How to Make a Real Life Pac-Man Costume
Pac-Man is a classic video game released in 1980, and it has continued to gain fans playing in arcades, on video game consoles and in online games across the decades. In 2010, Google changed its homepage logo into a modified Pac-Man video game to celebrate the game's 30th anniversary. Pac-Man, the hero of the game, resembles a pizza pie with one slice missing, a shape that can be fabricated using cardboard. Pac-Man's popularity makes his costume instantly recognizable and an exciting sight at a party.
Things You'll Need
- 4 32-by-36 inch cardboard sheets
- 1.5-foot string
- Pencil
- Thumb tack
- Ruler
- Craft knife
- Yellow duct tape
- Yellow spray paint
- Craft glue
Instructions
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1
Lay a sheet of cardboard on a flat surface.
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2
Tie the string to a pencil. Place the other end of the string in the center of the cardboard sheet and fasten it to that position by inserting a thumb tack through the string fibers into the cardboard.
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3
Pull the pencil so that the string is taught while you draw a circle around the thumb tack center point. The diameter of the circle is roughly 3 feet.
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4
Repeat Steps 2 and 3 to make another circle, one for each side of your Pac-Man costume. Next, cut each circle out of the cardboard using the craft knife.
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5
Draw a wedge shape, with the two lines beginning from the center of a cardboard circle. Make the wedge approximately 1/8 of the full circle. Cut the wedge out of the circle with the craft knife.
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6
Create an identical shape with the second cardboard circle using the shape of the cardboard circle in Step 5 as a template. Place the circle with the wedge missing on top of the full circle and then trace the shape you cut out onto the bottom circle. Cut out the wedge in the second circle with the craft knife.
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7
Measure a cardboard strip that is 3 feet long and 0.5 foot wide. Sketch the strip in the cardboard and then cut it out. Repeat this step to make 16 strips of the same size. These cardboard strips support the costume frame.
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8
Divide the strips into pairs of two. Align each pair of strips one on top of the other so that their edges match. Wrap strips of tape around the pairs to bind them together. This leaves eight reinforced strips to support the costume frame.
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9
Fold the width of the card board strips 3 inches from the edge on both sides. This makes the edges perpendicular to the remainder of the strip, giving the strip a pair of "legs."
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10
Place one Pac-Man side flat against the floor. Tape a bent leg of the cardboard strip flat against the Pac-Man side, with the rest of the strip standing vertically. Arrange the strip near the edge of Pac-Man's circumference. Put a layer of tape on top of the leg to adhere it to Pac-Man's side.
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11
Repeat Step 11 to adhere the remaining support strips to the Pac-Man side. Position the support strips around the circumference of the Pac-Man side. Space the strips evenly and allow space near the bottom of the Pac-Man side to fit your body.
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12
Align the second side of Pac-Man with the first so the wedges form Pac-Man's mouth. Tape the strip supports to the second side of Pac-Man. This forms the Pac-Man shape with left and right sides.
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13
Place strips of duct tape between the left and right sides of Pac-Man so they cover the opening between the two sides. Leave space for your legs to extrude from inside the costume. Do not place tape in the mouth area.
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14
Lay Pac-Man flat and spray one side with yellow spray paint. Allow the paint to dry and then repeat for the other side. Place the Pac-Man costume over your head to determine the location for the arm holes.
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15
Cut circles in the sides of the Pac-Man costume for your arms using the craft knife. Place duct tape on the top area of the costume with the non-sticky side facing out. This is to prevent the sticky side of the tape that forms the curve of the costume from sticking to your head. Add more yellow duct tape, sticky side facing out, to the tape inside the costume, if desired.
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