How to Make Egyptian God Costumes

Celebrate ancient Egypt by creating a costume worthy of the gods.

Ancient Egyptian deities were a colorful group that focused heavily on accessorizing their wardrobes to convey a sense of wealth and pride. Making a costume worthy of an Egyptian god or goddess is not all that difficult if you have the required pieces on hand. With the right materials and some time, you can look regal enough to be mistaken for King Tut or Queen Nefertari.

Things You'll Need

• White bed sheet
• White blouse (optional)
• Large safety pins
• Gold sash
• Gold fabric
• Striped fabric
• Scissors
• Needle and thread
• Velcro fasteners
• 18-by-28-inch striped cloth
• Gold ribbon
• Sandals
• Brown or black ribbon (optional)
• Gold-colored jewelry
• Flexible rubber snake
• Staff or long stick

Instructions

1. Men and women will wear the base of the costume in different ways. For men, wrap a bed sheet around the waist so that it hangs about knee-level. Pin the sheet at the front of the body with a large safety pin. For women, wrap the middle of the sheet around the body from back to front starting at just under the armpits. Cross the ends of the sheet in front, pull them up towards the head and either tie or safety pin them behind the neck. Woman can also opt to wear a blouse with short sleeves that matches the color of the sheet for a more conservative look.

2. For both men and women, wrap a gold sash around the waist and tie it so that the ends hang down to the knee.

3. Cut a circle about 20 inches in diameter out of gold fabric for a woman or striped fabric for a man to make a collar for the costume. Cut a smaller circle out the middle of the large circle that is large enough to fit around the neck of the person wearing it. Cut a slit starting at the outside edge of the large circle and ending at the smaller circle so the fabric collar can be placed around the neck. Attach Velcro strips along the sides of the slit so the collar can be secured.

4. Prepare a headpiece for the costume by sewing gold ribbon along the edges of an 18-by-28-inch piece of striped cloth. Position the striped fabric so that the stripes are vertical. Wrap the headpiece around the forehead starting in the front and ending in the back. Tie the headpiece with a knot at the back of the head.

   More elaborate molded headpieces can be purchased at costume shops. Find one shaped like the head of a cobra for a man and a bird for a woman. Headpieces for women may also feature a mask with coloring around the eyes, nose and mouth.

5. Accessorize the Egyptian goddess costume by tying long, flowing gold ribbons around the bend in the arm, and wearing dark leather sandals and gold-colored jewelry. Add flowing gold ribbon around each wrist for even more sparkle.

6. Complete the look of the Egyptian god costume by wrapping a long rubber snake around one arm, and wearing dark leather sandals and gold-colored jewelry to symbolize the wealth that a god would have had. Sandals for a man's costume can be accessorized by tying brown or black ribbon around the calf up to the knee. Carry a staff or a long stick for an even more authentic and authoritative look.

References

• Ancient Egypt Online: Nefertari
• True Knowledge: Pharaoh