King of the (Asphalt) Jungle Costume
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Your kids are sure to go ape for this famous gorilla, complete with a building perch and pint-size damsel in distress.
| Prep Time: Weekend Project | |
| What you need: | |
| Cardboard box (ours was 16 by 16 by 16 inches)
Masking tape Box knife Silver acrylic paint (8 ounces) Paintbrush Duct tape Adhesive-backed Velcro Doll 36- by 36-inch piece of shaggy black fur fabric (we got ours for $15 a yard at a fabric store) Face-only gorilla mask (available at www.iparty.com and party stores) Black hooded sweatshirt Double-sided carpet tape 2 safety pins Heavyweight black tights (we used girl's size 4-6) 2 pairs of child-size black gloves Fiberfill 2 (18-inch-long) pieces of 16- or 18-gauge floral wire 1/4 yard of brown vinyl (available at fabric stores) Black permanent marker 2 yards of 1 1/2-inch-wide black ribbon | |
| Seasons: Halloween | |
| Materials: cardboard, mask | |
| Instructions: | |
| 1. | To Make the Building: Seal one end of the box, including the seams, with masking tape (so you won't see them when the box is painted) as shown in blue on the box diagram above right. |
| 2. | With the box knife (a parent's job), cut an oval opening in the top of the box. It should be about an inch closer to the front of the box than the back to help keep the costume from pitching forward. Cut off the bottom of the box at an angle so your child can sit while wearing it. |
| 3. |  Paint the box (you may need 2 coats). When dry (about 20
minutes per coat), decorate the box with a duct tape door and
windows. |
| 4. | Put a piece of Velcro on the top of the box, near one of the front corners. Place the corresponding piece on the seat of the doll's dress or pants. |
| 5. | 
To Make the Gorilla: Cut the fur as shown. |
| 6. |  Fold the 14- by 32-inch piece of fur in half, smooth sides
together, and cut out the face hole as shown (download a
traceable template
here).
Attach the Velcro where shown: 2 pieces (A) on the outside of one
neck flap and the corresponding pieces (B) on the inside of the
other. Put another piece (C) on the inside crease of the top flap
and attach the corresponding piece to the forehead of the gorilla
mask. |
| 7. |  Attach the fur to the top and sides of the sweatshirt hood
with double-sided carpet tape. Attach the fur to the back of the
hood with pins and tape, folding one piece over the other as
shown. |
| 8. | With the double-sided tape, attach a 6- by 24-inch strip of fur to each arm of the sweatshirt. Attach the 9- by 12-inch piece to the upper back. |
| 9. |  Stuff the legs of the tights and one pair of gloves with
fiberfill. For each foot, bend one length of floral wire in half
and push the curved end halfway into the glove. Push the other
ends into the tights, piercing the toe as shown, and work the
glove about 3 inches up the leg. Secure it in place with the
double-sided tape. Now bend the wire so the feet stick straight
out. |
| 10. | With double-sided tape, attach a 6- by 18-inch strip of fur to the front of each leg. Attach a 4- by 6-inch patch of fur to the top of both pairs of gloves. |
| 11. | From the vinyl, cut a 7- by 9-inch gorilla chest (or download our template) and use the marker to add the details shown. On the underside of the chest, attach several pieces of Velcro. Secure the matching pieces to the sweatshirt and stick the chest in place. |
| 12. |  Cut the ribbon in half to make suspenders. With duct tape,
secure one end of each ribbon inside the front of the box. Have
your child put on the box, adjust the suspenders so the top of
the box hits between his chest and waist, and tape the free ends
of the ribbons to the underside of the back of the box. Take the
box off and use duct tape to secure the upper portion of the
tights to the underside of the front of the box as shown. |
| 13. | 
To Don the Costume: Have your child put on the sweatshirt
and mask. Secure the tip of the hood to the mask. Help him put on
the box and the gloves. Finally, hand him the doll.
More Halloween Costumes » |
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