Coolest Jack Skellington DIY Halloween Costume Idea

I apologize if this costume was entered more than once. I had a great deal of trouble with the submission form!

I have always been in love with “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” This Jack Skellington DIY Halloween Costume Idea was created for my boyfriend. I had handy a plastic helmet (cheap hard hat with an adjustable fit). I measured how big the ball would have to be to fit the helmet inside. The head was made from paper mache over a punch ball. First, with paper strips until it was strong enough, and then a paper pulp was smoothed over that layer. I suggest toilet paper for the pulp, as it seems to created a smoother texture that was easier to smooth out.

I then speckled the entire head (a few times) with ultra-light speckle. I then cut the back off the head (about one third of the way back). I added cardboard tabs on the insides of the FRONT portion of the head to attach Velcro to. The head was then painted.

The suit is a custom-drafted raglan sleeve short jacket with tails and a high-waisted pant (my first time making ANY sort of suit from scratch). The “pin stripes” are hand-painted. I also sculpted the bat for Jack’s bow tie with polymer clay. The “wings” of the bow tie have a wire frame. My boyfriend wanted to have a pocket for a money clip and straw, so the jacket has two welt pockets in the lining.

The only store-bought items in this costume are the turtleneck shirt (purchased a few sizes too big so the shirt collar would fit inside the head) and the gloves (since I figured I wouldn’t be able to make hands that gave a full range of motion at home).

Jack really got a great reception everywhere we went. It was truly fun to make this costume from scratch. I take great pride in creating something that can bring smiles, and a few shrieks, to people’s faces.

P.S. Walt, my boyfriend, is a photographer, so of COURSE I had to get photos on the seamless backdrop! Happy HALLOWEEN!