(p.s.)

I cut long white strips from a grocery bag, then taped them securely to the oxygen tank so that it could be worn like a backpack.

awesome astronaut costume

This costume was for my fourth grader who had to make a "tour guide" presentation on Alabama. The U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama, built the rockets that took us to the moon, hence the astronaut costume.

 

The idea was to put it together (we had 3 days) without a single trip to a store. I love you Amy Dacyczyn.

 

Bulky white clothes... no problem. Something big, round, white and see-through for a helmet... brainstorming needed. Oxygen tank, American flags... no problem.

 

The shirt is a shiny white shell (yucky polyester) with a stiff stand-up collar. (Lace ruffle on collar; not a problem.) Wearing it on top of your clothes adds bulk. I added American flag and ALABAMA armband stickers, and (later) a big proud motif for the front of the shirt. The skirt is actually a daddy-sized T shirt; I turned the sleeves in and safety-pin-sewed the new "seam."

 

The oxygen tank is a large Rubbermaid (Tupperware?) canteen we happen to have. If this had been unavailable I would have squeezed two seltzer bottles into a food storage bag.

 

The face mask (I know, it's supposed to be part of the helmet) is a strainer that has lost its handle. The pipe going to the oxygen tank is two bungee cords, cable-twisted together and wrapped in clear packing tape. Connected on both ends by its hooks, then a couple lengths of packing tape.

 

The helmet: I cut long strips from a grocery box, then bent each one into a curve. Taped them together like this:

 

 

A white garbage bag was not opaque enough to cover the brown, so I covered it with paper towels instead (more packing tape) and then a garbage bag. Perhaps I should have taped it down better... anyhow this way is greener because we can reuse the garbage bag. (If this were a Purim costume I'd spring for a $1 white mixing bowl.)

 

The gloves: fleece winter gloves (dark gray if you must know) covered with two layers of disposable latex gloves. (The gloves were pretty yellow, actually. Photoshop alert.)

 

I was going to cover her boots with white tights, but the bus was coming so scratch that!

 

Stay tuned for a sweet and spacey treat from your astronaut tour guide.