How to Make Brackets for Fake Braces

Model fake braces on real ones.

The key to a realistic-looking Halloween costume is in the details. If you're wearing a Dracula costume, you'll want to add fake blood to your teeth; if you're going to be Dorothy from "The Wizard of Oz," you need to have ruby slippers and pigtails; and if you're dressing up as a nerdy adolescent, don't forget the braces. Creating the wire for fake braces is straightforward if you have a paper clip, but making brackets is slightly more complicated.

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Antibacterial soap
2 paper clips
Scissors
Aluminum foil
Non-toxic white glue

Instructions

- 1
  
  Unfold the paper clips into two "U" shapes. Wash the paper clips thoroughly with antibacterial soap.
- 2
  
  Count the number of teeth you have in the bottom and top rows.
- 3
  
  Cut 1/4-inch wide by 2-inch long strips of aluminum foil. Cut as many strips as teeth you have.
- 4
  
  Apply dabs of glue a 1/2-inch apart to the outside edge of the paper clips. Use as many dabs as teeth you have in each row. For example, if you have eight teeth on the top row and nine teeth on the bottom row, use eight dabs of glue on one paper clip and nine dabs on the other.
- 5
  
  Wrap each piece of aluminum foil around the paper clip where the dabs of glue are positioned. Make the wraps no more than a 1/4-inch wide or high.

Tips & Warnings

Use silver duct tape if you don't have aluminum foil.
Use a silver wire to make the braces look realistic.
Do not eat when wearing fake braces.
Because fake braces can be a choking hazard, children under the age of 10 should not wear them.