Coolest Flying Genie Illusion Costume

I still remember creating Halloween costumes as a child with my dad, back in my small hometown. Hearing people say “How did you make that”?? or “Where did you come up with that idea?” created a passion to continue building costumes throughout my adult years. October always creates an inner excitement of what is about to come, “wowing” people for another year.

At the 2011, San Diego Monster Bash, I did just that. I was turning heads and amazing people with the illusion I was a genie riding a magic carpet, coming out of a lantern from a puff of smoke and at the same time levitating in the air.

Creating a costume always begins with thinking of a creative concept, something that hasn’t or can’t possibly be done. Usually I grab a pen and paper to start a rough draft. I typically have two or three top ideas running through my mind over the past several months, actually November 1st the previous year.

How I made the Homemade Flying Genie Illusion Costume:

My topic of choice this year was “The Genie”. The Internet helped, I started with Googling the word “Genie”, to come up with ideas. I like to create illusions with my costume ideas so of course when I saw a Genie riding a magic carpet I was committed. Here’s one of the pictures I used for inspiration:

And here’s a photo I Photoshopeed to to create the image I was going for:

I ordered some basic supplies online such as the carpet, lamp, and LED lights. A local Halloween store, hardware and craft shop provided the props for the rest of the costume.

The base or platform was made of cardboard criss-crossed with two old hockey sticks. I cut a section out of the back third to stand through and attached cables around the hockey sticks to hold up the costume.

These cables were then attached via carabiners to a utility belt in a tripod arrangement. The carpet and platform were supported by the cables and suspended around my waist. I did not want to have a support structure to the ground with a cart because I wanted to give the illusion of levitating by simply bending my knees and walking.

After the cables were attached I then attached the carpet to the top and bolted the lamp to the top. The smoke was made from chicken wire molded to a basic smoke shape, arranged with LED lights and finally cotton was placed around the mold, secured with fishing line. The bottom half of the Genie was made with wizard pattern fabric from a linen store.

The wrist bands and chest piece were props for a Cleopatra costume colored with permanent markers. The prosthetics and make-up are the final stages and key to making the costume realistic. I spent approximately three hours putting on the make-up and another two hours taking it off. The blue body paint was harder to come off than I thought.

The total cost of the costume was around $150.00 not including the white contact lenses.

In 2010 I also made this Leprechaun on a Pot of Gold Illusion costume… Here it is together with my Genie costume:

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