How to Make Super Hero Costumes

Everyone loves a superhero, and a Halloween or costume party can be an ideal opportunity to make those childhood dreams come true. Specific superheroes, like Superman and Spider-Man, each have a particular costume, which can take time and skill to perfect (assuming you don't want to just buy one off the rack at your local costume store). It may be more fun, however, to come up with your own superhero and then make a costume for him. The components are easy to find and available in a wide variety of colors.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Spandex unitard or leotard
• Tights or leggings
• Graphic design program (optional)
• Printer (optional)
• Fabric paper (optional)
• Needle and thread (optional)
• Boots
• Mask
• Belt
• Gloves
• Cape
• Cardboard (optional)
• Magic markers (optional)

1. Think about the colors you might like to use for your costume. Most four-color superheroes have very bright costumes, since it helps them stand out on the comic book page. Darker, more brooding superheroes like Batman wore black or gray; but only choose dark colors if that's the impression you want to lend. Select a primary color for the body of the suit and then a secondary color for the accessories (boots, gloves, cape, etc.) The two colors should look good when paired together.

2. Buy a piece of spandex for the body of the suit. It can be a unitard, a leotard or even a T-shirt, provided it's made of stretchy, form-hugging material. A set of tights or leggings is probably a good idea too. Make sure whatever you buy is in the colors you have chosen, and if you buy more than one piece, make sure their colors match.

3. Consider sewing a symbol on the chest of your bodysuit. It can be a letter like Superman's "S," an animal symbol like Batman's bat, or anything else that matches your hero's theme. You can make one easily by drawing it up in Photoshop or a similar graphic design program, then printing it on fabric paper (available at most arts and crafts stores) using a color printer. You can then cut it out and sew it onto your costume using a needle and thread. A symbol isn't completely necessary for a good superhero costume, so you can skip this step if you want to, but it does make an excellent final touch.

4. Purchase a cloth cape to tie around your neck. The cape sets superheroes apart from more mundane wearers of spandex (such as fitness instructors and professional cyclists). Make sure the cape matches the colors you have chosen.

5. Buy a pair of vinyl boots to wear, in colors matching that of the rest of your costume.

6. Purchase any other accessories you feel your superhero might have: a belt, a face mask, bracelets or gloves on the wrists, and so on. These items should be available at any costume shop, and again should match the chosen colors of your superhero. If you don't want to buy them, you can cut them out of cardboard, then use magic markers to color them in.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you practice proper safety when crossing the street in your superhero costume. Spandex is reflective and a brightly colored costume may be quite visible, but you grim avengers of the night may be tough to see if you're clothed from head to toe in black.

References

• The Learning Channel: Homemade Superhero Costumes
• Kaboose: Homemade Superman Costume