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Popcorn Costume
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DIY Popcorn Costume

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73 votes
29 comments  ·  add a comment 
DIY Popcorn Costume

DIY Popcorn Costume

Costume type:  Costumes for Kids
Category:Halloween Costumes

This homemade costume for kids entered our 2012 Halloween Costume Contest.

A word from Heather, the 'Popcorn' costume creator:

This is my 5 year old son, Jason.
He just LOVES popcorn!

We decided to do a low-cost, do-it-yourself costume for 2012. This costume cost was approx. $25!

  • 1 Cardboard Box
  • 1 Yard of Striped Material (buy on sale!)
  • 1 Round Wood Medallion (craft store)
  • 1 Red & 1 White Acrylic Paint Pen/Marker (craft store)
  • 1 String of Battery-Operated LED lights (craft store)
  • 1 Can of "Great Stuff" (Home Depot or Lowes)
  • Hot Glue Gun

The box was cut and formed into the shape of our liking. We sized up the material and hot glued it to the box. The wooden medallion was painted with a "popcorn" logo and glued onto the box. The LEDs were strung from the inside and hot glued around the medallion. The popcorn was made by wrapping cylinder objects with saram wrap (we used Clorox wipe containers!) and sprayed "X's" onto them. If you pop them off, they appear just like popcorn! They are then glued onto the box randomly. Jason is dressed in an existing red top and pants set that he had in his closet. This is a super-easy costume to make (total construction time was ONLY 5 hours done over a 2 week period after school). The cost was kept low by using printable online coupons.

Rating: 4.2 of 5. Votes: 73

73 votes

Comments

#1 comment by Joanne Filicko Ohara October 26, 2012

Great costume ! Looks like its easy enough to make and affordable! Outstanding job!

#2 comment by Bettye Keefer October 27, 2012

Absolutely FABULOUS! This is the most unique and fun costume I've seen - not to mention low cost. He looks adorable. You really did a fantastic job!

#3 comment by Susan Quintero October 27, 2012

Wonderfully Delightful costume!! Adding the lights and "popping" corn add so very much! Any kid or adult would be proud to wear this for Halloween!!! Fantastic!!!!

#4 comment by sherry burns October 27, 2012

How cute. Love it. Talent runs in family.
Your Mom's neighbor, We love holidays.

#5 comment by Niki Jordan October 27, 2012

Adorable costume! I love popcorn too so this is a great idea for adults as well!

#6 comment by Mary kay Kohlman October 27, 2012

You should do a step by step tutorial for Pinterest. Very creative.

#7 comment by Shirley Mangrum October 27, 2012

So very original, economical, and look at the joy both child and parent had making costume. Also look at the happiness on Jason's face!!! The popcorn looks so real.

#8 comment by Dana Sillars October 28, 2012

This costume is fantastic-- great for children or adults! Your creativity on something so real and simple makes such a huge statement. congratulations!

#9 comment by Donna Montoya October 29, 2012

Best costume I've seen in years! Sounds easy enough for even a novice to do. Great job!

#10 comment by Colleen Bailey October 29, 2012

This is a great costume for a child or adult ! I love it.

#11 comment by Shirley Smith October 31, 2012

This is a great costume, and a beautiful child.

#12 comment by Deb armstrong October 31, 2012

That's way cool! Great imagination .... like mother - like daughter!

#13 comment by Jennifer June 20, 2013

I don't understand from you desciption how you made clorox containers look like popcorn.Can you help?

#14 comment by Heather Marie June 21, 2013

Hi Jennifer! I used the Clorox wipes containers because they are the perfect circumference to squirt the "great stuff" onto. Technically, you can use any cylinder shaped object. Using it lets you get a nice curve to the kernels! Be sure to wrap whatever you use in Saram Wrap so it'll pop off; otherwise it'll stick! Hope this helps!!

#15 comment by Alison August 19, 2013

Do you squirt the "great stuff" at the top of the cylinder or on the side? I am just curious because my daughter wants to be a container of popcorn and I LOVE how you did the kernels! Can you explain it a little more...sorry I don't mean to be dense. :)

#16 comment by Heather Marie August 20, 2013

Sure! I squirted the great stuff on the side of the canister, in the shape of X's. This way they get the curve of a kerrnal. Once they dried, they pop off and you can squirt a small ball shaped bit in the middle of the X. It gives it the genuine kerrnal look. All you have to do next is spray pain them :)

#17 comment by Alison August 20, 2013

Heather, now it makes total sense to me! LOL Thank you so much. I showed my daughter the photo and she is so excited to make the popcorn for her costume this Halloween! Again, thank you and also for taking the time to answer my question. :)

#18 comment by Jessica September 20, 2013

Heather I LOVE this!!! Such a great idea! What size cardboard box did you use? Also, what did you use to suspend the popcorn over the headband and popcorn container?

#19 comment by Heather Marie Dolce September 21, 2013

Hi Jessica! I measured my son and cut/tapered the box to fit him like a "custom box" LOL! By doing so, made the fabric kind of difficult to match up, so I had to be patient! He's rather tiny in the pic (4 1/2, about 38" tall)... The box was about 12" wide (front to back). The height was done to be just above the knee. Remember! Your child will need to walk in it and it will know back and forth of not cut short enough.
For the straps, the are duct tape stuck together, then wrapped in the striped fabric. I then just used the duct tape to attach to the inside.
The head piece was an old birthday hat (on of those paper come shaped ones) that I cut down. I only really wanted the elastic band that was attached, to keep the kernels on his head :)
Hope this helps! All the best!!

#20 comment by Heather Marie September 21, 2013

I almost forgot! The kernal that is "floating" from the head piece is hot glued to a piece of wire found in the garage. I just spin it around a large maker to curl it and ta-da, instant "popping" corn!

#21 comment by Lissa October 2, 2013

super cute! 3 years ago (when our son was 3)we had him be "popcorn also"! it was adorable and so much fun! this year his little brother wants to be popcorn (he is 2) and our now 6 year old wants to be twizzlers! i have thought about this twizzlers costume in so many ways. You seem to be very creative and I was wondering if you might have any suggestions for our 2 favorite movie snacks!

#22 comment by Chrissy October 15, 2013

Did you use yellow spray paint to get the color? And which one you used? I love this costume I am making this for my 19month old son and I'm trying to come up with an alternative to a cardboard box bc he will never wear that. This is the best popcorn costume I have seen!
Thanks!!

#23 comment by Jennifer October 16, 2013

Chrissy maybe just use red and white striped clothes for your son and add popcorn emblem on his chest.Or just get the red and white fabric and makemlike a sack so it is a bag of popcorn instead of a box.

#24 comment by Heather Marie October 16, 2013

For the 18 mo old, I might even suggest fashioning a box that would fit over top of a stroller. I once saw a cabbage patch doll creation done this way!
As for the Twizzler idea, I might take foam and wrap it in silky red material, them twist it up... I'd make the bag/wrapper high enough to appear that the Twizzlers were popping from the top, near his/her head....

#25 comment by Chrissy October 17, 2013

Ok I am experimenting with the great stuff and it has a nozzle. The stuff comes out pretty fast and thick. Not sure I am doing it right any tips on how to get the great looking kernel like you have? How big should I be making the "x". Decided to use red and white fabric for the box/bag part I will post pics when it's done:) thanks

#26 comment by Scott November 16, 2014

Can you email me the instructions?

#27 comment by Gitty Kellner February 17, 2015

Hi im doing a popcorn box i don't understand how to do the popcorn pieces and where can i buy the stuff you made it with

#28 comment by Heather Marie February 17, 2015

Hi Gitty,
You'll want to buy a can of "great stuff" from Home Depot or Lowes. You can take any household plastic container (I used Clorox wipes) to use as your mold. Simply wrap it in Saram Wrap and you'll be set to go. Spray "X's". I was able to get 2 per mold. Let them dry and they will "pop" off if you wrapped them in the Saram Wrap. In the end, this allows you to get the claw-like shape of the pop corn kernels. On some of mine, I sprayed an extra golf ball sized bit in the middle of the "claw". It def made it look nice and authentic!
Hope this helps - Good Luck!

#29 comment by Erica January 3, 2016

Hi Heather,

How did you shape a cardboard box to make it slanted to become smaller at the bottom?
i'm struggling to figure out how that is done.

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