At first, when my planet-obsessed children told me daily for several months that they wanted to be planets for Halloween, I tried to shop online for costumes—only to find nothing great! This DIY planet costume will take some time, but can be broken up over the course of a few days (or nights). Plus, there are many opportunities to get your children involved in the creative process!
Supplies:
- Extra-large balloons (check Amazon, Walmart or a party supply store)
- Large pile of old magazines or newspapers
- 1 gallon of glue
- Salt
- Large bowl and spoon
- Heavy-duty string or yarn
- Ladder (or somewhere to hang the planets while you work)
- Hangers and clothes pins
- Scissors
- Drop cloth, old newspapers or cardboard to protect your work area
- Gorilla Tape
- White spray paint
- Paint and paint brush or paint sponge
- Optional: cardboard and aluminum foil (if your planet is one of the gas planets and has rings [Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune])
Directions:
- Rip newspaper or magazines into long strips (this is a great step for your children to help with). Set aside in a large tote or bowl.
- Inflate the balloons. You will want to measure the balloon against the child who will wear the costume (a small child will need a smaller balloon; a large child will need a bigger one.) Tie a long string or piece of yarn to the end of the inflated balloon and tie it onto the bottom part of a ladder to hang while you work. I clipped clothes pins onto the yarn to help hold the balloons down while I was working.
- Put down a drop cloth, then make the paper mache mixture: Pour glue into a large plastic bowl, add in a pinch of salt (optional, but helps prevent mold), then slowly add in water as you stir. Add water until you get a pancake batter consistency (roughly a 1:1 ratio of glue to water). Dip sections of newspaper into your bowl, then wrap your balloon in the paper mache. Leave a small, open section at the top of the balloon where the tie is. (I had to use my knee to help hold the balloon in place while I was working.) Allow to completely dry overnight, then repeat for a total of 2 layers of newspaper.
- Once your paper mache balloon is completely dry (I waited a few days), use the Gorilla Tape to tape over the outside of the paper mache. Then slowly cut the balloon to deflate and remove the balloon. Don’t rush this step! The balloon should easily come out if the paper mache is dry. The project will fall if you remove the balloon too soon.
- Once you deflate the balloon, cut out the head hole at the top of the sphere and the body hole at the bottom. Have have your child try on the planet so you can find the best spots to cut the arm holes. Once the holes are cut, go back over the edges of the openings with tape.
- Spray paint the planet white and hang to dry overnight (a white surface will show the true paint colors better than the black tape). We used clothing hangers to let our planets dry in the garage. Don’t forget to put down a drop cloth to prevent a mess!
- Once your planet is dry, it’s time to paint it. Using pictures of the planets for reference, we first painted the planets a solid color, then used a sponge to paint the planet design. Hang to dry overnight over your drop cloth.
- If your planet has rings, take a piece of string or yarn to measure out your rings. We simply wrapped yarn around the planets and used that as a guide to cut out cardboard. We guessed on the sizing, then tried the rings onto the planets and cut them down little by little until we got the right fit. We covered the rings with aluminum foil and then set onto the planets. (Don’t forget if you are making Uranus, which rotates on its side, the rings are also tilted so they’re vertical rather than horizontal.)
- Once your planet is completely dry, add your rings (if needed), then you are ready to go! My children chose to wear a black layer (like the night sky) and carry white buckets to represent the moon!
- Be prepared to be asked 100 times how to make these costumes. Also be prepared for complete strangers to ask if they can take a photo of your children!
Pro tip: Get the whole family involved and become the whole solar system! If someone does not want to dress up in a planet costume, they can easily wear a planet T-shirt (check Amazon) or be a simple shooting star!
Janelle Cumro-Sultzer lives in Manhattan, Kansas with her husband, three children (1, 3 and 5) and two senior dogs. Janelle is a homeschooling mom who enjoys writing in her