How to Build a Cardboard Robot Costume for Kids
Don't be surprised if your child wants a robot costume at some point--after all, it is fun as well as attention grabbing. The challenge is to create a costume that he can wear safely and comfortably. It is particularly important to keep vision and hearing unimpeded and to allow for unobstructed movement of arms and legs. The child should wear a long-sleeved sweatshirt and sweatpants beneath the costume as a base.
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Things You'll Need
- Cardboard boxes (assorted sizes and shapes)
- Pencil
- Craft knife
- Metallic spray paint (silver)
- Packing tape (clear)
- Plastic sheet (transparent, lightly tinted--about 4" x 6")
- Construction paper (black)
- Hot glue
- "Rabbit-ear" TV antennae
- Duct tape (silver colored)
- Thumb tacks (silver colored)
- Battery powered LED lights
- Rubber boots (knee-high, pullover style)
- Sweatshirt and Sweatpants
- Corrugated dryer vent hose
- Assorted hardware, clockwork pieces, junk (miscellaneous)
Instructions
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Making the Head
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Choose a box that is just large enough to slip over the child's head, with an inch to spare all around.
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2
Estimate the positions of the child's eyes and ears with the box in position on his head, and make light pencil marks on the box in those locations.
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3
Remove the box and use a craft knife to cut out one large band across the front of the box (roughly 1-1/2" x 4"--exact size determined by the size of the child's head) at the position of the eyes.
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4
Cut one large round hole on each side of the box at the points you marked for the ears.
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5
Test to see if the child can easily see straight ahead, side to side and up and down through the eye opening. Cut the hole larger if necessary. Ensure the child's ears are visible through the holes and adjust those holes as well, if needed.
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Paint the box with silver spray paint and let dry.
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7
Tape a piece of lightly tinted transparent plastic sheeting over the eye opening and a piece of black construction paper over each ear opening--from the inside. These allow the child to see and hear, while keeping eyes and ears invisible from outside the costume.
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8
Hot glue an old "rabbit-ear" style TV antennae to the top of the box to serve as robot antennae. Glue a small battery powered LED light to the top of the antennae for extra pizzazz.
Making the Body
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Choose a box that is just large enough to slip over the child's body with two or three inches to spare all the way around. It should reach no further down than the child's hips.
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Mark the locations for the child's head and arms. Use a saucer as a guide to draw round arm holes, and a plate to draw the head hole.
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Cut out the holes using a craft knife. Test the fit and adjust the holes as necessary so that the child can move her arms freely.
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12
Paint the box with silver spray paint and let dry.
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13
Run strips of silver duct tape along each edge of the box to outline the joints, then space thumbtacks every inch along the tape strips to simulate rivets on metal.
Making Feet, Accessories and Decorations
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14
Paint a pair of tall, pull-on style rubber boots silver.
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Cut four short sections of corrugated dryer vent hose approximately six inches long each.
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Paint the dryer hose pieces with silver spray paint and let dry.
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17
Dress the child in a gray sweatshirt and matching sweatpants. Pull one piece of dryer hose up over each knee and each elbow (a small safety pin will hold them in place) for robotic looking joints.
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18
Decorate the robot with assorted pieces of hardware, battery powered LED lights, gears from broken clocks, and other odds and ends, to look like machine workings.
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19
Put the body box over the child's head and bring it down until the child's head is through the large hole and the box rests on the child's shoulders. Bring the child's arms through the arm holes. Help the child pull on the silver painted boots. Place the robot head box over the child's head to rest on the body box. Your robot costume is complete.
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Tips & Warnings
Practically any old bit of broken electronic item will yield a treasure trove of robotic looking parts to decorate the body and head of this costume. Use your imagination--this is the fun part.
This costume is not fire retardant, therefore, it is imperative that the costume be easily removable in an emergency. Consider building in a "quick release" opening by slitting one side of the box under the arm, and gluing Velcro strips across the slit to hold it together.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Retro Robot & Son image by Infs from Fotolia.com
