Here is an chance to get away from the established in masquerade costumes. Making the robot requires a lot of work, but it is worth the effort to create a real sensation at a party, and assuredly this mechanical man will be the talk of the community. The simplest costume is that of the infant, and at the same time it is extremely effective , because it will completely disguise the age and sex of anyone. The fleshtinted cheesecloth covering for the face rounds the mature con-tours into those of a child , and while the wearer can easy see and breathe through the cloth, the other guests can not penetrate the disguise.
Use white cheesecloth and give it the lightest flesh tint with commercial dye. When dry, stretch over the features and knot at the back, as shown. Then paint in eyes, eyebrows, nostrils and mouth with water colors, giving a touch of rouge on the cheeks . Brush the natural hair back to permit a high forehead, attach a oiona curl or raise nair ana cover xne head with a frilly cap tied under the chin. The is also effective. The helmet is the crown of an old derby hat scaled with a curved wooden crown and ostrich plumes.
The crest is scroll-sawed from in. white pine and basted from the inside. Drive in largeheaded tacks through a strip of reinforcing composition board. A convincing coat of mail is made by sewing scales of gilt newspaper on an undershirt, the scales overlapping each other. Sew on paper or leather epaulettes, and make a belt of red and black oilcloth. The skirt should be an accordion-pleated white one with a red hem. Two novel disguises, both easy to make, are the alarm clock and the tent.
For the alarm-clock framing , use in white pine, and cover with heavy cardboard , tailoring an opening at the top for the head, and another at the bottom which is large enough to pass over the total body. The frame is offered with shoulder straps for comfort. Give the clock a coat of ivory brushing lacquer and paint the numerals in black. Hands are cut from plywood and also painted black. The alarm bell is made from a composition board disk having a number of V-cuts as shown.
When the edges are drawn together and fastened with big gummed paper on the inside, the correct shape will be formed. The bell is fastened to the wearer’s head by means of the crown of an old derby. The tent costume is a frame worn in the same way, and covered with unbleached muslin. It is light, roomy and well vented . When not moving about, the entire weight rests on the floor. Insert a panel of mosquito netting as indicated to permit sufficient visibility.
The animated sack of potatoes is sure to get a big hand. Sew up a large bag of muslin and stencil on a design. The wearer gets in and stands with feet apart while assistants pack rubber balloons, partly inflated, around him, in order to make the sack lumpy. Stitch the top with cord, arranged so that the user can open it instantly with a jerk if necessary. You will have plenty of fun with the smoke-belching robot, which may be equipped with as many fun-making gadgets as you can devise. In making the robot, the frame must, of course, be fitted to the wearer, and should be made as large as possible to permit freedom of movement. The helmet, collar, coat with sleeves , and the legs are separate units for ease in putting on and taking off.
The sleeves are made up of composition board tubes with rubber joints. They are backed up at the shoulder on a curved piece of sheet iron as shown. The wearer draws on the legs with shoes attached and adjusts them to his belt. Next he gets into the coat through the open back, which is attached by means of screw eyes in slots, a quarter turn locking each. An amusing feature will be a crank at the back, operating a holiday rattle on the inside. On the front of the coat other devices can be installed, such as wireless dials, ammeters, push buttons, etc.
The last could be made to sound a real buzzer, with a flashlight battery fastened to the frame of the coat, inside. To make your halloween spooky, put on small colored flashlight bulbs on a wire frame shaped similar to a pair of glasses and wear it under your mask. Wire the bulbs to a flashlight battery concealed in a pocket of the Toga Costumes and provide a push button to control the lights.
A still more novel impression can be had by using two push buttons so that the lights can be controlled separately . Besides the method illustrated, the lamps may be used to simulate flashing stickpins, red stoplights on your coat tail, brilliant cuff buttons and many other variations.
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