How to Create a Harry Potter Costume

Don't dress up like a traditional wizard this Halloween. Instead, follow these steps to look like the world's most unorthodox wizard and favorite Quidditch player, Harry Potter.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spray Paints
• plain, black pointed hat
• Lip Liners
• Halloween Makeup Kits
• Capes
• Nerd Glasses
• Wizard Attrire
• Sneakers
• Eyeliners
• Broomstick
• Permanent markers
• Elvira Wigs

1. Obtain a pair of round glasses without lenses, or if you already wear glasses, use your own. Wrap a piece of clear tape around the middle of the frames so that they look just like Harry's broken glasses.

2. Wear a long-sleeved rugby shirt, preferably solid orange with a red stripe across the chest. Complete the outfit with jeans and sneakers.

3. Determine how similar your hair type is to Harry's. If your hair is dark and long enough to style, apply mousse or gel liberally and run your fingers through your hair to make it stand on end (one of his trademarks is his messy hair, which refuses to be combed down). If your hair is light or too short to style, buy a black wig.

4. Use thick Halloween makeup to create Harry's other trademark, a dark pink scar in the shape of a lightning bolt in the middle of his forehead. Or, use a pink lip liner or eye pencil to draw in the scar.

5. Tie a scarlet cape around your neck if you want to impersonate Harry as a Quidditch player.

6. Use a small Styrofoam ball, about the size of a walnut, for the snitch that Harry captures in the Quidditch games. Paint it gold with spray paint or color it with a gold marker.

7. Stick two small white or silver feathers into the Styrofoam ball to serve as the wings of the snitch.

8. Carry the snitch along with you, as well as a broomstick, to look as if you just came from a Quidditch game.

Tips & Warnings

• You can find fake scars at Halloween stores, but these might be difficult to cut to the right shape.
• Other Harry Potter garments that are on his school shopping list include a plain black robe, a plain black pointed hat, a pair of gloves and a black winter cloak with silver fastenings.
• If you're short on time or your best friend just told you he's going as Harry Potter as well, try standard wizard attire as an alternative. Check the Related eHows for instructions, or the Things You'll Need list for a ready-made costume.

on 6/30/2006 Go to any craft store. Buy gold and dark red ribbon, the gold of a wider width that the red. Go to a thrift shop, or anywhere for that matter, and purchase a similar (as much as possible) grey sweater. Sew the red ribbon in the middle of the golden one and sew the gold one onto the sweater in the appropriate neckline. Voil! Hogwarts' Gryffindor sweater. The same thing can be applied for all houses using appropriate colors.

on 11/22/2005 Knit or crochet a scarf in Gryffindor's house colors of crimson and gold.

on 11/22/2005 Try to speak in a British accent when going trick or treating since Harry and his friends are from England.

on 11/22/2005 Remember that in the later books, Hermione has a spell that fixes Harry's glasses, so putting tape on the rims doesn't really work anymore...

on 11/22/2005 You can make a scar to put on your forehead just like Harry! You could draw it on with face pencils, or make one out of felt or something!