How to Make a Chameleon Costume

You or your child can dress up like a chameleon with a little effort.

Making a homemade chameleon costume is much more challenging than making a ghost or a pumpkin, but it can be a lot of fun. Whether you need a chameleon costume for Halloween, a school play or special project, you can create one with some inexpensive resources that you may find around your house or at your local craft store. Reserve plenty of time for this project if you are a novice sewer -- it can get a bit tricky. However, the end result will be an innovative costume that will be a big hit.

Things You'll Need

• Unitard or Unitard sewing pattern
• Bicycle helmet
• Rainbow lycra
• Doll stuffing (4-6 packages)
• 4 shower caps
• Two ping pong balls
• Red or pink party blower
• Glitter paint
• Strong glue

Instructions

1. Purchase a lycra unitard a few sizes larger than the person who will be wearing the costume. If you cannot find one, or prefer 100 percent homemade, sew a unitard using a pattern and rainbow lycra. Check the pattern specifications for the amount of lycra you need for the size you will be making. Many sewing companies make unitard patterns, including Kwik Sew.

2. Cut out a large piece of lycra, and fold it over to make a long rectangle. Cut again to form a long cone shape. More complexly, you can cut it into a backwards J or the shape of a curled up snake. Sew the bottom half of this securely, and stuff with doll stuffing, soft foam or cotton balls. Tightly sew the rest of the piece. This will form the tail. Sew the tail onto the rear of the unitard.

3. Cut triangles out of the lycra, doubling them over and adding just enough stuffing to stand them up on end. Sew these in a row on the back and tail of the costume.

4. Glue some stuffing or cotton balls into the inside of a shower cap. Stretch the shower cap onto a bicycle helmet, and layer the extra shower caps on top of it. Cut out more lycra and cover the helmet completely. Use a strong glue to tuck the ends inside the base of the helmet and secure.

5. Paint eye balls on two ping pong balls using glitter paint. Glue the eye balls to the sides of the helmet, to resemble a chameleon's eyes. Give the person wearing the costume the red or pink party blower to put in their mouth when they are wearing the costume. This will serve as the tongue of the chameleon. Add any extra glitter paint or stitches where needed, and your costume is complete.

References

• Mummy Daughter Time: Chameleon Costume
• FamilyFun: Louis the Chameleon

Resources

• Kwik Sew Unitard Pattern