing anything special.

Martini Steve

[delle]

I like the look of horns/antlers peeking out of my hair.

Fake hair scrunchies could help with this illusion by hiding any support needed, . There are some really wild ones out there, if you look, and cheap enough!.......... and of course any could be added to......

[Foxfur]

I LOVE wandergirl's outfit in her avatar photo!

[wandergirl]

I LOVE wandergirl's outfit in her avatar photo!

<3 <3 <3

just made a scrap skirt like this last night, but with black fabric, black tulle and different purple stripes. love it!

[catinthefunnyhat]

I LOVE wandergirl's outfit in her avatar photo!

<3 <3 <3

just made a scrap skirt like this last night, but with black fabric, black tulle and different purple stripes. love it!

gorgeous!

[inthecolumbiagorge]

I LOVE wandergirl's outfit in her avatar photo!

<3 <3 <3

just made a scrap skirt like this last night, but with black fabric, black tulle and different purple stripes. love it!

This is so simple and so cool! We are working on a few for my daughters and some to gift since they are so easy to make. Love it!

[wh..sh]

What I really want to wear during daytime is something like this...
This is from an Indian designer and I love her collection. The style is very easy and flowy. I love it.
I want to make it so bad, but I don't even have a sewing machine

[inthecolumbiagorge]

You actually could just about make that without a sewing machine! There are probably only about 3-4 seams in that and you could use iron in "stitching" for the seams and hand sewing for anything most intricate. It is lovely and really that would be a simple project, easier of course with a machine but I think doable without.