Make a Loofah Costume

If you're looking for a fun, creative costume to wear to your next Halloween party, consider dressing up as a shower loofah. All you need is a little colored tulle and elastic to complete the look.

Steps

Making Bundles

1. Cut eight large pieces of tulle. Each length of tulle should be about {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} (2.3 m).
   • For a fuller loofah, you could create more bunches of tulle. Create an even number of bunches so that your costume will still be proportional.
   • The lengths do not need to be cut perfectly or with precise evenness. They should all be close to the same size, but by the time you finish, it will not matter if a few are shaped a little differently than others.
   • You could also use nylon matte netting instead of tulle.
2. Fold the tulle in half. Fold one piece of tulle in half lengthwise, essentially halving the width.
   • Repeat with the other pieces.
3. Fold each folded piece of tulle in thirds. Fold one piece of tulle widthwise into thirds. The length of the tulle should be one-third of what it was.
   • Repeat with the other pieces.
   • Do not worry about making exact or perfect folds.
4. Tie each piece of tulle into a bundle. Pinch one piece of folded tulle in the middle and tie it in place with a small piece of 1/4-inch (0.635 cm) elastic.
   • You could also hold the bundle together by twisting an elastic hair band around the center.
   • Use your fingers to gently fluff the tulle after bundling it together.
   • Repeat with the remaining pieces of folded tulle.

Making Waist and Bust Bands

1. Measure your bust. Wrap a soft tape measure under your arms and around the fullest part of your chest.
   • Stand in front of a mirror or ask for help from another person to make sure that the tape measure is parallel to the ground all the way around.
   • Bring the tape measure together in the front to make it easier for you to read the numbers.
2. Measure your waist. Wrap a soft tape measure around the narrowest part of your torso.
   • The narrowest part of your torso is usually immediately above your belly button or somewhere in that area.
   • Make sure that the tape measure is completely parallel to the ground all the way around. To double-check this, continue standing in front of the mirror or getting help from another person.
   • Wrap the tape measure around your back and bring it together in the front.
3. Cut two pieces of elastic based on these measurements. One piece should match your bust measurement and the other should match your waist measurement.
   • Add roughly 4 inches (10 cm) of extra length so that you can tie the elastic together.
4. Tie and trim the elastic. Tie the elastic together to form bands and trim off most of the excess on the ends.
   • Slip the elastic over your bust and waist to make sure that it is fits. If it is too loose or too tight, re-tie it and try again.
   • Knot the elastic to secure it in place.

Attaching the Bundles

1. Tie or pin the tulle to the elastic bands. Attach half of the tulle bundles to the bust band and the other half to the waist band.
   • Space the bundles along each band at even intervals. For instance, if you have four bundles on the bust band and four on the waist band, space the bundles apart in even quarters.
   • Attach the bundles to the band by tying a short length of 1/4-inch (0.635-cm) elastic around the center of each bundle. Tie the other end of each elastic string to the waist or bust band.
   • You could also attach the bundles to the band by weaving a safety pin through the tulle and into the band.
2. Slip the bands over a mini-dress or bodysuit. If possible, wear a strapless mini-dress or bodysuit in a color that matches the tulle.
   • If you cannot find a dress that matches the color of the tulle, wear one in white or black.
   • Short shorts and a tube top can also be worn instead of a solid dress or bodysuit. For a more conservative appearance, you could also wear tights or leggings.
   • Wear the bust band around the bust and the waist band around the waist.
3. Alternatively, pin the tulle directly to the dress. If you want to skip the elastic bands, you can use safety pins to fix the bunches directly to the mini-dress or bodysuit.
   • Slide the safety pin through the tulle near its base. You may need multiple pins for each tulle bundle.
   • Keep the fabric of the dress or bodysuit as flat as possible as you pin it. If you gather too much fabric into the pin, you will end up causing the dress to bunch. If this happens, it may become difficult or impossible to slip the dress on.
   • You may need to try the dress or bodysuit on as you work to make sure that it still fits.
   • Make sure that there are as few empty spots as possible on the dress.
   • This option is preferable over the previous method if you have many small bunches of tulle. If you only have 8 to 12 bunches, either method can be used. For any more than that, however, the use of waist and bust bands is not recommended.

Finishing Touches

1. Fluff up the tulle. Fan out the tulle with your fingers, positioning the layers of each bunch so that it covers as much area as possible.
   • Continue picking at and fluffing the tulle bunches until you no longer notice any empty gaps. The outfit should look as "bunched up" or "fluffy" as a shower loofah when done.
2. Attach a white cord or rope to the costume. Cut a length of white cord or rope that can fit around your neck and down to the top of the costume. Attach the rope to the top of your mini-dress, your bust band, or the top layer of tulle bunching.
   • Use safety pins to attach the rope. You could also attach it using a hot glue gun or a needle and thread.
3. Spray yourself with glitter spray. To give yourself a "wet" appearance, spray a coat of glitter spray over your arms and legs. Also spray some along your shoulders and neck.
   • If it is safe to use the spray on your face, apply a little to your face.
   • This part of the costume is only optional, but it will contribute to the shower-like or bath-like appearance.
4. Put gel in your hair or wear a shower cap. Hair gel will make your hair look wet, while a shower cap reinforces the shower theme.
   • If using hair gel, wet your entire hair with the gel. Cheap gel is actually preferable because it will make your hair look wetter.
5. Wear shower shoes. Complete the costume by wearing mesh shower slippers, plastic flip-flops, or plastic crocs.

Things You'll Need

• 20 to 40 yards (18 to 37 m) tulle or nylon matte netting
• Strapless mini-dress or bodysuit
• 1-inch (2.5-cm) elastic
• White rope or rope
• Box of safety pins
• 1/4-inch (0.635-cm) elastic or elastic hair bands
• Soft tape measure

Sources and Citations

See also

• Look Like a Biker
• Make Samurai Armor
• Create a Fake Pregnancy Belly
• Face Paint a Butterfly
• Make a Cape
• Make a Toga out of a Bedsheet
• Make a Crown
• Make a Toga
• Make Fake Braces or a Fake Retainer
• Do Stage Makeup on Kids

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