How to Make a Playing Card Costume

Putting on a costume is a great way to express your inherent personality and inner creativity. A costume can allow you to assume any role you wish from princess to pirate to president. Costumes can purchased or homemade. A homemade costume allows for lots of options. You can get complicated or go for a more straightforward look. A simple costume can be easily be put together from common household items to make you look like a walking playing card.

Things You'll Need

• Pencil
• White oak tag
• Black markers
• Shellac
• Black cardboard

Instructions

1. Draw your chosen design in pencil on two large pieces of white oak tag. The design can be simple such an Ace of Spades or more complicated such as a King or Queen of Hearts. A good design should be clearly visible from a few feet away and take up all areas of the oak tag.

2. Color in the design on the oak tag with markers. Black will show up best against a white background.

3. Paint a coat of light shellac to the finished design to preserve it. The shellac will help the oak tag mimic the look of real playing cards.

4. Cut strips of black cardboard out that will fit over your shoulders. The strips should be wide enough so that they fit comfortably.

5. Attach the strips of cardboard to the two pieces of oak tag. You can use glue, tape or staples.

Tips & Warnings

• Wear plain black clothing such as a long sleeved shirt and a line skirt underneath the oak tag. This will highlight your design well. Elastic or other materials can be substituted in place of the black cardboard to attach the pieces of oak tag to each other. Attach playing cards to your hair with bobby pins for a complementary hairdo.