Giraffe Costume

--My father and I have always been interested in creating costumes and entering contests during the Halloween season. We have made costumes in various themes and have also created living statues. After being inspired by an African safari themed party we decided to create an animal costume suitable for myself. Being 6'6, and always hearing day after day how tall I am we figured a giraffe was clearly the animal of choice.

--The costume consists of two main pieces. (lower and upper half) The lower half was made using an aluminum backpack frame attached to a foam base with two hanging hind legs. We used special yellow fabric and brown spray paint to create the giraffe pattern. Underneath I am wearing a pair of matching giraffe print pants to create the illusion of a walking animal. The neck portion was made with a long foam tube and a mesh underneath which that I can see through (this mesh is only visible from the inside.) a yellow stick is attached to the head which allows me to nod and make head movements. The head piece itself is a little bit more complex. Inside there are 2 foam pieces that attach to a stick which help with the movement. The ears nose and mouth were made using a combination of foam and fabric. For the eyes we used two small black balls. The costume took about one month to gather the materials and finish.

--I often shuffle my feet and act silly to get a good laugh out of people. Children tend to be very attracted to this costume and are rarely afraid or threatened despite the costumes large size. The giraffe is after all a gentle creature.