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How to Make a Tumbleweed Costume

Tumbleweeds are an iconic symbol of the wild American west. They serve as a ubiquitous prop in serious and satirical portrayals of western life, and can be seen rolling across the horizon in countless films, cartoons, and plays. If you're looking for an off-the-wall Halloween costume idea that definitely won't be copied, a tumbleweed costume might be the right choice for you. Tumbleweed costumes can be made cheaply, and will be certain to attract a lot of attention. A tumbleweed costume is especially appropriate for western-themed parties, and will make you a centerpiece for the occasion.

Things You'll Need:

  • Dessert Or Shrub Ghillie Suit
  • Twigs, Sticks, Shrubbery
  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Decorative Flora
  • Hot Glue Sticks

Locate a desert or shrubbery-themed Ghillie suit. Ghillie suits are used by soldiers as a form of full-body camouflage. They are printed in a variety of different styles to fit different landscapes. Ghillie suits can be purchased cheaply from army surplus stores, and are also widely available through Internet vendors.

Gather twigs, sticks, and small branches from woodland areas. You may also consider purchasing some small shrubs from a local greenhouse. If you don't want to forage for sticks, you can also purchase decorative fauna from arts and craft stores which are generally used for centerpieces and dioramas.

Use your hot glue gun to affix the sticks, twigs, decorative fauna and/or shrubs to your Ghillie suit. You'll want to cover as much of the suit as you can, so that you appear to be a large bundle of sticks and shrubbery when the costume is worn. Allow half an hour for the glue to set before putting on the costume.

Tip

To make the costume rounder you can purchase a ghillie suit that is too large to fit normally, then inflate -- or partially inflate -- beach balls to take up the additional space inside the suit. Another option is to use children's hula hoops to create a sort of round interior skeleton to your suit. Finally, you can purchase an additional large parka-like ghillie suit jacket to wear over the outfit which will give you a much rounder profile.

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