DIY Monsters Inc Halloween Costume!

We may only have just reached October, but it's never too early to start brainstorming ideas for your Halloween costume. Halloween has always been one of my favourite times of year; I love being creative and I like the competition that comes with Halloween in trying to have the best costume. Last year was probably my most memorable Halloween, and even a year later, I am still so proud of my costume! The theme for the Halloween bash I went to was Monsters, and so instantly, the movie Monsters Inc popped into my head. I got thinking, and eventually, I came up with an idea on how to make a DIY Mike Wazowski Costume! Although the costume only lasted a couple of hours before it got destroyed during a game of human bowling, in which I was the bowling ball, it was SO much fun while it lasted!
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To Make This Costume, You Will Need:

• Paint (Blue, Green, Black and White);
• Paint Brushes;
• White Foam Sheet (optional);
• A Long Sleeve, High Neck Green Top;
• Green Leggings;
• A Blue Cap (I Went For A Drinking Hat, Just Because I Thought It Would Make The Costume More Fun);
• A Large Exercise Ball; 
• Newspaper;
• PVA Glue;
• Water;
• Marker Pen;
• Bowl.

I got most of these items on EBay, where it was all pretty cheap. In total, the costume cost me around £20 to make.

To Make The Costume:

1. Blow up your exercise ball, and draw a large circle big enough to fit your whole body through on the bottom using a marker pen. Draw 2 smaller circles on either side of the ball for arm holes, making sure that they are at a comfortable height, and then draw a hole large enough to fit your head through on the top of the ball.
2. Mix equal amounts of PVA glue and water to create a sticky, runny paste. Tear up LOTS of newspaper into strips.
3. Dip each newspaper strip into the paste, wipe of the excess using your fingers and then proceed to cover the entire exercise ball with the paper, making sure you do not cover the holes you made earlier for your head, neck and arms. For the shell to be study, you will have to apply at least 6 layers of paper mache onto the ball. Once the ball is dry, you will be able to feel how strong and sturdy the shell is, and know if you need to apply more layers.

      TIP: To stop the ball from rolling around, sit it on a large cylinder shaped object. A bin               worked well for me!

     4. Once you have applied as many layers of paper as required, wait for the ball to dry. I applied 6            layers of paper mache to my ball over the course of 3 days, and it was completely dry by the                5th day. 

     5. Paint the ball in a base coat of white. You can go straight in with the green, but I found that                  some of the newspaper would show through when I did this. Once the base coat has dried (you            may have to apply a few layers), you can proceed to paint the ball green.

     6. It's useful to look at a picture of Mike Wazowski when painting the detail. Paint on an eye, and            a mouth. To give a more 3D appearance, you can use white foam to create teeth and an eyelid,            which is what I did. If you choose to do this, be sure to paint the eyelid green, and do this after            the other parts of the eye and mouth have been painted. 

     7. To remove the exercise ball, either deflate it or burst it before gently peeling it from the inside            of the shell, and removing it from the large hole at the bottom of the shell.

Finishing Touches:

• As seen in the second movie, lots of the monsters wore 'Monsters University' caps - to create this look, take white paint and copy the letters 'MU' from a picture on the internet onto the front centre of the hat. Then outline the letters in black. 
• Finish of your look by teaming it with green clothing underneath.

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So there we have it! How to make a DIY Monsters Inc Halloween Costume! It is quite time consuming to make, but it's definitely worth it for the great feedback it receives, and it's generally quite simple to make! If anyone does decide to try this idea out for Halloween, please feel free to send me any pictures of your costumes!

What are your costume ideas for Halloween this year?

Post-Human Bowling...RIP Mike