Simply Curious

Have you ever considered making a costume out of paper?  I did.

*dusts off blog*

Obligatory backstory:

There I was, stuck in rural Pennsylvania, where shopping was hard enough in normal times, so when the pandemic hit, I became a regular stop for package deliverers. The cardboard boxes and packing supplies started to pile up, because I knew we were going to move again when things settled down, and I knew I would need them.  

In my defense, I had no adult supervision and a house full of cardboard and kraft packing paper.  Things happened.  Things like this tree shelf:  

It was a fun time, full of creativity, but I was looking forward to getting back to wearable art.

I'd been wanting to do a wood elf costume for years now.  I wanted it to be organic looking, comfortable and practical.  If you've ever tromped through the woods, there are millions of tiny branches and brambles and leaf debris to trip you and snag your clothes.  It's often cold and damp and things drip on you, so gauzy gowns are out. Boots and tight leggings and tunic for the win.

I also wanted a project where I could use worbla or similar thermoplastic sheets, and I was excited when I finally envisioned a way to use one goal to achieve another.  Bark bracers!  It would be perfect!

This post is not about Worbla.  I saw the price per sheet and stopped short. But there were rolls and rolls of brown kraft paper just sitting in the corner of the kitchen, waiting for . . . what?  Me to make another tree?

What better material to use to make bark than paper?

Nah, it'd never hold up.

On the other hand, that pirate hat I'd recently made for Maxwell out of packing paper and Mod Podge was surprisingly hard and sturdy.

Then I had to wait for it to dry.  Meanwhile, I began to wonder, what color IS bark, anyway?  I ended up doing image searches and questioning everything.  Bark was grey, or sometimes orange, and look, covered in moss! Ooh, moss!

That's CAPTAIN Poppins, Thank YOU!

When I discovered I had a hit on my hands with this costume, I realized I had better step up my game a bit. My Mary Poppins hat has been a big success, but I still feel it's a little too big for my head and a bit unstructured. I tend to tilt it up when wearing it, which means the underbrim shows up in photos rather than the flowers. It was a good start, but I was ready to do better.


Right after I decided to look for new hat options, I happened to find myself in a thrift shop, wiling away an hour while waiting to pick up B. from work.






Halloween stuff was already out, which generally means "the ugliest, weirdest clothing that got donated to us." This particular shop had a bin full of vintage hats, most of which I adored. Among the items was a green straw hat.



Now, what you're seeing is what I consider 'After - Part 1.' I did not take a 'before' photo, because that was one sorry hat. It had a faded golden ribbon, with an equally faded golden suede bow, and some really ratty yellow netting. There were stains on it. It looked like someone had squashed it up and stuffed it in a pocket for a few years. But I saw some potential, and it fit nicely on my head. I bought it and began tearing off the yellowed decorations while walking back to my car a few blocks away. It was rather embarrassing to be seen with it! The photo is also not so great, I was in the basement and only thought at the last minute that I should get a before spraypaint shot.


P.S. Same thrift shop had ANOTHER rocking chair. Y'know, THE rocking chair. In great shape. I did not buy it. I am very curious about its history, though!

Back to the hat! I did a little research, and the Internet crafters said I could fix it with some steam. They were right! I watered up my iron, and grabbed a large can I use to store plastic bags in. It's over 6" wide and has a metal bottom. I fitted it over the metal end (it was still a little loose, but close enough!) and tied some ribbon around it to help hold the shape, and began fake ironing around it, letting puffs of steam do its thing. Eventually I grabbed a lightweight scrap of upholstery fabric and began ironing the hat with that as a layer in between. I even laid the can on its side on the edge of the ironing board and ironed the sides of the hat. It made a HUGE difference. I even sprayed the hat with some water to see if that would help. I don't think it made a difference. I eventually turned the hat and can upside down and left it to dry.




Internet crafters also assured me I could spray paint the hat just fine. I had used the Design Master brand for my fairy wings with beautiful results, no cracking or flaking, so I dashed to Michaels to add to my spray paint collection. Lots of shaking, several coats and waiting about half an hour or so between outside and inside, and I am now the proud owner of a second Poppins hat base!


I bought some vintage millinery cherries on Etsy, but frankly I prefer the wooden cherries I painted. 'Nice' daisies are also hard to find. I am still on the lookout, but these will do.






Et voila!








I found the white cotton prairie blouse on eBay, and am much pleased with this cosplay. Judging from people's responses, they are pleased, too! I have a coat, too, but unless the event is outdoors it's generally too hot to wear.

Now I need to work on what to carry in the bag. Everybody expects a lamp for some reason. I kept explaining that I only pack a lamp when I'm moving house . . .

I had to set aside the Micro-Willowcrest for the moment, I just realized Myths and Legends Con is two weeks away!

There's no way I can generate a whole new costume in time this year, but I thought I'd at least build up a few more accessories.  Today I finally finished my Steampunk hat!

The hat is a vital accessory for almost every costume.  It helps to define who you are and what you're doing,  Mary Poppins, for example, is totally identifiable just from her hat.

I have a pith helmet, but that implies adventure, excitement, and activity, which I don't always want to portray, and, well, it's a little too big for me.  I wanted a fancy hat, but with my short hair, there's a lot of hats that I just can't wear because I don't have anything to attach it to.

Pre 'am I sure this is what I want?' shot.  It was what I wanted.

My first glow-in-the-dark hat!