How to Create Costume Props With Recycled Materials

Children aren’t the only ones who love costume parties. Many adults also like to go back to their childhood and dress up as their favorite fairy-tale characters. It’s just that these costumes can be quite expensive, which can keep you from participating in these magical stories.

5-Minute Crafts wants to share simple hacks to help make your costume look amazing, complete with simple details you can make yourself using stuff most people have at home.

Angel wings

What you’ll need:

• Toilet paper
  
• Cardboard
  
• Paper glue

Instructions:

1. Pull a roll of toilet paper apart.
   
2. Crumple the pieces of paper in the shape of a flower and apply glue to the ends of them.
   
3. Cut out 2 pieces of cardboard in the shape of wings and glue the pieces of paper on top.
   
4. Cover the entire surface of the cardboard with pieces of toilet paper.

Spider-Man

What you’ll need:

• Plastic film
  
• Red adhesive tape
  
• Scissors
  
• A disposable plate
  
• A paintbrush
  
• Red paint
  
• A black marker

Instructions:

1. Cover your foot with plastic wrap.
   
2. Wrap your foot with red tape over the plastic.
   
3. Make a cut in the front so you can take off the boots and put them back on (be careful not to cut yourself).
   
4. Use a paintbrush to paint the disposable plastic plate red.
   
5. In the top center of the plate, cut out 2 holes for the eyes.
   
6. Draw a spider web on the surface of the plate using a black marker.

Ice headband

What you’ll need:

• A glue gun
  
• A glue stick
  
• Glitter
  
• A headband

Instructions:

1. Pour glitter of different colors (white, blue, and light blue) on the surface of some disposable material (cardboard, paper, etc.).
   
2. Make glue strips of different sizes over the glitter using the glue gun.
   
3. Also, cover the glue strips with more glitter and let them dry.
   
4. Glue the diamond glue strips to the headband.
   
5. Glue the strips in a combination of colors to give variety to the headband.
   
6. Place the strips down by size; the longer ones should go in the front and the shorter ones on the sides.

Crown of freedom

What you’ll need:

• A headband
  
• Plastic straps
  
• Gold spray paint
  
• Rubber gloves

Instructions:

1. Find a headband that you can use.
   
2. Attach the plastic straps to the headband tightly so they don’t slip off.
   
3. Keep attaching plastic straps until the top of the headband is full of them, but leave the ends of the headband free.
   
4. Paint the headband with golden spray. Do the same with the plastic straps. Don’t forget to wear rubber gloves to protect your hands (be careful not to damage the surface of the area you’re painting on either).

Elf ears

What you’ll need:

• Band-aids

Instructions:

1. Cover the tops of the ears with band-aids.
   
2. Make sure the tops of the band-aids are pointed.

A judge’s wig

What you’ll need:

• Satin ribbon
  
• White toilet paper cylinders
  
• Glue

Instructions:

1. Cut a piece of satin ribbon.
   
2. Find several white toilet paper cylinders.
   
3. Apply glue to the cylinders to attach them to the satin ribbon.
   
4. Cover one side of the tape with cylinders along the entire surface and let dry.

A pirate’s hook

What you’ll need:

• A clothes hanger hook
  
• A disposable plastic cup
  
• An awl

Instructions:

1. Find a clothes hanger.
   
2. Remove the metal hook.
   
3. Use an awl to make a hole in the bottom of the disposable cup.
   
4. Put the hook through the hole in the cup and stick your hand inside to look like a real pirate.