How to Create a Popeye Halloween Costume

Spinach may not be the most popular vegetable, but it will always be associated with one cartoon icon: Popeye the Sailor Man. With several animated adventures and even a live-action movie, Popeye remains a pop-culture fixture. You can help keep his popularity alive by creating a Popeye Halloween costume.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Pipe
• Sailor hat
• Red fabric
• Sewing kit
• Boots
• Blue pants
• Markers
• Skin-toned nylons
• Scissors
• Cotton balls
• Tape
• Blue shirt
• Black marker
• Gold or yellow permanent marker
• Bald wig
• Super Glue
• Black thread
• Can

1. Purchase a classic sailor hat. These hats are easy to find at any Army/Navy Surplus store. They can also be found online.

2. Wear a bald wig underneath the hat. Attach two or three pieces of thin black string to the top of the wig using Super Glue.

3. Hang a pipe off the side of your mouth. The pipe should have a stem that is 3 inches long and a large bowl at the end. If this costume is for a child, consider purchasing a bubble pipe.

4. Cut both ends off a pair of skin-toned nylons. Roll the nylons up your arm and trim them so they cover from your wrist to your elbow.

5. Stuff the nylons with cotton balls until your arms look oversized like Popeye’s. Even out the cotton balls so the arms look smooth and natural. Use clear tape on the edges of the nylon tube to attach it to your skin and secure the cotton balls around your arms.

6. Use a black marker to draw anchor tattoos on both of the nylons. The tattoos start with a circle toward the elbow side. Draw a 2-inch line from the circle edge toward the wrist. Draw two short crosses through that line to finish the anchor drawing.

7. Get a blue button-up shirt. Use a gold or yellow permanent marker to color all of the buttons. Roll up the sleeves to just past your elbow and below your shoulder.

8. Sew on an oversized red collar. The collar should look cartoonish and extend out toward the shoulder area. Leave the collar popped up if possible; if not, just let it hang over your shoulders.

9. Wear brown boots and a pair of loose, bright-blue pants.

10. Peel a label off a can and discard it. Take a black marker and write the word “SPINACH” across the can. Put this can into a pocket or carry it around with you.

Resources

• Bubble pipes
• Sailor hats