Carnival 2024 is approaching and slowly but surely the preparation fever is increasing. How are we dressing up this year? What household items could you use for homemade versions? The DIY costume made of cardboard is particularly popular. How about this?
Figures that are more angular can be chosen for a cardboard costume. Robots, for example, or cars, bread or those from pixelated games like Minecraft. Let the ideas surprise you!
DIY cardboard costume for last minute carnival costumes
For a large part of theCardboard carnival costumesNot much work in the form of cutting and gluing is necessary. You can also create the desired DIY costume out of cardboard using the original shape of the box and a little paint or painted motifs. We have put together ideas like these, as well as more complex ones, below.
Lego in bright colors for the whole family
Both cube-shaped cardboard boxes and oblong ones are suitable. The right size depends on the wearer. The box should neither be too narrow nor too large, as this will restrict freedom of movement. Once you have found suitable boxes, make the Lego bricks like this:
- Cardboard box
- Plastic or paper cups (four pieces per square Lego brick; six or eight rectangular ones)
- spray paint
- Scissors (or even easier with a carpet knife)
- Hot glue (or other reliable adhesive)
The Lego costume is surprisingly easy to make:
- Cut holes for the head (on the top or in the actual bottom of the box) and the arms (on the two sides). The open side of the box faces down for legroom.
- Cut off the bottoms of the cups and glue them to the front of the box.
- Spray everything (outside!) with the desired color. Complete!
Horse for the princess costume
A simple crown is yoursAccessory for the princessToo boring as a carnival costume? Why not add a horse like that!
- Cardboard
- wool or rope
- Felt or other material
- Leather straps
- spray paint
- Parcel tape
Make the horse as follows:
- Cut a hole in the cardboard opposite the open side of the box for the torso to fit through.
- On another piece of cardboard, draw a horse's head and neck freehand and cut it out.
- Attach the horse's head to the body. You can use packaging tape for this.
- Spray paint the horse head and cardboard the color you want.
- Once the paint has dried, you can draw ears, eyes, mouth, nostrils, etc. on the horse's head and glue the harness made of leather straps in place. You get the mane from many wool threads or, as in the example, from ropes.
- Then glue felt or another material for the saddle onto the cardboard box.
- So that the future princess doesn't have to hold the horse with her hands the whole time while carrying it, you can attach elastic or other straps to the sides of the hole, which she can pull over her shoulders.
Of course, such a horse can also be made for a prince or a knight.
A cool knight's castle made quick and easy
This simple castle is perfect for a group costume that matches the horse and dragon below. What you need and instructions to follow:
- Cardboard box of appropriate size
- The cardboard roll
- gray color
- felt-tip pen
- Carpet knife
It's that easy:
- Opposite the open side of the cardboard, cut a hole for the head and on either side for the arms.
- Save the cut out cardboard.
- Cut a gate in the front.
- Cut the cardboard rolls so that they are slightly longer than the box is tall.
- You can make the crenellated elements from the leftover rolls. Or use strips of cardboard that you shape into rings after cutting the crenellations on one side. The diameter should be a tiny bit larger than the original rollers.
- Cut out another window or two from the excess cardboard.
- Paint or spray paint everything the gray color and let it dry.
- Glue the towers together and then to the corners of the box. Attach the windows.
- Now draw the gate, the windows and the approaches to the walls on the castle.
Dinosaur or dragon as a DIY costume made of cardboard
Speaking of knights and castles: Should the siblings match costume-wise or?look for a partner costume? Then you can consider this dinosaur that can also be quickly transformed into a dragon. Not a complicated thing, I promise:
- Cardboard box large enough to fit on your head
- more cardboard for the remaining elements
- Kitchen paper rolls
- white color for teeth
- additional colors for the design
- Paint brush
- white paper
- Hot glue
- Scissors or, even better, a carpet knife
- Felt pen/Edding, pencil
Make dragons or dinosaurs as carnival costumes for children:
- Think about where the opening of the dinosaur mouth should be. Draw the tooth pattern in pencil on the front and on the two adjacent sides. Cut out the area.
- Cut a hole in the bottom through which the head can be inserted (you can also simply use the open side as the bottom and cut off the tabs, but then the dinosaur head will not be as stable.
- Using the other cardboard, prepare the remaining elements. They need a tail and the scales that run from the head to the tip of the tail.
- Make the eyes by gluing one side of the cardboard rolls with paper and painting a pupil on each.
- Paint (or spray) all elements in the selected colors. It doesn't have to be a spotty dinosaur. You can also make it monochrome.
- Now put all the elements together: glue the tail to the back of the head. Distribute the scales approximately evenly. Glue the rollers for the eyes to the left and right of the head scales.
Tipp:If you want the dinosaur to become a dragon instead, you can transform it with a simple flame. You also cut these out of cardboard and design them in matching colors. Stick them in the mouth.
Make your own robot costume
Making a robot costume is even easier. You need:
- a smaller and a larger box (the small one must fit your head, the larger one the upper body)
- Acrylic paints for painting individual elements
- Paper cups
- Go-Folie
- possibly additional cardboard, cables, buttons, construction paper, etc., depending on how you want to design the robot
- Glue
How to make a robot yourself as a costume:
- Cut a hole in the small cardboard box that is big enough to put your head through and another square one to act as a large peephole (it shouldn't be too small so that enough oxygen can still get in).
- Cut a hole of this size into the large box on one side and a larger one on the opposite side through which the upper body fits (or simply use the opening for this).
- If you want a colorful robot, now is the time to design it.
- Then glue the head and body together (the two smaller holes on top of each other).
- Start designing: Glue pieces of wire or “ears” out of aluminum foil-wrapped cups, paint gears, hands or scales, add buttons from bottle caps, or whatever else you can think of. You can also cut out some details from cardboard for a bit of a 3D effect.
