How to Make a Ninja Turtle Costume for Cheap

Dress as a Ninja Turtle for Halloween.

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have entertained an entire generation of children, and they're still quite common in popular culture. You can make a Ninja Turtle costume inexpensively, mostly out of items that you may already have around your home. This costume can be made in an afternoon, making it a good option for a last-minute costume party. If desired you can embellish it with the ninja weapons carried by the turtles.

Things You'll Need

• Cardboard
• Scissors
• Spray paint
• Marker
• Acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Green yarn
• Hot glue gun
• Blue, red, orange or purple fabric
• Green sweatsuit
• Brown knee and elbow pads
• Brown fabric
• Green makeup

Instructions

1. Cut an oval out of cardboard that is large enough to fit on your back like a shell.

2. 

   Follow the shape established by the cartoon.

   Cut a smaller oval that can fit from your collar bone to below your groin. Cut two rounded shapes out of the bottom, leaving a pointed triangle at the base.

3. Spray the larger oval with light brown spray paint, and the smaller one with yellow spray paint.

4. 

   Keep the shapes in your shell pattern large and simple.

   Draw a shell pattern onto the larger circle with a thick marker.

5. 

   Notice how the brighter part of this ball looks closer, and the darker edges appear to recede.

   Paint darker brown paint around the edges of the drawn lines, leaving the lighter brown in the middle of each shape. This will give the illusion of three dimensions.

6. Divide the smaller oval into six rounded sections with the marker, following the design found on the cartoon characters.

7. Attach the front and back shells together with green yarn at the shoulders, hot gluing it in place. You will wear these shells like a sandwich sign used for advertising.

8. Cut a 4-inch-by-48-inch strip of fabric in either blue, red, orange or purple with a pair of scissors.

9. Cut eye holes in the middle of the fabric.

10. Put on a green sweatsuit with brown knee and elbow pads. Put on the shells, then tie them in place with a strip of brown fabric as a belt. Paint your face with green makeup before donning the colored headband, which should be knotted in the back.

References

• Kids to Kids: Sandwich Board