How To Make a One-Eyed Green Alien Costume

Looking for something to wear for the costume party or the next independent film you are making? A one-eyed green alien costume is a terrific idea. After all, aliens have intrigued humans from "War of the Worlds" through "ET" and up to "Men in Black." Create your own one-eyed green alien with a few common items and a couple hours of crafting time.

Things You'll Need

• Paper
• Pencil
• Cereal box cardboard
• Newspaper strips
• Flour
• Water
• Bowl
• Paint
• Ribbons or other mask fasteners
• Green clothes
• Accessories according to design
• 1 tsp. cornstarch
• 1/2 tsp. cold cream
• 1/2 tsp. water
• Green food coloring
• Paintbrush

Instructions

Mask

1. Imagine how you want the one-eyed green alien to appear: silly, scary, human-like or completely outlandish.

2. Focus on the face and, on the back side of the cardboard from a cereal box, draw a detailed image of how you want the alien face to look in actual size.

3. Hold the face against your own to ensure that the mouth and nose are where you want them to be. Add small slits for your eyes to see through and holes for fasteners on the sides.

4. Tear up strips of newspaper and set to one side. Mix the flour and water in a bowl until it is the consistency of glue.

5. Dip the newspaper strips completely into the flour-glue mixture. Pull out and run your fingers over it to slide off the excess glue mixture.

6. Cover the blueprint completely with the newspaper strips, leaving all holes for vision, breathing and fastening open. Add several layers of dipped newspaper strips.

7. Place the mask over a bowl similar to the size of your head to dry. Drying might take a few hours or a day, depending on humidity.

8. Paint the mask green and paint one large eye on the mask with colors of your choice, then let it dry. Put the mask over your face and use ribbon or other fasteners looped through the holes on the sides to hold it in place.

Outfit

1. Locate green clothes that cover most of your body (such as a green sweatshirt with hood, green sweatpants, green gloves and green socks and shoes). This will be your alien costume, and body paint will cover body parts left exposed (parts of your neck and ears).

2. Add accessories accordingly so your costume corresponds to the mask you designed.

3. Make sure you can move around easily in the costume.

Body Paint

1. Mix cornstarch and cold cream and water together. Add several drops of the green food coloring.

2. Paint any visible parts of your body with this cornstarch mixture. Apply with a paintbrush for easier spreading.

3. Let the mixture dry completely before heading out.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a hair dryer on your mask if you need it to dry more quickly.

References

• Essortment
• The Holiday Zone

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish