Be bop a re bop rhubarb costume
October 22, 2021 6:11 PM Subscribe
To my delight, all the resident physicians at the children’s hospital where I’m working this month are dressing up as fruits and vegetables for Halloween festivities for the kids at the hospital. I have decided to be rhubarb. Give me your best ideas for how I can comfortably and amusingly embody rhubarb for a workday.
We’re celebrating on November 1 for maximum possible involvement.
We’re celebrating on November 1 for maximum possible involvement.
I feel like you should be holding a pie, or maybe have one pinned to your sleeve. Or somehow pairing yourself with strawberries?
Your hair should look like this.
posted by hydra77 at 6:21 PM on October 22, 2021 [3 favorites]
Your hair should look like this.
posted by hydra77 at 6:21 PM on October 22, 2021 [3 favorites]
I love this.
I think, to do it simple, you'll want red pants and maybe a pink t-shirt. For the leaf you could either do a green wig, as belladonna mentioned, or just cut a leaf out of green foamcore and draw some veins (are they called veins?) on it. Cut out a cavity for your head and hot glue it to a hat or a headband or something.
Maybe snag a pair of scrubs and dye them a purple/red gradient, from bright at the feet to pinkish/white at the neck.
And please post photos.
posted by bondcliff at 6:28 PM on October 22, 2021 [7 favorites]
I think, to do it simple, you'll want red pants and maybe a pink t-shirt. For the leaf you could either do a green wig, as belladonna mentioned, or just cut a leaf out of green foamcore and draw some veins (are they called veins?) on it. Cut out a cavity for your head and hot glue it to a hat or a headband or something.
Maybe snag a pair of scrubs and dye them a purple/red gradient, from bright at the feet to pinkish/white at the neck.
And please post photos.
posted by bondcliff at 6:28 PM on October 22, 2021 [7 favorites]
+ pie fascinator?
LOVE this costume idea
posted by Geameade at 6:41 PM on October 22, 2021 [7 favorites]
LOVE this costume idea
posted by Geameade at 6:41 PM on October 22, 2021 [7 favorites]
I think you should go for a green wig and a headpiece that looks like leaves- wigs elevate any costume.
Source: work at children’s hospital in New Orleans, a city that doesn’t mess around when it comes to costuming.
posted by MadamM at 6:50 PM on October 22, 2021 [5 favorites]
Source: work at children’s hospital in New Orleans, a city that doesn’t mess around when it comes to costuming.
posted by MadamM at 6:50 PM on October 22, 2021 [5 favorites]
I'd flip it the other way around, go with a green cape and a red stalk (pool noodle?) coming up from the back and extending above your head as high as appropriate for the ceilings. Capes are great because they get out of the way when necessary but can be showy when necessary.
posted by Superilla at 6:51 PM on October 22, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by Superilla at 6:51 PM on October 22, 2021 [2 favorites]
Educational note on your green wig saying not to eat this part of you, it's toxic.
posted by away for regrooving at 8:23 PM on October 22, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by away for regrooving at 8:23 PM on October 22, 2021 [4 favorites]
You could wear brown pants, maybe with some familiarly compostable things (onion skins, egg shells, brown leaves) pinned along the legs because rhubarb evidently needs a lot of organic material in the soil.
Then a sky blue shirt or maybe just a white one, attach wide ribbons of the appropriate color vertically. I think iron on fusing and a blank tshirt would be great for this. Splay them out a bit so they are all at slightly different angles, not straight up and down, some clumped together near your waist. You might be able to find ribbon that is dark pink with green metallic shot through or a red to green ombré because of the looming holidays. If not, a solid pink and then some squeeze bottle fabric paint for green streaks if you want that detail.
Get some wired brown ribbon and make twisty bunches, and pin them along your belt where the clumps on the shirt come together to represent the rhizomes.
For the leaves, get green tissue paper of a few shades if you can. Cut some into smaller squares and layer a few sheets so the corners are all pointing in different directions (like you took a stack and spiraled it). Find a sturdy container with high sides like an empty tomato can or beer stein and poke the tissue paper down into it from the center. This will make all the corners plume up, you may be familiar with this from wrapping something in a gift bag. Pull out the bunch and pinch it at the bottom and twist firmly. Tie this shut with thread, yarn, a twisty tie, whatever, and safety pin through it as well. Then safety pin these leafy bunches at the tops of wherever the ribbons are on your shirt. Maybe along your arms and then you can lift them above your head to form the giant leaves. Trim the edges to look more leafy shaped if you want. You could do the same with full sized sheets of tissue paper but then attach them to a hat, as well, which would be hilariously tall and floofy.
posted by Mizu at 10:07 PM on October 22, 2021
Then a sky blue shirt or maybe just a white one, attach wide ribbons of the appropriate color vertically. I think iron on fusing and a blank tshirt would be great for this. Splay them out a bit so they are all at slightly different angles, not straight up and down, some clumped together near your waist. You might be able to find ribbon that is dark pink with green metallic shot through or a red to green ombré because of the looming holidays. If not, a solid pink and then some squeeze bottle fabric paint for green streaks if you want that detail.
Get some wired brown ribbon and make twisty bunches, and pin them along your belt where the clumps on the shirt come together to represent the rhizomes.
For the leaves, get green tissue paper of a few shades if you can. Cut some into smaller squares and layer a few sheets so the corners are all pointing in different directions (like you took a stack and spiraled it). Find a sturdy container with high sides like an empty tomato can or beer stein and poke the tissue paper down into it from the center. This will make all the corners plume up, you may be familiar with this from wrapping something in a gift bag. Pull out the bunch and pinch it at the bottom and twist firmly. Tie this shut with thread, yarn, a twisty tie, whatever, and safety pin through it as well. Then safety pin these leafy bunches at the tops of wherever the ribbons are on your shirt. Maybe along your arms and then you can lift them above your head to form the giant leaves. Trim the edges to look more leafy shaped if you want. You could do the same with full sized sheets of tissue paper but then attach them to a hat, as well, which would be hilariously tall and floofy.
posted by Mizu at 10:07 PM on October 22, 2021
I was celery in a school play long ago and my mom came up with some great celery headwear that I think would work here too. Take a few of sheets of green craft foam (this stuff) and cut out leaf shapes. Overlap the bottom ends and attach (staples or hot-glue would work) until you’ve got enough to go around your head. You wear it like a crown and the leaves will mostly stand up, but with some flopping around. The foam is soft and light so it’s not too bad to wear.
posted by duien at 12:15 AM on October 23, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by duien at 12:15 AM on October 23, 2021 [2 favorites]
You should make a nametag that says something like, "Hi, I'm Poisonous. But delicious in pies."
posted by eleslie at 6:22 AM on October 23, 2021
posted by eleslie at 6:22 AM on October 23, 2021
Puhleeeese post a followup with some pics! Love this idea.
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:01 AM on October 23, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by tiny frying pan at 7:01 AM on October 23, 2021 [1 favorite]
Movement is important!
I like definition #2 of stalk (verb):
1 : to pursue quarry or prey stealthily
2 : to walk stiffly or haughtily
posted by mochapickle at 7:24 AM on October 23, 2021
I like definition #2 of stalk (verb):
1 : to pursue quarry or prey stealthily
2 : to walk stiffly or haughtily
posted by mochapickle at 7:24 AM on October 23, 2021
Something that will provide a taste of rhubarb, for example:
rhubarb hard candies
rhubarb sticks like candy canes
homemade rhubarb in simple sugar
rhubarb slices are really beautiful
Name tag with: Rhu, Barbara
street sign tee shirt with Rue Barb
Ombre red/green makeup, shirt, hair or slacks
I saw many lovely ribbons of silk dyed rhubarb on etsy or other textile sites.
posted by effluvia at 2:07 PM on October 23, 2021
rhubarb hard candies
rhubarb sticks like candy canes
homemade rhubarb in simple sugar
rhubarb slices are really beautiful
Name tag with: Rhu, Barbara
street sign tee shirt with Rue Barb
Ombre red/green makeup, shirt, hair or slacks
I saw many lovely ribbons of silk dyed rhubarb on etsy or other textile sites.
posted by effluvia at 2:07 PM on October 23, 2021
I like the upside down idea. Green skirt, with extra green fabric to create leaves. Red shirt, and red pool noodles attached to the back that extend over your head. Ziptied together at the top.
posted by kjs4 at 8:58 PM on October 24, 2021
posted by kjs4 at 8:58 PM on October 24, 2021
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by belladonna at 6:20 PM on October 22, 2021 [3 favorites]