How to Make a LEGO Costume: 13 Steps

2024 Author: Samantha Chapman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 09:13

LEGO costumes are creative and easy to make. The quickest choice is definitely to make a LEGO brick costume. For something a little more complex, try building a LEGO man costume. Here's what you need to know to build both.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Method number one: The LEGO Brick Costume

Step 1. Cut the bottom out of a large enough cardboard box

The box must be high enough to cover the entire torso of the wearer, and must be about as wide as their shoulders.

• The box will need to be taller than it is wide, so when you need to cut the bottom be sure to remove the cardboard from one of the two short sides of the box.
• Use a paper cutter or a sharp pair of scissors to cut the cardboard in as straight a line as possible.

Step 2. Use tape to reinforce the other sides of the box and prevent them from bending or coming loose

• Do not use a box that reaches below the knees or elbows of the wearer, otherwise the person will not be able to walk. The ideal box should end just above the hips and at the shoulders, so that the wearer can still move freely.

  

• The depth of the box should not exceed its length, but you can still choose a box that is a little deeper to facilitate the movements of the wearer. The box must still be large enough for the person who has to wear the costume.

  

Step 3. Cut the holes for the arms and head

The hole for the head must be in the center of the top, while the holes for the arms must be in the upper part on the sides of the box.

• Use a utility knife or a sharp pair of scissors to cut out the circles from which you will get the holes for the arms and head.

  

• Start with the head. You can either measure the space needed for the head, or measure the diameter of the wearer's head with a ruler or tape measure. Cut the hole for the head trying to keep it as centered as possible.

  

• Have the dress-up person wear the box before cutting the holes for the arms. The distance between the top of the box and the holes for the arms varies according to the person inside, so a useful tip is to measure by eye where the holes will be before putting the box on the person. This is the best way to determine where you will need to cut the holes for the arms. Usually, they are located about 5-7.5 cm from the top of the box, along the sides. Each hole must be at least as large as the largest part of the person's arm in the box.

  

Step 4. Apply a coat of white

Coat the sides of the box with a coat of white spray paint or acrylic paints.

• A layer of white tempera makes it easier to apply the final color without it being altered by the color of the underlying cardboard.

  

• Use a matte, non-glossy paint. You need a type of gouache that other colors will adhere to, so matte gouache is the best choice.

  

Step 5. Give a coat of color

Use spray paints or gouache to cover the box with a primary color.

• Red is the most classic color for a LEGO brick, but you can choose to color the box blue or yellow as well. You can choose to use multiple colors if there are more people who want to dress up as a LEGO brick. Choose bright, solid colors, such as a nice carmine red.

  

• For the last layer you can use both glossy and opaque colors, however it is recommended to use spray colors rather than acrylic paint, since the color applied with the spray tends to be more homogeneous than that applied with a brush.

  

• You may still need several coats of color, but applying the first white coat will reduce the number of passes required.

  

• Do not worry if the inside of the box gets stained with color while you are painting. It makes no difference if the inside of the box is not colored or if it gets stained by mistake with a little tempera.

  

Step 6. Cut out circles of colored cardboard

You will need six equal circles, each with a diameter measuring approximately 1/8 of the height of the box.

• Spread a coat of white on the circles as well, then paint them the same color as the box.

  

• A good suggestion is to keep the bottom of the box you cut aside, so that you can cut the circles from it and color them using the same paint you used for the rest of the costume. In any case, you may need more cardboard.

• Use a stencil, cookie cutter, or compass to draw and cut out perfectly round circles.

  

• Instead of using cardboard, you could also use round packages for not very large foods, such as those for ice cream. Color them using spray paint or other paints that are applicable to plastic.

  

Step 7. Attach the circles to the box

Use the hot glue gun to fix the cardboard circles in two columns, each with three circles.

• The rows and columns should be aligned, at the same distance.

  

• You can use a ruler or tape measure to mark the two columns and three rows symmetrically. To do this, divide the width of the box into three sections and the height into four sections. Mark each section with a very light pencil mark and place the center of each circle at the intersections between the lines. Once done, erase the pencil lines.

  

Step 8. The person inside the box should be wearing clothing that is a similar color to that of the box

Before putting on the LEGO costume, you should wear a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of pants in roughly the same color the box was painted with.

The shade of the color does not necessarily have to be the same, but it should be similar. For example, if you have colored the LEGO a nice bright red, it is best to wear clothes in other shades of red

Method 2 of 2: Method number two: The LEGO Man Costume

Step 1. Make the body like a LEGO brick

The body of the LEGO man is the same as the LEGO brick, but without the circles glued to it.

• Remove the bottom of the box, which should be as high as the torso and approximately as wide as the shoulders of the person wearing the costume. Cut out the holes for the head and arms, then color the box red.

  

• If you're feeling very creative, you might want to try creating a pattern on the front of the box. Color the box with white spray paint and draw a collar and two pockets on the front. Outline these details with black and use a pencil or brush to draw a red tie.

  

• Under the box, wear a long-sleeved shirt that matches the color you painted the cardboard in.

  

Step 2. Model a rather large cardboard cylinder to make the head

Cut the cylinder so that it is about 10 cm higher than the distance between the base of the neck and the tip of the head of the person who will be wearing it. Close one end of the cylinder with a cardboard circle and cut out two holes for the eyes.

• You could use Sonotube, a very thick, cylindrical type of cardboard usually used to shape concrete columns. Alternatively, you can use any type of cardboard or expanded polystyrene, as long as it is large enough to fit your head through.

  

• Place the cylinder on a piece of cardboard and trace a circle of the same size. Cut it out with scissors or a cutter and glue it to one end of the Sonotube cylinder with hot glue or vinyl glue.

  

• Measure for the eye holes by holding the cylinder next to the head of the person who will be wearing the costume. Use a pencil to mark the eye level of the LEGO. Draw and cut out the holes at this height.

  

• Color the entire cylinder yellow, using spray paint. Draw a smile under the eye holes using a brush and black paint.

  

Step 3. Attach a small circle on top of the colored cylinder

Color a small, thin, round container or a round piece of cardboard yellow and glue it to the top of the cylinder.

• This circle should measure half the diameter of the cylinder.

  

• Use hot glue or vinyl glue to attach the circle to the cylinder. The centers of the two circles should be aligned.

  

Step 4. Color two leg-length boxes

Paint them with black or dark blue spray paint. Cut the boxes in half at knee height and join them together using fairly strong metal wire.

• The boxes should be large and long enough to hold the legs and foot. Make sure the boxes are "snug" enough on the wearer's legs so that they don't move when they walk.

  

• By cutting the box in half at the knee, you can bend your legs. Make symmetrical holes in the ends of the boxes and thread some wire through those holes to connect the halves together. The wire will hold the two halves of the leg together but at the same time allow the wearer to bend their knees.

  

• Use the same strong metal wire to connect the legs to the torso. Make a hole on each side of the lower part of the box that forms the torso and another corresponding hole for each side of the boxes that form the legs.

  

Step 5. Put on yellow mittens and black shoes

Wearing light yellow mittens you can imitate the movements and the appearance of the hands of LEGO. Wear a pair of shoes that match the color of the LEGO man's pants, blue or black.

• It would be better to wear mittens and not gloves because the latter have separate fingers.