Freezer Paper Skeleton Costume

Make a skeleton costume using freezer paper and paint.

Materials:
black long sleeve shirt
leggings or long johns
white fabric paint
freezer paper
pencil
iron
glow-in-the-dark fabric paint (optional)

Draw some basic bone shapes on the papery (not plastic-y) side of the freezer paper.

This really doesn't take artistic skill. There are lots of sites online that have anatomy graphics, and you can use these as a guide. Simple is really just fine. (Check out the skeletons in the daft punk Around the World video if you want to see what I mean.)

What you do want to know is about how big the costume wearer's bones are, you wouldn't want your skeleton's knee to bend mid- hip, for example. Have the person who will wear the costume try on the black shirt and leggings. Measure how wide and long the hips, upper leg, lower leg, torso, and arms are. Mark the wearer's knees and elbows with safety pins. Use these measurements to create your bones.

For bones that have a separate right and left pieces (arms, legs) you might want to draw one bone, then flip it over and use it as a symmetrical template for the opposite side of the body.

Cut out the bones from the freezer paper.

Lay out the bone templates on the front of the shirt and pants. Make sure that you can see all the bones and that no part of the bones is covered with overlapping freezer paper.

Make sure the plastic side of the freezer paper is facing the fabric!

Using an iron set on medium, iron over the freezer paper so it sticks to the clothing. Make sure to iron right around the edges and make a nice seal so no paint seeps through.

Using a flat, stiff-bristled brush, "tap" the fabric paint onto the fabric inside the bone stencil.

Once the paint has dried, gently peel back the freezer paper stencil to reveal the bones.

If you'd like, trace around the bone edges with glow-in-the-dark fabric paint.