- When most people think of turtle costume, they are thinking of the lovable, pizza-fueled crime fighters known as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If this is the costume you would like to wear, these are available at most costume stores. They are also easy to make on a low budget by dressing in green sweatpants, a green long-sleeved shirt, and wrapping pieces of colored fabric over your eyes, elbows and knees. The color bandanna you choose and the weapon you carry is dependent on the Ninja Turtle you would like to be: Leonardo-blue, ninjato; Michelangelo- orange, nunchucks; Donatello- purple, bow-staff; Raphael- red, sai.
- A basic turtle costume usually involves dressing in green, but to make your costume look more realistic, you can add a brown shell to your costume. If you are comfortable with sewing projects, consider making one by hand by bending pieces of wire into the shape of a shell and wrapping in fabric. Stitch the wire in place beneath the fabric. If you are not comfortable sewing your shell, make a shell out of paper mache. This will take several days to dry. Bend your wire into the shape of a shell like you would if making one out of fabric. Apply layers of glue and newspaper to your wire frame. Let dry for at least 24 hours in between layers. Once your paper mache shell is sturdy, paint it brown and add detail marks on the shell. Fasten your shell to your back with rope like a backpack.
- The above options are great for creating a general turtle costume, but to make your turtle more specific, consider enhancing your costume by identifying the species of your turtle. For example, consider painting red marks on either side of your ear to resemble a red-eared slider turtle. Or, consider painting three thin, vertical lines along the length of your shell. This would make you a three-striped mud turtle. You could also use a shiny material, like vinyl or plastic, to give your turtle a more wet look, as if you have been swimming around in the water.
