How to Make an Alien Snake Costume

Get creative with your next Halloween costume and combine two creatures, an alien and a snake, to create a costume that no one else will be wearing. Give the costume the body of a snake but the head of an alien. An alien snake costume is simple enough to make. You do need to be able to sew, but only the most basic stitches. Making a costume for and with your child is a great way for the two of you to spend time being creative together.

Things You'll Need

• Unitard or tight fitting shirt and leggings
• 2 yards vinyl snake skin fabric
• Scissors
• Straight pins
• Sewing machine
• Matching thread
• Marker
• 6-inch strip of sew-on velcro, 1 inch wide
• Small piece of cotton fabric
• Large or oversized ski hat (green or preferred alien head color other than black)
• 2 pipe cleaners
• Hand sewing needle
• Polyester batting
• 12-inch square of black felt
• White glue

Instructions

1. Put the unitard or leggings and shirt on the person who will wear the costume. Wrap the snake skin fabric around the person, as if you were encasing him in a tube. His arms should be inside the fabric.

2. Trim the fabric so that it snugly fits around the body of the costume wearer. Remove the fabric from around the person. Fold the fabric in half lengthwise, right side facing in and pin the long end together.

3. Stitch the long ends together with a 1/4-inch seam allowance. Slide the snake skin tube back over the costume wearer, wrong side out.

4. Draw a 12-inch long line on the wrong side of the fabric, starting at the costume wearer's elbow and going down the length of his forearm. Draw one line on each side and carefully cut along the line so that a slit forms. When the costume wearer needs to use his hands, he can slide them out of the slits.

5. Position the hook side of the Velcro strip on the front of the shirt or chest of the unitard, wherever is comfortable and not in the way. Position the fuzzy side of the strip on the wrong side of the snake tube, directly across from the hook side. Pin both strips in place and pull the snake tube off the wearer. Have the wearer take the shirt or unitard off.

6. Stitch the Velcro strips to the shirt and the snake tube. The Velcro will keep the tube from sliding down.

7. Poke two small holes in the top of the ski hat and thread a pipe cleaner through each hole for the alien snake's antennae. Fold the ends of the pipe cleaner on the underside of the hat, so that they stay in place. Secure them by hand sewing the folded ends to the hat.

8. Cut the piece of cotton fabric so that is the same size as the opening of the ski hat. You can place the ski hat on the cotton and trace around it, then cut.

9. Stuff batting into the ski hat. You want it to form a large bulb, like an oversized alien head. Put the piece of cotton against the batting, so that the cotton will be between the batting and the top of your head when you wear the hat. With the hat pulled on fully and the location of the cotton fabric located, carefully pin it in place, remove the hat, and hand sew the edges of the cotton fabric to the inside of the hat. It will hold the batting in place.

10. Cut two large ovals from the black felt. Coat the back of the ovals with glue and press onto the bottom front edge of the alien hat for eyes. Let dry overnight.

Tips & Warnings

• A second piece of Velcro can be added to the back of the costume in the same fashion to help keep the back of the tube in place.

• For a more cartoon-like appearance to the alien, glue ovals of white felt larger than the ovals of black felt under the ovals of black felt to look like whites of eyes and pupils.

References

• Family Fun: Alien Costume
• Craftzine: Kids Yoda Costume