Coolest Homemade Count Von Count Costume

This year, I wanted to test my crafting skills by creating a Muppet costume. I knew that this would be a challenge that could look amazing if done right, but, if half-assed, could look like clown shoes. I started off by looking through all of the Muppets and deciding which one would be the funniest character to portray during a Halloween party. After much deliberation, I went with a Count Von Count costume (so much alliteration!). I felt that he was the perfect blend of:

1. Hilarity – Counting things in an exaggerated Dracula voice

2. Relevance – It is after all Halloween, and he is a Vampire

3. Satire – With Mitt Romney threatening to cut PBS funding, it also provided the opportunity to cater to the politically minded with cardboard signs stating “Will Count for Food”

Once I had my Muppet picked out I studied pictures of him and took measurements of his facial features so that I could proportionately fit it onto a 17 inch round head.

Count Von Count

Creating the Papier-mâché Head

I made the head out of a 17-inch round balloon and Papier-mâché. You must use about 4-5 layers of Papier-mâché to ensure that the head is firm and sturdy enough. I suggest using a blend of flour, water and Elmer’s glue to help create a proper paste. Also, don’t be afraid to get a little messy – it’s inevitable.

Baby Steps

Head Fitting

Upon drying, I then measured and carved out the mouth and base so that my eyes would match up with the hole in the Count’s mouth. From there, I used insulation foam, a pillow and a small bicycle helmet to create padding and stability so that my head would rest comfortably inside the head of the costume.

Fleece Covering and Facial Features

Using a spray adhesive, I wrapped the entire head in lavender-colored fleece, covering all of the Papier-mâché. While doing this, it is important to eliminate as many visible creases as possible. I was able to achieve this by pre-measuring what areas the Count’s hair would eventually cover.

Using the measurements I had extrapolated from the picture of the Count, I created the eyes out of foam core and fleece, and the ears and nose out of cardboard and fleece. I then created the eyelashes and pupils with black poster board. Finally, I covered any other exposed areas with remaining fleece.

The Eyes

Touch-ups, Mouth and Fangs

One of the final steps for the head was gluing everything on and adding some minor touch-ups to finish. I used black women’s panty hose to cover the mouth (from the inside) and more foam core create the fangs, and a clear plastic dinner plate for the monocle. Everything was secured with a glue gun and spray adhesive. All that was left is the hair.

Bald Count

Hair

I purchased black fur from a fabric shop and used the same spray adhesive to glue it to the head. Creases are less of a factor with this because the fur is so thick that any creases, if present, were barely noticeable. Then, using scissors and a razor I essentially played barber, attempting to replicate his widows peak and side burns as appropriately as possible.

Completed Head

Finishing Touches

Now it was time to focus on the accessories and body of the costume. I knew that I wanted to keep my body fairly human-like so that I could move around easily. I matched my outfit as closely to the Count’s as possible and wore a black vampire cape with a white dress shirt and vest. I wanted to eliminate as much skin exposure as possible, so I fashioned some gloves (4-fingers, of course) out of the leftover fabric. After that, it was show time. Count away.

Getting Hunted