Easy Angry Bird Costume and Candy Basket

My son REALLY wanted to be an Angry Bird for Halloween, I couldn't find any costumes that I was willing to buy online and couldn't find any local, so thats when I decided to make my own. I'm not very good at sewing, and wanted to create something that anyone could make. I learned from my mom how to make your own pinatas and so my mind went to work on how I could create a costume using the same technique. The ball shaped costume could be used for other ideas as well, like a pumpkin, ghost, sports ball, or owl (Ideas to get you you thinking).

While shopping in a craft store we came across an Angry Bird sleeping mask for $3.00 and my son fell in love with it. So this is how the costume came together. Happy creating for your little Angry Bird player :) You can make any color bird you want, but my son wanted to be the "Bomb Bird". I also made the Angry Bird Green Pig for his candy for trick or treating, and will show you how to make it at the end. Happy making!

P.S. This costume was so much fun! Not only did my son love it but everyone enjoyed watching him walk around in it, trying to put his candy in his basket, and bending over was very comical. My son started to duck down in the costume on the door step waiting, so you would just see the ball with the Angry Bird head sticking out. (I think this idea would make a very adorable turtle costume- you could use green streamer and make a turtle mask/hat to wear).  Everyone got a good laugh, and people really enjoyed it. My son also had a blast making people laugh, and enjoyed everyone saying how cute and cool it was. This was the most fun I've had on Halloween, and my son usually doesn't last long walking, and gets tired. But with this costume he wanted to just keep going! We had a bucket full of candy, and he even got extra toys and candy for doing his "trick" and providing a good laugh.

Yoga Ball/Birthing Ball that can be deflated
Newspapers and Magazines
I bottle of liquid starch (sold at walmart)
Scissors
Black paint (If you have any left over from an old project or if you want to use it)
Black Streamers and Elmers Glue (If you decide you don't want to paint it or if you want it to look more like feathers)
1 black felt sheet
I black foam sheet, hot glue gun, hot glue sticks, and round foam circle big enough to go over child's head (if you want more stability in the neck)
Black clothing, black stocking cap, and bird mask (you don't need the mask if you would rather just use felt or paper to make the face on the bird body, thats what I was going to do but couldn't pass up the mask)

Take your newspaper and magazines and tear them in strips. Dip them in the liquid starch just enough to make it a little sticky, not soaked.
Then layer the strips on the ball, do five layers to make the body stable and thick. I took turns doing a newspaper layer and then a magazine layer. I left the top uncovered and the bottom uncovered where there head can go through the top, and the bottom so they can put it on over there head. Just don't leave too much uncovered at the top like I did, because then you will have to do an extra step later :) Let the ball dry for three days out in the sun. Then once it is fully dried slowly deflate the ball by pulling out the top pin or you can pop it too if you don't mind wrecking your ball and then take it out of the bottom hole.

I had some paint left over from painting a bedroom. Once the ball is dry, and if you would like to paint it, then go for it. I think the paint makes it a little more stable and flexible for children to run around. Just take your paint brush and paint away. I did the inside and outside. Then let the paint dry. Then once the paint is dry find a spot to put the wings where your child will be comfortable. I took a felt sheet and cut it into two triangles, then I took a hot glue gun and glued the tops of the triangles on where I was going to put the arm holes. Then take a knife and carefully cut out holes under the triangles for your child's arms. If you like the way it looks, and you think the neck is stable then you could get a mask or cut out pieces of felt to make a face and glue them on the body and you are done with your costume!

So when I made my ball I left the neck to big, and when my son tried it on part of his shoulders were coming out and the newspaper started to  break and rip, so I had to come up with this idea.

Take a foam ring and hot glue it on to a black foam sheet. Then cut an x in the black foam sheet wide enough for them to put their head through it and cut the sharp edges off a little. Then take the ring and hot glue it to the inside of the costume, after it cooled I hot glued around the edge on the top of the ball.

So if you are not happy with just the paint, you can add streamers to the outside to make it look like feathers. Take strips of the streamers and cut 3/4 of the way up to make feathers. Then take each strip and use elmers glue to glue them on. Start at the bottom of the ball, and glue them around working your way up.


If you are not buying a mask then cut out pieces and shapes of felt to make the face for the Angry Bird, and then hot glue them to either the body, or the black stocking cap if you would like. I didn't show this step because I just bought a mask. Put your child in black clothes, and they are ready to rock and roll. My son was wondering what his bag was going to look like, and more ideas started popping in my head, you could make a small version of this idea using a balloon, cutting a hole in the top for candy after it dries, and paint it to look like a golden egg. I decided to make an Angry Bird Green Pig for his candy instead.

So if you would like to have a basket for your child to carry that goes with the costume here is an idea. Everything to make it cost me $5 at walmart, but I bet if you shopped around you could make it for less than that.

What You Need
1 round shaped basket (I used a cheap plastic green jackolantern basket it was $1)
1 Roll of Green Duck Tape
1 piece of paper or a paper bag a different shade of green
1 white piece of paper
Black paint or a black marker
Scissors
Hot glue gun and glue

Take the basket and taking strips of the Duck Tape, tape the outside all green.
Then make your nose with the different shade of green paper, and black paint or marker to make the nostrils and outline on the nose.
Then take your white piece of paper and cut out circles for the eyes. Use your paint or marker to make the pupils.
To make the ears I took two pieces of duck tape and put them together, sticky sides in. Then painted the inside of the ears.
I took the hot glue gun and hot glued everything on to the basket.
Then as the last step paint or draw on the eyebrows!
You are set to go!