A house plant costume for Halloween? Kinda random, yes. Which is EXACTLY why you should make one. Also, can we take a moment here to reflect on how ridiculously CUTE this kid looks in it?
Materials needed: Crepe paper (in Emerald Isle), scissors, corrugated paper, paint brush, green acrylic paint, hot glue gun, basket, x-acto knife or box cutter, brown felt, excelsior, canvas straps
Step 1: Cut a big square from your roll of crepe paper. Fold the square in half, and cut out a giant leaf. Open the folded leaf and gently pull the sides of the leaf to create a ruffled effect.
Step 2: Roll a piece of corrugated paper into a long narrow tube, and glue in place. Using the first tube for reference, roll a second piece large enough to fit the first and glue the two tubes together. Repeat until you have a stem about 4’ long, then paint green. Once dry, glue the narrowest segment of the stem along the centerfold of the crepe paper leaf. This adds a vein and gives the leaf a little structure!
Step 3: Repeat steps 1-2 until you have ten leaves. You can make smaller leaves by cutting two from the same square!
Step 4: Using a box cutter, cut the bottom out of the basket. Leave a small border (we left 2” on all sides).
Step 5: Place your basket facedown on a large piece of brown felt. Trace the basket’s opening in pen, and remove the basket. Draw a second smaller circle in the center of the round piece of felt for the wearer to fit through. Cut out both circles, leaving a felt ring. Hot glue the felt ring into the interior of the basket.
Step 6: Cut a slit, 1” wide into the felt ring and insert a leaf stem. Glue a strip of felt to the base of the stem, affixing it to the inside of the basket. Repeat with the rest of the leaves, trimming some of the stems to add variety in height.
Step 7: Glue excelsior to the remaining surface of the felt ring to hide your slits and stems.
Step 8: Cut canvas shoulder straps to size and glue to the interior for support.
Photography by Paul Ferney for Oh Happy Day
Art Directed by Irene Yu
Styled by Amy Moss
Produced by Alison Piepmeyer
Crafting by Naomi Julia Satake
Special thanks to little J for modeling!