When the first Toy Story movie came out it struck a chord with me. The story, the characters, the graphics and the movie as a whole were incredible.
Halloween has been one of my favorite holidays since childhood. I love the Fall season, the Halloween Parties, the dressing up as characters and of course the treats.
In the Toy Story movie, Woody makes the comment “Who wouldn’t love to be a Buzz Lightyear”?! I thought Wow! That would be a great costume.
The problem was how to do it. I went and bought a Buzz Lightyear action figure and started to figure out how to make a costume that would look like the toy. When I was a child, I liked to use cardboard a lot to make costumes. The box robot was one of my favorites. I decided cardboard would be the best method.
So with lots of cardboard and a hot melt glue gun I started cutting, gluing and shaping. When the basic construction was done, I covered the cardboard with paper mache, using newspaper and Mod Podge Matte glue and painted. The mid section was made from black vinyl material sewn into tubes. The mask I made from a product called Celluclay, which, when finished, I glued to a purple fabric hood.
I put a pen laser in the fore arm and took the toy Buzz figure apart and installed the sound board with working buttons into the costume. I installed speakers into the costume behind the head. When you press the buttons on the costume, it says Buzz Lightyear phrases just like the toy figure. I also made the wings so they could be extended by pulling out just like the toy.
The homemade Buzz Lightyear and Emperor Zurg costumes has been fun to wear and draws a huge crowd.
I have also made Buzz’s arch rival the Evil Emperor Zurg using the same technique. Zurg has light up eyes and mouth with led lights and a voice changer with built in speaker in the chest.
It has been a lot of fun, and I get invited to plenty of Halloween parties every year.
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This costume is awesome.My son would just love it.If you are interested in selling it I would like to buy it
Any interest in selling a Zurg mask?
Do you have details on how you made the Emperor Zurg costume. I’m having a hard time with is head and chest
The Emperor Zurg head and body are both made of cardboard that I cut,bent,shaped and hot glued together. When everything looked right I covered with paper mache and painted. The body is a round hollow shape that slips over your head and down around your body. It is kind of hard to get on, you need to put your arms thru the arm holes and kind of bend and twist to get it on. The mid section is a waist band made of vinyl that I had sewed into tubes and stuffed with poly fill. It slips down over your head around your waist before putting the body on. The mask is built like the body out of cardboard. The mouth is yellow acrylic that I heated and bent,it has two little holes drilled between the teeth to look through.
I hope this helps a little in making your own Zurg costume.
Your adult Zurg gown is simply amazing. I want to know if you are willing to sell it for my husband and children’s birthday party.