To Infinity and Beyond: A Buzz Lightyear Halloween Costume

Ever since I saw the first Toy Story film in a movie theater as a ten-year-old on December 31, 1995, I have been a fan of Pixar and Disney films. In the first movie, Andy Davis receives a Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday, and at first, Buzz is unaware that he is a toy. I have many fond memories of seeing Toy Story in the movie theater, and I have also enjoyed the sequels on TV and DVD.

A Sox Surprise

In 2022, a new Toy Story spinoff called Lightyear was released, which tells the story of Buzz Lightyear before he became Andy’s toy. One of Buzz’s comrades in the film is a robot cat named Sox. Many Doctor Who fans have pointed out the similarities between Sox and K-9, the robotic dog from Doctor Who.

On November 10, 2022, I met with my psychologist for the last time as she was retiring. My mother and I had arranged a gift for her (an Appa (from Avatar: The Last Airbender) Pillow Pet), and she surprised me with a talking Sox plush. I was thrilled to receive it.

Crafting a Buzz Lightyear Costume

I was struggling to decide what to be for Halloween this year. I usually brainstorm costume ideas well in advance, but due to stress from various unforeseen circumstances in July, I was drawing a blank.

Then, one night, an idea popped into my head: I could be Buzz Lightyear! I decided to combine his Toy Story film franchise counterpart with his 2022 film counterpart, and the Sox plush would add to the latter aspect. However, as the costume came together, it more closely resembled the 2022 Lightyear film counterpart.

I started with a white men’s 2XL shirt that I already had. I collect white clothing and other items to decorate with iron-on transfers, and this 2XL shirt was perfect. However, I realized that part of Buzz Lightyear’s armor has some bright green colors, so I asked my mom to get me a tank top with a neon green color. I also bought white yoga pants for warmth and purple shorts to wear over them.

I decided to go all out with my Buzz Lightyear costume and take it “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!” Unlike many Buzz Lightyear costumes that have a hood, I refused to go with this approach. I did some searching on Amazon and found a sequined purple bow that was perfect for the costume!

Since it was close to Halloween, I knew I had to get cracking on my Buzz Lightyear costume as soon as possible. I started with the green tank top, which I converted into a crop top. I cut off half of the tank top to achieve the desired look.

Next, I cut out a bunch of craft felt pieces. Craft felt is versatile and great for simple hand sewing projects. However, I was trying to get this costume ready for the Halloween party on Saturday. I started with the left-hand side buttons (red, green, and blue buttons from the movie), then the red button on the right-hand side that would be under “LIGHTYEAR.” Not wanting to repeat the hot glue gun burn incident from a 2015 craft project, I used Alene’s Turbo Tacky Glue, which dries 50% quicker than regular glue. I glued both of the first felt pieces to my costume, even though it was past 1:00 AM. Thankfully, I had some red craft felt leftover for one of the buttons on the left-hand side of Buzz Lightyear’s spacesuit.

The rest of the buttons were made out of felt, except for the last button, which was light green. For the light green button, I used leftovers from the tank top I tailored for my Buzz Lightyear spacesuit. I attempted to make the “LIGHTYEAR” tag on my costume with costume felt and a black Sharpie, but it was too large. Thankfully, I am familiar with Photoshop programs and was able to use Preview (a program on a Mac computer) to create the badge on a yellow background with black text (and border). I printed it on card stock and laminated it using self-laminating sheets since I don’t have a thermal laminating machine. Once it was laminated, I glued a pin back to the tag and secured the pin back with electrical tape for extra strength.

To maintain the costume’s “spacey” theme, I donned snazzy shoes that illuminated near the soles. I sported them throughout the party and reveled in the various light modes. Before heading out to the party, I ensured the shoes were fully charged via the USB plug.

Despite not having the time to construct Buzz Lightyear’s wings or procure the inflatable wings from Amazon (assuming they’re no longer available), I still rocked the party as Buzz Lightyear. The highlight was that the black light effects caused the green parts of my spacesuit to glow, just like Buzz Lightyear’s glow-in-the-dark feature in the actual Toy Story movies! Additionally, I activated the strobe effect on my light-up shoes, but I exercised caution to avoid causing any ill effects or seizures among those around me.

Regardless of these minor setbacks, I confidently embraced my role as Buzz Lightyear at the Halloween party, truly embodying the spirit of “TO INFINITY AND BEYOND!”

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