Thread: 7'8" Tree Man

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So, I saw this mask on HalloweenExpress.com and I love it so much, I decided to design a costume around it for my driveway haunt this year. The mask is called Tree Witch.

I wasn't sure how to approach the rest of the costume, I decided last year that I wanted to try a stilt costume because let's face it, almost anything is scarier when it's 8' tall right? I decided to make stilts...shortly thereafter, it was brought to my attention by one of my co-workers, that another co-worker of ours used to be a plasterer and had a set, so after asking him, he agree to lend them to me for Halloween. I wanted to have feet/hands that looked like old decrepid roots so I started experimenting with Great Stuff...and I can't say how happy I am with it. It's fairly easy to work with, it's easily shapeable, and moderately cheap. For the main body of the costume, I'm going to use a standard black grim reaper robe with a ton of draping cheesecloth and mossy clumps. I'm going to have to extend it about 18" and widen it at the bottom to make it easier to walk with the stilts. I'll also fashion some sort of a sash because I thought it'd look cool if I made a bunch of those creepy lil' blair witch stick figurines to have dangling off me. I'm still in the process in coming up with an idea for a staff of some sort that'll also serve as a balance-keeping prop being that I'll be 18" off the ground. I wanted a large staff that looked like it was made of human bones, but I'm having trouble finding a relatively inexpensive method for achieving this. I started a thread in the Prop form for advice if you have any. Here's some progress pics. All are un-painted at this point because I haven't even begun shaping any of the fingers or adding joint-cracks so I can move them freely.

For the hands, I used plain mid-length cleaning gloves due to the way the Great Stuff bonds to this material they are ideal. Before I paint, I'll probably cut some ventilation holes in them to keep my hands from becoming completely sweat-logged.

FRESHLY SQUIRTED HAND:


After the back of the hand dried, I flipped them over, and added a smaller layer to the underside to give depth and to get rid of the flat bottom.




For the feet (stilts) I used an empty vinyl roll tube cut in half and slit down the back so I could just wrap it around the front and back of the stilts.




I'm curious to get some feedback or addition ideas from you guys. I've been nonstop brainstorming this costume for the last 2 weeks and I'm starting to come up empty on the staff idea.

It looks very awesome. I'd like to see it after it's painted and ready for the "runway"

I'd love an update!
For staff ideas how about a lightweight pvc pipe.
They come 8' (maybe 10'?) long and only 1/2 inch wide.
Wrap that foam around it to make it craggy, add some moss to match your costume....?

will update with pics tonight. paintjob on feet and hands is done...just need to apply moss etc. to them. the staff is about half done. i ended up using a piece of 1/2" EMT. a friend of mine is working on extending and taking out the robe to fit me with stilts on. made a few of those lil' Blair Witch stick figurines to add to my garb too...those things always creeped me out in that flick. they'll serve a dual purpose too cuz' i'll use them for my horror movie scavenger hunt.

This is going to be one of the mose amazing costumes of all time! That "Great Stuff", is that just caulking? I was planning on making a tree and I might use that!

This is fun, Great job bro!!!

As far as the bonestaff goes you could use 1" insulation foam and spray paint it, it will melt the foam a little but the look will be old brittle bones!

Good Luck, cant wait to see this!

Originally Posted by peterose

This is going to be one of the mose amazing costumes of all time! That "Great Stuff", is that just caulking? I was planning on making a tree and I might use that!

Great Stuff is expanding aerosol foam that you'd use to fill in cracks/openings around your home. Especially useful for keeping critters out of your house (as long as you can find the critter entrance...

In this pic is the feet fronts and rears (behind) and the hands are off to the left. They're not quite as green as they appear in these pics, i did a very light misting of gray but it doesn't show up, still haven't attached the moss etc.



This is just a close up of the feet fronts.



Here's one of my Blair Witch figures, I've since added some color and blood to the lil' burlap poncho



Here are some pics of the bone staff. It's tough to see what's going on here, because one end is clamped in a vise and the other is propped up on a lil' aerosol can. I used electrical tape to secure the bones onto the staff, then I used Liquid Nails to secure the bones to the EMT. The stuff dries as hard as rocks and holds great!

Great work so far, and such a cool idea.
I'm impressed everyday by folks like you on here!

any suggestions on what/how i can make a sash to dangle my lil Blair Witch guys off of. keep in mind that i'll have on a black reapers robe, with a large green creepy cloth draped over it with holes random sticks etc. weaved into it. i wanted to so something that looked like a vine, but i'm out of ideas on how to make an artificial vine...

What about getting some newspaper and crinkling and twisting it into a rope and then putting some sort of adhesive on it to keep it together, then painting it to look like a vine? or maybe go to michaels or other craft shop and look in there floral section. they may have some vine stuff as well.