Etsy :: The Storque :: How-To :: How-Tuesday: Headless Marie Antoinette Costume From Makezine

How-Tuesday: Headless Marie Antoinette Costume From Makezine


Story by mtraub, nicemag Published on October 20, 2009 in How-To	Photo by Nicole Magne

Okay, people, it's crunch time. There is only one weekend left between now and Halloween, and if you've been a delinquent with purchasing your Gaga hairbows or spider wings, Makezine's got you covered. Today's How-Tuesday is a Headless Marie Antoinette Costume from Nicole Magne. I love how this ensemble is such a harmonious synthesis of sexy and undead. Once you've sculpted yourself a new blue bosom, those zombie-ninja-aliens will be clamoring to buy you your next O Positive cocktail. For more great Halloween DIY ideas, check out the Craftzine blog!

Purchase Makezine's Halloween Special Edition

If there's a holiday made for makers, it's Halloween. On this night, you can proudly wear your most bizarre creation around the neighborhood. Or invite neighbors to explore your elaborate, homemade house of horrors. To celebrate the maker spirit of Halloween, we created this special issue, a joint project from the editorial and design teams of MAKE and CRAFT.

Halloween can be as low-tech or high-tech as you want. You can make scary things in the kitchen or in front of the bathroom mirror. Use a sewing machine or tools in a machine shop. Put a monster puppet on your hand or on a pneumatic device. Turn lights on and off with simple switches or with microcontrollers. One piece of advice we've heard repeatedly: start with a single project one year, and then add another one the next year.

Remember, Halloween is the perfect occasion for out-of-the-box thinkers (especially if the box is a coffin). Halloween allows you to recycle and reuse anything, from clothing to electronics. So let your imagination run wild, and then get together with friends to bring these ideas to life. Halloween is what you make of it, or as Vincent Price once said, "It's as much fun to scare as to be scared."

By Nicole Magne

Everyone knows Halloween is a great opportunity to scare the crap out of your friends and look good doing it. My costume idea was inspired by the Marie Antoinette movie that came out a couple years ago. I found a bunch of great "headless" costumes online that used the basic technique I wanted. Being a fan of zombie flicks, I took this inspiration to the next level, aiming for gory realism.

Materials
TO SCULPT:
Sculpting clay
Plaster of Paris
Sealer and mold release agent for plaster mold (I used Universal Mold Release, and Super Seal sealer)
Urethane liquid flexible foam (I cast the costume bust with FlexFoam-iT X liquid foam)

TO CARVE:
Blue sheet foam insulation (If you'd rather carve, you can use this foam insulation from the hardware store and carve it with a hot wire)

Acrylic paints
Wooden dowels or other piping
Backpack
Fabric
Oversized dress
Long gloves
Cotton stuffing
Wire
Sewing machine

1. Sculpt the bust with clay. I decided to make the bust first, and to create the rest of the costume around it. A hunk of clay and several hours were spent sculpting a creepy, skinny torso with super-fake-looking boobs.

2. Turn the bust into foam. Next, I poured a 2-part plaster mold over the clay bust. Once the mold was removed, I coated the interior with a sealer and release agent, and poured in liquid urethane foam. Once the foam cured, I removed the plaster and was rewarded with a Nerf-like copy of the bust. (Instead of sculpting and casting, you can also carve the bust directly into plain blue sheet insulation foam.) To add a dead skin effect, use acrylic paints, because aerosols won't set.

3. Raise the bust. With my boyfriend Andy's help, I welded a rig to hold the bust above my head. But I suggest using wooden dowels, as they are lighter and cheaper. We used copper pipes because we already had them, and because welding is fun. Measure the dowels to start at the lower back and extend to just above the head. If it's too high, it will ruin the illusion because the arms will look too long — the key to this costume is proportion. We then put a stabilizer at the top — notice mine is slightly too low. I drilled a couple of holes in the foam, inserted the pipes, and poured in leftover foam for sturdiness. I used backpack straps to hold my rig in place. I cut everything off the backpack except for the straps and the back panel. Then I attached long, narrow pockets down the length of the backpack for the pipes to fit into. We salvaged straps with clips from the backpack and used them across the chest to pull the rig tight and vertical. Without that strapping, the whole rig would be completely unstable. I suggest adding a strap across the stomach as well.

4. Dress up Marie. My friend Temperance McDonald helped me with the sewing. I lucked out and got the main dress at the thrift store for $3. I put on the backpack and bust, and then we put the dress over it. We now knew where to cut out holes for my head and arms.

Next, we made the top skirt out of a large scrap of fabric for $15 — this created the illusion of a waist (really my neck). It's basically a cape, with a hole through the right side for my arm, which connects through to the lower half of the right sleeve. With my left arm hidden underneath the top skirt, and my right hand in plain view in a bloodied glove, I was free to use both hands whenever I needed.

The left arm was a fake — a wire skeleton wrapped in cotton batting, stuffed into a long glove sewn closed to the end of the sleeve. It was completely posable and was tacked into place once the costume was on. The shoulders and arm were stuffed with cotton to fill them out. Makeup, hair, and blood-red paint helped to finish the effect.

Although this costume may appear uncomfortable, I had excellent mobility. I could move my head, dance around, get into cars (headfirst), and have a great time. Variations on this costume could include The Corpse Bride in a wedding outfit or Lumberjack Who Cut Off His Head With a Chainsaw. Keep in mind that the shorter you are, the better this illusion will work — I'm 5'8", so the entire costume was over 6' high for me.

Looking for more gruesome glamor? Check out a copy of Makezine's Halloween Special Edition for a DIY Halloween extravaganza! Thanks to Nicole Magne and the good folks at Makezine for sharing this project with us.

More How-Tuesday Posts | Supplies Category | DIY Made Simple Gift Guide

Halloween Costumes Guide | Halloween Category

Tags	costume, craft, creepy, DIY, funny, gory, Halloween, headless, How-To, HOW-TO, How-Tuesday, humor, instructions, lifestyle, Makezine, Marie Antoinette, Nicole Magne, pattern, project, scary, Supplies, tutorial, zombie

All articles in How-To

Related Items

This article was reported by:

mtraub

shop . profile . contact

nicemag

shop . profile . contact

125 comments Login to add your own!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:02 p.m.

recycledwares

yes, creepy is definitely the word for it.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:04 p.m.

squidart

Great idea! I was in need of a creepy, last-minute costume!

Loved the article!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:05 p.m.

OublietteLeather

Love it!!!!!!!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:06 p.m.

seababejewelry

Oh, I love haloween! We are going as zombie Elvis and Marilyn!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:06 p.m.

PrimaryRedux

That's awesome!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:09 p.m.

greeniemarie

Creepy but awesome!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:10 p.m.

JellyfishJunk

wow---this costume is so inspiring!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:12 p.m.

BeadinBabe

That is so crazy! I love it!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:13 p.m.

spacejam

cool!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:14 p.m.

MilkGlassVintage

Creepy yet delightful!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:15 p.m.

planworks

Spooktacular!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:16 p.m.

TheNebulousKingdom

amazing costume!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:17 p.m.

girlindustries

Brilliant!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:19 p.m.

VixVintage

Brilliant! Thanks

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:20 p.m.

daniellexo

This costume would make me a normal height! Love it!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:20 p.m.

PoppysVintageGarden

HA Ha this is pretty darned AWESOME! I'm almost thinking about doing something like this for my costume now!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:21 p.m.

LovMely

Such a crazy scary costume ;) THis costume would definitely win the "Best costume Award"!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:25 p.m.

warpedLaurie

how wonderfully odd. lol love it.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:32 p.m.

treeforyou

Oh my god! I'm such a big fan of Marie Antoinette!! I wish I
hadn't bought my cruella costume!! xxx

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.

funkomavintage

remember to Duck!
I love the boobies...So darn clever and scary...
I was zombie Marie Antoinette last Halloween....I loved it!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:40 p.m.

blueskyclouds

Yep, those are creepy!!!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.

AnniesWearableArt

oh so wickedly cool!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.

sleepyking

WOW! So awesome! Thanks for sharing this!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.

satellitedaisy

how much fun is this? all that and boobs too!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.

beautifulbridget

THAT IS AMAZINGLY CREATIVE!!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:48 p.m.

beautifulbridget

Oops, sorry the caps were on :)

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:49 p.m.

ObsoleteBoutique

wow, this is so amazingly freakish... great idea!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 2:54 p.m.

paramountvintage

wow what a great idea. very creative!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:02 p.m.

McGregorgirl

great costume!! thanks for using my buried treasure heels :)

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:03 p.m.

PunkUpBettie

Halloween is the best holiday ever! Cool costume!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:07 p.m.

littlepancakes

Really cool, but I would never have the patience for all that!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:07 p.m.

Innerversion

Fabulous article, the costume is fantastic!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:08 p.m.

zwzzy

Gah, that's so creative and amazing!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:09 p.m.

cassidycay

Creepy! I love it!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:13 p.m.

thestapeliacompany

I love this idea... and it looks real from a distance. Nice work.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:14 p.m.

TheMysticCircleArt

What a brilliant idea for a costume. Love it!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:14 p.m.

pinkytoeclothing

Mon dieu! Je l'aime beaucoup :)

Totally wicked costume, a winner for sure!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:15 p.m.

GreighdayVintage

Great idea.... Bravo for the creative costumer!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:17 p.m.

HoneysuckleLane

Very clever... and gruesome! ;)

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.

lovesmenot

top notch costume!

i want to know how many costume contests it wins.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:22 p.m.

4TheSparrowsNest

This is hilarious!!!! I love how creative people can be with their costumes. I'd like to see more creative costume ideas like this! Great work!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:23 p.m.

bootmeister

haha! That's hilarious!LOVE it!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:26 p.m.

Jenhaupt

So glad I discovered this blog -- very creative!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:28 p.m.

hellobrowneyes

This is the coolest thing ever!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:41 p.m.

MyMoms

Great article, very inspiring!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:52 p.m.

vivikas

wow... talk about a well elaborated costume! Great!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 3:54 p.m.

sewlola

Creatively creepy!!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4 p.m.

solocosmo

amazing!!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:02 p.m.

shavingkitsuppplies

Love the purple nurples! So awesome.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:05 p.m.

dcartesianos

that is so AMAZING!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.

lovelygifts

So funny and very creative

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:20 p.m.

GemsByJoy

awesome costume. I am impressed:)

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:27 p.m.

VeraVague

that's some serious dedication....kudos.
I'm going to slap on a fake baby belly, short blonde bob, and you can call me rosemary!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:39 p.m.

SistersOfTheMoon

very cool! I love seeing people make crazy costumes!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:49 p.m.

galit

So cool!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 4:58 p.m.

rollerscait

That is so creative and awesome!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 5:03 p.m.

missionpretty

This is wicked sweet! Great creation

Oct. 20, 2009 at 5:27 p.m.

sharonclancydesigns

Incredibly creative and so creepy in a good way!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 5:32 p.m.

BlueGremlin

sweet idea!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 5:34 p.m.

BellyDancePrincess

Great idea and great costume!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 5:55 p.m.

SeptemberStars

How cool is that costume?! I actually came across it before this article and thought it was such an awesome idea!

So creative!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 6:21 p.m.

trudiedavies

Oh how amazing!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 6:38 p.m.

worksofwhimsy

Very cool, but if I made it, Marie would be 7 feet tall!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 7:25 p.m.

SoulPeaces

Man that's a good costume!! I want one.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.

anteakbooteek

wOW. fASCINATING!! i LOVE THIS IDEA!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 7:35 p.m.

thebestvintage

very cool!!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 7:36 p.m.

zombiequeensusan

That costume is awesome, i must have one!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 9:08 p.m.

J2Jewelry

Ummmm. awesome.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 9:27 p.m.

Morado

This is super cool!!

http://twitter.com/MoradoShop
http://www.facebook.com/MoradoShop

Oct. 20, 2009 at 9:54 p.m.

artbywinona

Absolutely Fantastic!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 10:01 p.m.

wristielove

nice idea! love the pale on black shoes too! thx michelle!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 10:03 p.m.

craftpile

wow.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 10:16 p.m.

skycreation

Loves it!!! Great costume and looks like so much fun to make!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 10:35 p.m.

QuiltFinger

Amazing costume! Love the headless Marie Antoinette!

Oct. 20, 2009 at 11:01 p.m.

PlastikWrap

that is super cool...

and if you do not feel like sculpting, you can always buy those plastic display bodies (come in silver, white or black) and just chop them off and paint them, I think they are like 10 bucks at store display places. :)

Oct. 20, 2009 at 11:37 p.m.

MicheleMichelSilver

OMG this is by far the best Halloween costume I have seen in years, and believe me I have seen many!
Congrats.

Oct. 20, 2009 at 11:40 p.m.

girltuesdayjewelry

Frickin' awesome!!!! I always wondered how the 'headless' costume was made! I might have to make this. There is still time....

Oct. 21, 2009 at 12:17 a.m.

colormekelley

I love this idea! I wonder how fitting through doorways works,or hailing a cab!?

Oct. 21, 2009 at 12:45 a.m.

Iammie

Woo Creepy Cool!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 12:50 a.m.

tashascreations

Scariest thing ever for little kids on Halloween night, but looks awesome!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:19 a.m.

PinkPerch

This is such a good creepy costume! I love it!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:41 a.m.

lilimandrill

a lot of work but... so funny!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 6:03 a.m.

tootsweethandbags

awesomely creepy

Oct. 21, 2009 at 6:54 a.m.

zeropumpkin

lol so creep is a cool way .love it!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 7:47 a.m.

BellaLili

Love it! I would love to see pics or a follow up on some handmade costumes created from articles such as these.

Oct. 21, 2009 at 8:21 a.m.

akaCINDERS

This is creative genius at work! Wow, I love the idea. Thanks for bringing it to our attention. It's got my mind spinning with even more ideas.

Oct. 21, 2009 at 9:06 a.m.

babook

i'm ready to celebrate Halloween .......... It time to do the bizarre creation !!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 9:42 a.m.

JAdamsDesigns

That is one of the coolest costumes I have seen in a very long time!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 10:02 a.m.

23rdstreetvintage

That is the best!!!
Im going to try it but as my mother in law.
sorry hehe but I am

Oct. 21, 2009 at 10:12 a.m.

oldworldprimitives

Really clever and spooky!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 10:23 a.m.

magpiefelts

Wow!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 10:47 a.m.

topsyturvydesign

This is soooooooooooo clever!!!!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 11:52 a.m.

justlikeyouimagined

Brilliant!!! I might have a go at making that for my halloween costume, hehe*

Oct. 21, 2009 at 12:30 p.m.

ChloesRuffleButt

That is CRAZY AWESOME!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 12:45 p.m.

LondonParticulars

Brilliant!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 1:15 p.m.

HouserWallis

i went as living marie antoinette last year. a big hit!
yours is an awesomely gross feat of engineering

Oct. 21, 2009 at 1:17 p.m.

Lelikat

very clever costume!!! Thanks for sharing!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 2:46 p.m.

taiteilijan666

ah... i saw this costume on the internet a long time ago and was inspiring.. but i do not have the patience to reall make all this... but you could just use a shaped pillow, a crouple of sturdy straps, and light thing pvc pipes...just a thought...

Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:38 p.m.

falbala

oh I wish I did halloween so I could wear this!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 3:39 p.m.

poppyfox

oh that is so wonderful

Oct. 21, 2009 at 4:12 p.m.

CircleTRanchDesigns

Wow that's amazing! Now my Greek Goddess costume that I'm making doesn't seem as cool. Thanks for sharing!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 8:09 p.m.

lealerjcreates

awesome!

Oct. 21, 2009 at 8:41 p.m.

PandoraCleo

That's the best version of a Marie Antoinette costume I've seen yet! Love it! :)

Oct. 21, 2009 at 10:49 p.m.

labellefairy

this is amazing!

Oct. 22, 2009 at 4:31 a.m.

ShugaRose

Awesome Costume! Thanks for sharing~!!

Oct. 22, 2009 at 9:33 a.m.

VenniCaprice

Now THAT is a costume!! Amazing job on it, thanks for posting this!

Oct. 22, 2009 at 6:52 p.m.

LaCurioshar

whoaaaaaa!!!!

Oct. 23, 2009 at 9:05 a.m.

monkeyandsquirrel

this is flippin' awesome!

Oct. 23, 2009 at 1:24 p.m.

torikitty

Amazing and well done! Thanks for sharing.

Oct. 23, 2009 at 5:34 p.m.

nicemag

Wow! Thank you so much for reposing my costume! I just wanted to let you know that I have the DIY instructions for many of my other costumes on my blog,
Love Bone Design.
Nicole Magne

Oct. 23, 2009 at 5:35 p.m.

nicemag

Http://www.lovebonedesign.com/blog

Oct. 28, 2009 at 6:30 p.m.

marthamadejewelry

Thanks for sharing. We have a great display of costumes at Murrells Inlet, SC along the Marsh Walk where cash prizes are given after the judges at different restaurants decide. I think this would be a winner.
Happy Halloween.

Oct. 29, 2009 at 3:57 p.m.