Wicker Man Halloween costume: craft pointers needed
May 6, 2023 11:08 PM Subscribe
I'd like to make a wicker man costume for Halloween, but I could use some advice on basketry and fake fire.
In essence, the costume would just be 10 baskets that I could pop on/tie in place, plus the best possible fake fire I could achieve curling up the legs. But I'm feeling bewildered by the variety of instructions available for both, and hoping that some crafty MeFites could get me pointed in the right direction. Thanks!
(Suggestions for other details and companion costumes most welcome)
In essence, the costume would just be 10 baskets that I could pop on/tie in place, plus the best possible fake fire I could achieve curling up the legs. But I'm feeling bewildered by the variety of instructions available for both, and hoping that some crafty MeFites could get me pointed in the right direction. Thanks!
(Suggestions for other details and companion costumes most welcome)
Best answer: What a cool idea! Maybe consider doing it with the fire burning all over it because it would look cooler.
- Under the wicker baskets, wear all black. To that layer, you could attach a bunch of LED "glow bombs".
- Get small battery operated LED lights with a "low flicker" effect. Maybe some little LED tealights for the flickering effect, or maybe you can find a long strand. Maybe some bike lights for the lower part of your body where the flames would be stronger. But LED tealights are cheap at any dollar store so maybe start there to experiment.
- Spray paint or duct-tape the tealight bases black so they're not glaring white through the wicker.
- Then wrap the lights in transluscent orange and red fabric that's bunched up to look flamey and irregular. Maybe some tulle as well for a wispy smokey look. I would make like 20 bundles that look like this. Make sure you can still access the switches to be able to turn them on and off or later replace the battery if you need to. The tutorial I linked explains how to use a hair flatiron to carefully melt synthetic fabric to make it look more flamey. You can get secondhand hair flatirons at thrift shops for under $10.
- Then find a way to attach those "glow bombs" to the black outfit, so they're nestled inside the wicker baskets of the costume. I might sew velcro cable straps to the costume and attach them to loops on the back of the glow bombs. If the glow bombs have some movement as you walk that might add to the effect.
You might also be able to work something out with small personal fans in your legs that are blowing thin fabric upwards so there's movement like flames. If you get flame-print sheer fabric like this it would look super cool.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:03 AM on May 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
- Under the wicker baskets, wear all black. To that layer, you could attach a bunch of LED "glow bombs".
- Get small battery operated LED lights with a "low flicker" effect. Maybe some little LED tealights for the flickering effect, or maybe you can find a long strand. Maybe some bike lights for the lower part of your body where the flames would be stronger. But LED tealights are cheap at any dollar store so maybe start there to experiment.
- Spray paint or duct-tape the tealight bases black so they're not glaring white through the wicker.
- Then wrap the lights in transluscent orange and red fabric that's bunched up to look flamey and irregular. Maybe some tulle as well for a wispy smokey look. I would make like 20 bundles that look like this. Make sure you can still access the switches to be able to turn them on and off or later replace the battery if you need to. The tutorial I linked explains how to use a hair flatiron to carefully melt synthetic fabric to make it look more flamey. You can get secondhand hair flatirons at thrift shops for under $10.
- Then find a way to attach those "glow bombs" to the black outfit, so they're nestled inside the wicker baskets of the costume. I might sew velcro cable straps to the costume and attach them to loops on the back of the glow bombs. If the glow bombs have some movement as you walk that might add to the effect.
You might also be able to work something out with small personal fans in your legs that are blowing thin fabric upwards so there's movement like flames. If you get flame-print sheer fabric like this it would look super cool.
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:03 AM on May 7, 2023 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Oh! There are battery operated LED lanterns with a flame effect. Maybe some of these or something like this (again wrapped in flamey-shaped fabric to diffuse the edges)
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:19 AM on May 7, 2023
posted by nouvelle-personne at 6:19 AM on May 7, 2023
Best answer: nouvelle-personne has the fire parts covered. We did a traditional fire-walking dance over battery-operated string lights and thin fire-pattern fabric, effective. I found this article on Pinterest, and lots of straw man costume images. Battery-operated rice lights under tights that you paint with flames would be easy to wear.
If you can find a wide wicker laundry basket at a thrift shop, that would make a good base. Wicker is moldable when wet, use a sprayer. Seal edges with colored duct tape.
Please update around Halloween, great idea.
posted by theora55 at 10:12 AM on May 7, 2023
If you can find a wide wicker laundry basket at a thrift shop, that would make a good base. Wicker is moldable when wet, use a sprayer. Seal edges with colored duct tape.
Please update around Halloween, great idea.
posted by theora55 at 10:12 AM on May 7, 2023
Best answer: Here’s a link for hoop steel used to make hoop skirts which you can more easily manipulate into shape, spray brown, and use as a base. In the fall, if you can find grape vines to intertwine or buy basket weaving reed for the real thing. Then add fire lights as above.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:05 PM on May 7, 2023
posted by TWinbrook8 at 2:05 PM on May 7, 2023
Response by poster: These are wonderful suggestions, everyone - thank you so much. There's a lot to dig into here, but this gives me the nudge and the confidence to go for it. I will most certainly update!
posted by McBearclaw at 2:49 PM on May 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
posted by McBearclaw at 2:49 PM on May 7, 2023 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I hope scared-face minifigs will be involved somehow?
posted by gottabefunky at 2:30 PM on May 8, 2023
posted by gottabefunky at 2:30 PM on May 8, 2023
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I'd make a bunch of simple wreaths of different diameters and then fix them together with straight members and jute twine. It's very easy to work when fresh but will get brittle as it dries, so only gather as much as you can work within a few days.
This to me seems a lot easier than using pre-made basketry stock, as well as much less expensive, if you can get it. I can offer more specific construction tips if you want, send me MeMail :)
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:05 AM on May 7, 2023