The Cheshire Cat, also known as Cheshire Cat, Grinning Cat or Caesar Cat, is a mysterious and fictional character from Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. You can create a Cheshire Cat disguise from just a few items. Draw all the attention to yourself, or join a party with a couple of friends, who are also dressed up as characters from Alice in Wonderland.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Finding the Costume Materials
Step 1. Choose a color scheme
The Cheshire Cat from the 1951 cartoon has a purple and pink striped coat; in a later version, however, it appears in purple and teal stripes. Choose the combination that is easiest to find and that you like best.
Choose the colors that are most easily found on the market
Step 2. Get a striped shirt
Look for one of the colors you've chosen at thrift markets, clothing stores, or even on the Internet. When purchasing the material for the disguise, always keep in mind the combination of colors chosen.
You can find what you're looking for at party supply stores, which often have multiple items in the same color scheme as well
Step 3. Get some leggings (fuseaux) or striped tights
The goal is to find leggings or tights in the same colors as the shirt. Often, however, this means having to spend more money than the budget initially set. There are usually matching top and bottom parts in party supply stores. Also on the net it is possible to find garments of similar colors.
If you can't find anything, you can always wear tight pants or black leggings / tights. The focus of the disguise is from the waist up, so you can be a perfect Cheshire Cat even without matching pants, leggings or tights
Step 4. Use a single piece
You can order a custom made one at some online retailers. Some are sold just as "Cheshire Cat costume". Do a quick Google search: if you haven't been able to find matching shirt and pants, it may be easier for you to find a one-of-a-kind piece.
Step 5. Make the strips yourself
If you can't find clothes that have stripes of the same color, you can always make them yourself. You need a top or a pair of tights / leggings in one of the two colors of your chosen combination. Also get some duct tape and fabric dye. Create strips with masking tape. Once the tape is positioned the way you want, you can start coloring the strips.
- Follow the instructions for applying the fabric color - it may need to be mixed with water or some other liquid. Use a paintbrush to paint the strips not covered by masking tape.
- Let the color dry for about an hour before removing the tape.
Step 6. Get some face makeup
You have several possibilities. You can opt for a simple but effective makeup (if applied in the right way), or for a more elaborate one with several layers. Depending on what you want to achieve, you can buy a face makeup paint kit at a party supply store or look for something similar at a general store.
Evaluate the quality of the tricks and try to buy the high quality ones. You will get a better effect and your skin will suffer less
Step 7. Get a cat tail
Again you have several options. Dress-up shops sell pre-made queues at reasonable prices. Alternatively, you can source this material and create your own:
- A pair of old black tights or some soft fabric
- Needle and thread
- Wire (a hanger is fine too) and wire cutter
- A strip of fabric (to use as a belt)
Step 8. Use cat ears
Cat ears are very easily found on the market already made. The black cat disguise is very common and easy to find, even at the last minute: for this it will not be a problem to find cat ears at a good price. If you prefer to make them yourself, you will need:
- Fabric of two different colors
- Thread of fabric
- Plier
- Scissors
- Headband
Part 2 of 3: Achieving the Makeup
Step 1. Apply the base coat
You can use face paint or actual makeup. Apply a yellow base all over your face. This is the face base that characterizes the Cheshire Cat from the 1951 cartoon.
Step 2. Apply a layer of purple
Using a sponge, add some purple to the outer contour of the face, blending it with yellow. If you don't have a specific makeup sponge, use a generic one you find at home. Be sure to cover the entire contour of the face: the upper part of the forehead, the neck, the ears, and so on.
Step 3. Lighten your cheeks
Dab white on your cheeks to lighten them. It will come in handy to look at an image of the Cheshire Cat and apply makeup based on it.
Step 4. Add the details
Use a yellow or white pencil to outline the lower lash line. Draw black mustaches around the nose. Paint the nose with black paint. You can also use black eyeliner to draw the mustache.
Step 5. Create the Cheshire Cat smile
You don't have to draw a mouth on top of yours - you can also use purple lipstick. If you use makeup, you can create the smile in several ways. Depending on your makeup skills, you can create the classic smile or something scarier by adding sharp teeth.
- For the classic smile: Use white to create a broad smile that goes beyond the edges of your mouth. To do this, imagine drawing a crescent moon. When the white has dried, create the teeth with the help of a brush or eyeliner. The Cheshire Cat from the 1951 cartoon has only one row of teeth.
- The one in Tim Burton's film, on the other hand, is much more disturbing, because it has yellowish and pointed teeth. To recreate this effect, outline a crescent moon smile with black paint. When the black has dried, draw small triangle-shaped or sharp teeth like a shark's. Create two rows of teeth: one on the upper lip and the other on the lower lip.
Part 3 of 3: Creating the Tail and Ears
Step 1. Buy a hair band
You can find them at low prices in a clothing store. Take a look at the headbands on sale and try to find a black one or a color of your chosen combination. Since you will have to glue or sew on the ears, it is better to choose a cheap one.
Step 2. Make the ears out of the fabric
Select two different types of fabric, one for the inside and the other for the outside of the ears. The fabric chosen to create the inside of the ears should be a lighter color than that for the outside. Cut four large triangles from the dark fabric and two from the lighter one. You can decide whether to glue the triangles or sew them together.
- Attach a small triangle to a large one, then repeat for the other ear.
- Glue or sew the remaining triangles to the back of each ear. Leave a small opening in the back to be able to insert the wire.
Step 3. Strengthen your ears with wire
You can make segments out of an old hanger and insert them into your ears. Cut two pieces out of the hanger with the help of the pliers. Give the wire a sharp angle shape and insert it inside the ears.
- If it is too long, shorten it;
- You can also buy wire at a DIY store;
- Use glue to attach the thread to the ears.
Step 4. Attach the ears to the headband
Sew or glue the ears to the headband, determining the optimal position with the help of a mirror. Hot glue is the best way to keep the ears from falling off the headband.
Step 5. Create the queue
Use a hanger as a cat tail frame. Cut a piece of hanger using regular pliers or wire cutters. Save the hanger hook to create the curved end of the tail. Cover the hook with soft fabric or old tights. Use hot glue to secure the fabric as you wrap it around the wire.
- You can find furry fabric at fancy dress or DIY stores. Some fabrics on the market are designed specifically to create tails and are already the right size.
- Remove excess fabric from the hook.
Step 6. Attach the tail to the body
Pinning the tail is one of the simplest steps. You just need a black rope. First of all, wrap the rope around your waist to figure out how much you need. Cut the length you want. Secure the tail in the middle of the string with the help of hot glue, a stapler or tape.
- Rather than find yourself with a piece of string that is too short, it is better to cut a long one.
- Alternatively, you can attach the tail to a belt with duct tape.
Advice
- You can dye your hair purple.
- This disguise looks best if you have short hair.
