Thread: I need some ideas for costume material

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I am working on a flying saucer for my 4 yr old sons costume this year and I am concerned about the weight of the overall unit may make the whole experience a drag (pun intended)

Right now I have 2 sturdy plastic "Saucer" sleds that I was planning on fastening together, cutting the "body hole" and making suspenders (plus paint, battery packs etc..). My son is not a broad shouldered swiss farm boy so hours of wearing this is looking iffy.

Ok, heres the question, what would be a good material/process for creating my saucer that would be lighter weight yet strong enough to withstand the bumps and shifts of three halloween parties?

just putting a thought out there ...not sure how effective it will be....

thin card board, wet/dampen and pressed (maybe even heated a bit) over the saucer sleds to get the shape, then painted and glued and everything else from your original plan.

depending on the thickness of the cardboard you can line it with some sturdy wire too.

again just an idea not sure how well it will work.

What about making a light wire frame and covering it with fabric? I had a friend go as a cloud once, her mom made a frame out of some type of wire, a little thicker than a hanger, and then put batting over it...

I think I'd definitely listen to Junit and go with a wire frame. padded with foam so he's comfy, and then cover with a thin fabric, creating ridges, or not, depending on which UFO you have seen. LOL

I like the wire frame idea....not that I have any idea how I would go about it but I am going to start looking for some sturdy wire.....and maybe some of that super reflective mylar like they make fire blankets out of...yeah yeah ...this is sounding feasible.

I would highly suggest using polyurethane foam, which is what is used in seat cushions. They come in huge rolls for $13-15 at Wal-mart (and Joanns). That way your son won't dent the costume if he falls, or something. Wire is very difficult to cut and shape, depending on the thickness, and it very uncomfortable. Foam is cheap and easy to cut/shape with scissors or an electric carving knife (the kind used for carving turkey and whatnot). As for fabric, 'liquid lame' is a nice shiny fabric available at all fabric stores. It has a metallic look to it.

Excellent suggestion IP, I will look into it. The lighter the better. I have found the "survival blanket" on ebay for like $3 so I think I amn going to try that first and most fabrics are going to cost me $15

Originally Posted by churchofsubgenius

Excellent suggestion IP, I will look into it. The lighter the better. I have found the "survival blanket" on ebay for like $3 so I think I amn going to try that first and most fabrics are going to cost me $15

The survival blanket will probably work perfectly. It looks thicker than liquid lame (which is a very thin fabric). Good luck with your project!