I went crazy trying to find a group costume. My friends and I had always wanted to try this but, We never thought we could pull it off. The reactions were the best yet. The costumes were actually quite easy to make and people were stopping us all night to take photos and to dance with us. We didn’t do this for a local contest but, I am sure they would go over well. The funniest part was trying to get the paper mache to stay on the balloons without letting them roll. We sent a few of them flying across the room and had to start over.
Once we found a way to prop them up (we used plastic tupperware, small shoe boxes) it became much easier. Many times I re-did Dr. teeth’s eyes because they weren’t quite right. Sgt. Floyd Pepper was fun to make because it was a little different than continuing with the paper mache. I struggled with Janice and her mouth is more open than I inteded it to be but, in the end it was fun because I could make her mouth move. This was an accident when I added the chicken wire to make the form it made a hinge. I decided to roll with it. I think it all worked out.
Paper Mache Masks
Dr. Teeth, Animal, Zoot, and Lips:
All started as Paper Mache Balls. We found super sized punching balloons for the bases. Paper Mache first layers were Toilet paper, Elemers Glue, Joint compound, (toilet paper shredded with a hand mixer and a little bit of water) into a clay. Some of the subsequent layers were flour and water paste with newspaper strips. I found it easier to smooth out after I made a runny batch of clay.
Each layer had to dry for at least 24 hours between. We did about 5 layers on each. Cut the holes to fit in our heads and the hard hats. Popped the balloons and let them cure an additional 24 hours.
Inside we attached our hard hats with a layer of bubble wrap, and left over foam secured with hot glue on the foam and gaffer’s tape to hold in place to size for each person so they could easily view out of the mouth (except zoot). The mouths were cut cardboard to size to frame in the face (hot glued in place,) covered in black felt, and colored felt for tongues and secured with hot glue. Black Stockings were cut for the back of the mouth so you could easily see through.
Each Paper Mache Ball was covered in colored fleece (I found 50% off at the fabric store) I found cheap fleece blankets for Animal’s head which was also cheaper.
Foam and Chicken Wire Masks
Sgt. Floyd Pepper and Janice
I used Foam and Chicken wire to make the bases attached to the hard hats. The Chicken wire was cut and formed to shape, secured with Craft wire I had lying around the house. Then each frame was covered in 1/4 inch craft foam.
The inside of the mouth was formed with cardboard, covered in felt, and hot glued into place.
Each form was covered in Fleece material. They were stretched around as to be smooth across the face. The back sides didn’t matter as much as they were covered later on.
Dr. Teeth and Animal
Dr. Teeth:
Added white teeth made with felt, colored the signature gold tooth with fine glitter. Cut the eye glass pieces from a pair of over sized dollar store sunglasses. His hat was made from purple scrubs, a coat hanger and left over craft wire to form the shape,and hot glued with feathers around the edges. His Hair and beard was made with orange craft feathers his eye brows were black craft feathers hot glued into place. His nose was a piece of left over animal fleece that I sewed into a shape and hotglued on his face. We found his clothes at a thrift store.
Animal:
His eyes were made out of Plastic christmas bulbs from the dollar store painted white and his nose a smaller bulb painted red. He was covered with a red boa and accented with purple and orange craft feathers. His eyebrows were also black craft feathers. His teeth were made from Makeup wedges. His chains were plastic from a halloween store, and his clothes from the thrift store.
Zoot and Lips
Zoot:
He was a little tricky as you have to let him see out of the eye holes since the mouth is so small. Cutting Large Eye holes and covering them with oversized sun glasses worked. His nose was left over fleece sewn into form His hair was a blue costume wig cut on the tracks and hot glued. His hat was made out of an old skirt. The form for it was made out of an old coat hanger and craft wire. His clothes were from the 1970’s.
Lips:
He has sleepy eyes that we cut with felt. His Goatee was made with craft feathers. His hair was made with yellow yarn that was un spun to look stringy. His trumpet was made from a tube and a plunger painted gold. He is wearing a 70’s style suit from the thrift store.
Sgt. Floyd Pepper and Janice
Sgt. Floyd Pepper:
He has oversized glasses over round Felt eyes. His eyebrows are white feathers and his mustache and hair are orange feathers. His hat was cut from old clothes the frame was cardboard bent to fit and attached. His top was a beatles sgt. pepper jacket and the only costume top we bought as I ran out of time to make a civil war looking jacket.
Janice:
Her lips were cut from thin glitter foam, here teeth are white felt, her hair was yellow yarn. I recycled a kentucky derby hat we made in the past and added a flower to it. Her outfit was all thrift store finds.
Hope this is easy to follow. If you have questions I would be happy to help. It is totally worth it. Overall we made this happen in a week and a half. Several glue gun burns later, we will certainly do this again some time.
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