Costume Ideas for Ruth in the Bible

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The character of Ruth from the Bible is a portrait of a strong woman with a loyal personality and a true heart. Ruth showed her loyalty to her mother-in-law, who was not of the same religion originally, by traveling with her and worshiping her God. Later, Ruth finds happiness with Boaz, and was the great-grandmother of King David, who was part of the line leading up to Jesus. A Ruth costume is simple to make. Use props to distinguish the costume from other Biblical women.

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Tunic

Ruth would have worn a long tunic that reached to the ground. To make a similar-style tunic, cut a rectangle equal to twice the length of your body. Make the tunic a little wider than your body. Fold the tunic in half to create and cut out the middle of the folded section to fit your head through. Sew up the sides of the fabric about two-thirds of the way up to the top. This makes the base tunic shape that Ruth wore.

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Mantle

Ruth would have worn a long piece of flowing cloth around her shoulders and head. This was known as the mantle. There were many different ways of wearing the mantle, and you can wrap it around the top of your head in traditional style, wear the mantle as a long cloak or scarf, or wrap it around your face like a veil. If necessary, use hair pins or safety pins to secure the mantle in place.

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Accessories

Most women from the Bible wore a belt or sash to cinch the tunic in at the waist. This also allowed the women a place to tuck up the skirt if necessary when completing heavy labor. Ruth probably wore a simple belt or sash with her outfit because she was poor and didn't have a lot of money to spend on accessories. Ruth might have worn a simple necklace or earrings, and you can add that to the costume if you wish. Most women in the Bible wore simple sandals that tied around the ankles with leather strips.

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Defining Characteristics

To separate the costume of Ruth from other Bible women, use props to differentiate the difference. Make a small bunch of dried grass or straw to symbolize the wheat that Ruth gleaned from Boaz's fields. You could also make the costume from cheap materials, symbolizing sackcloth. Ruth's first husband died, and widows in the Bible dressed differently to show their grief. Wearing sackcloth and ashes was a sign of intense grief.

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