How to Make a Celtic Halloween Costume

Looking for a different costume for Halloween? How about a Celtic costume, modeled after the people who helped create our observance? Celts began their harvest festival each October 31st, with huge bonfires in each village and lots of feasting, song and dance. Setting plates for their dead ancestors at the festival tables and telling of their exploits contributed even more to our modern Halloween, with its treats and spooky tales. So think about what role you might have played as a Celt, and let’s look at some options for your costume!

Instructions

1. For a warrior, you'll need to make an oval shield of 1/4 inch plywood that's approximately four-fifths of your height. You'll also need to make or purchase a sword or a spear, as these were the weapons available. Warriors wore either blue body paint or tattooed their faces and arms with blue ink to terrify their enemies. Rather than risk not being able to get it washed off, opt for using a small fine-tipped brush and blue food coloring to put on intricate, swirling tattoo designs over your face, arms and hands. Many Celtic warriors fought without clothing in battle, but you can wear loose trousers and a loosely fitting flannel long-sleeved shirt. Sandals will work for your feet. For the belt, you'll need to take a length of imitation suede and cut a strip that's your waist measurement plus four inches. About two inches from the end of the strip, cut two slits side by side. Repeat on the other end of the belt. Now trim one end off a well-cleaned chicken drumstick bone. Put the belt around your waist, and push the chicken bone to the back of both slits, under the small strip in the middle, and pull it up to the front of the belt. For true authenticity, your hair needs to be pure white and swept back to lie stiffly against the back of your neck, or else standing in stiff white spikes all over your head.

2. For a farmer, use the same belt, shirt and trousers and sandals as the warrior, but tie your farmer's belt with a leather shoelace to secure it. You can also take a length of loosely-woven material and use a long brooch to pin it to one shoulder of your shirt. Tuck the ends of the material under the belt both front and back, and this makes a type of cold weather wrap. Take a piece of imitation suede, fold it (but don't crease it!) and then draw a light bulb shape on one side. Cut this shape out. Turn the imitation suede to the wrong side, and stitch all around the outside of the pouch, either by hand or with a sewing machine. Turn the pouch right side out, and tie it to your belt with the same leather shoelace with which you tied the pouch closed.

3. For a learned priest, find or make a long nightshirt-style garment, and use fabric paint to create an elaborate border at the hem (which should be right at the ankle). Sandals of course will be your footwear, and a rather more elaborate belt with a piece of antler as its closure will add to the costume. Measure around your neck and add at least four inches to the length so you'll have enough wire to form a loop at each end. Now measure and cut three lengths of craft wire and twist the three lengths together. Form a small loop at each end. Bend the wire necklace so it goes around your neck, but don't try to make the loops meet, as that was how the Celts made their body jewelry. Use spray paint to make the necklace a rich gold. If you can find the design for a Celtic cross, copy it onto cardboard, cut it out and spray it gold too. Add it to the middle of the necklace.Cut long notches in several sticks, peeling the bark from them in places. Carrying these will represent the Celtic form of the written alphabet, which as a Celtic priest, you would know well.

4. A noblewoman would have the loose dress with long sleeves, the cold weather shawl of the farmer and the rich gold necklace of the priest to wear. She would also wear her hair in thick braids and might have a pouch tied to her belt. Sandals would be her footwear as well. Celtic designs could be painted on the hem of your dress with fabric paint, and you might also wear simply-shaped long pierced earrings if your character was very wealthy.

5. A warrior who had been exposed to other armies sometimes adopted chain mail. Chain mail can be either purchased, or if someone's handy with a crochet hook, ask to have have two long rectangles crocheted of gray yarn. These rectangles should be the same length in inches as your chest measures from your collar bone to just below your waist, and four inches wider than your waist. Sew the two rectangles together at each shoulder, and also along the sides, beginning at the waist and seaming upwards to about 2/3 of the garment. This will give you loose armholes for your chain mail. Now use a can of silver spray paint and turn the yarn into "metal." Let it dry, and you can slip it on over your head.

Tips & Warnings

• Do a little surfing on the Internet if you want Celtic designs which are authentic for copying jewelry or hair ornaments