Skaught's Son's 2012 Halloween Costume Contest Entry

Skaught

Sr Member
Every year I make my son (Ben, who is 8 this year) a fairly decent Star Wars costume. He enjoys standing out from the other kids and hearing the comments when out trick or treating about him having the best costume out there (I don't mind hearing that too!).

This year he went as a Tusken Raider. Before I get to the build details, I'll start with some completed photos and video taken at a local beach.

Here's a video of the Tusken Raider attacking a beach volley ball game: Sand People don't like beach volley ball - YouTube

Apparently Tusken Raider's also hate birds: Sand People don't like beach volley ball - YouTube

What's funny in those videos (besides the obvious funny), is how his movement looks so much like it does in the movie, to me. I think the costume itself creates the motion, so both my son and the actors ended up moving in similar manners.

Here are the completed pics:

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When I started, I had the intention of creating a mask from scratch. I bought a costume army helmet and hockey mask to build on. Then I would wear my Tusken costume with him and we'd be a matching pair. I made my costume around 5-6 years ago. Unfortunately, when I tried to put my mask on, it didn't fit. It was way too tight in the face and neck area. I guess the fabric strips shrunk of the years...or my head grew? I don't know.

Anyway, it turns out that the mask was perfect for my son. It just fit him, too, so his head is nearly as big as mine. Instead of building him a new one, he would just wear mine.

The mask is built on an old Studio Creations shell I picked up a decade ago. All the metal parts are machined aluminum. The "tooth" piece is made from a wood ball I cut down and painted. Strips of torn fabric are hot glued all over, and leather belts were used to go around the mouth.

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The bandoliers are original British Enfield bandoliers, like the ones used in the movies. I have several of these that get used on Jawas and Tuskens as needed.

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The inner robe was easy to sew. I made it in about 45-minutes. It's basically two rectangles, one across for the sleeves, and one going down for the lower portion. They attach at the waist. The lower portion wraps over itself and is open in the front.

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For the gloves, I tried to get child size garden gloves. Not easy to find! I ordered a set off ebay but they turned out to be too small. In the end I bought some long gloves at a costume shop. They're really for a girl's costume, but I messed them up good so they work just fine. I sprayed them with stone texture paint, which makes a nice dirty look. A little brown spray paint adds more color.

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For the boots I bought some used hiking boots from Salvation Army and wrapped them with strips of fabric. I left the strips loose at the top so I could tie the laces. More textured stone spray paint added to make them look dirty. The "respirator" is made from two PVC end caps, a couple bottle caps and a coat hanger.

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The gaffi stick is simple. A PVC pipe, wood point, plastic fins and can you guess the tip?

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A chocolate kiss-shaped container!

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The outer robe is made from monk's cloth. VERY easy to sew. Just fold over the fabric, sew up the ends and cut up the front. I stitched around the edges, about an inch back, so the fabric wouldn't completely fray away. More brown spray paint and textured paint. The texture spray really works great.

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That's it! Now...to start thinking about next year.
 
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