R2-D2 Costume
Prep Time: Several weekends
Costume Materials
- Rubbermaid trash can with dome lid
- 3 blue and 2 silver sheets of 10"x15" foam craft paper
- metalic silver craft paint
- metalic silver Sharpie
- aluminum foil
- double side craft tape
- craft glue
- tape measure and ruler
- drill and bits
- Four 1.5" screws with nuts and 8 large washers
- Masking tape
- scissors
- exacto knife
- utility knife
- Two 35" rubber bungee cords
- Two poster tubes and/or misc cardboard
- An oval and a hexagon craft box
Costume Instructions
- Start by taking the trash can and cutting the bottom out.
- Next glue the opening on the lid closed and remove the springs from the lid.
- Paint the lid Metalic silver and let dry.
- Next with masking tape make a grid on the front of the trash can determining balanced spacing and sizing. Pretty much all the foam shapes are squares and rectangles so cutting and measuring isn't too tricky. The basic grid on mine consisted of 3" x 3" sections.
- Then with the silver Sharpie (tape still there to guide) I drew my sections.
- Then I measured and cut out the blue and silver sections from the 2mm craft foam.
- Then with double sided tape i secured them in place. There a few places that I threw in aluminium foil for effect.
- Cut the hole out in the foam with an exacto knife and put the double stick tape around the edges.
- Trim the foil with scissors to fit and apply that with double stick tape as well. The body is where you can get creative or shortcut too. Nobody's going to realize that the real R2-D2 has three vents instead of fout or whatever. Just keep it similar.
- Now to make it wearable. Slide the costume/trash can down over the child (arms to their sides.)
- Put the lid on too and raise the costume up so the lid is not touching the top of the head. Tell your child to touch wear they are looking.
- Lift the lid off and cut a 5"x3" sight hole in that vicinty. If you go too big you can always trim it out with blue foam to hide alittle.
- Now remove the lid and have your child hold the can in place with his hands to his sides from the bottom. Make a mark parrallel to his shoulders on the inside. Go up about 2 inches and mark it.
- Now with a utility knife cut out arms holes approximately 4"x5". My son used these when trick or treating, but for show he left his arms to his sides. Next take two 35" bungee cords and put one over each shoulder. Let them dangle, you don't want them tight.
- Mark on the inside of the trash can where they are. Measure to make sure the front and back are the same distance from the bottom of the can otherwise your R2-D2 will lean.
- Now drill four holes where you marked. Slide the hooks through the holes with the the bottom of the S hook facing out. Now your suspenders are done.
- Now for the legs. Start by cutting your oval craft box in two equal halfs. Depending on how tall your child is depends on how long you can make his legs. Mine are approx. 18".
- Then get cardboard, I used poster tubes and scrap cardboard, and cut the legs to length.
- Cut about a 2"x2" box at the top. Place the lid of your craft box and the inside of your leg under the arm holes.
- Drill 2 vertical holes and slide the screws from the inside of the trash can out. Use large washers on the inside and the outside to help hold.
- Now with craft glue attach the bottom of the oval half box to its lid and let dry.
- Now cut the hexagon craft box in two down the middle and glue each half to the bottom of a leg. Spray or hand paint the legs white.
- Then add finishing touches. We put a touch light, attached with double stick tape for lighting his trick or treating path and for effect too. Good Luck!
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