Hobbit Riding an Ent Illusion Costume

I had a great idea one day.

I have seen illusion costumes before, but I wanted to make it my own.

Enter the Hobbit-Riding-an-Ent Costume!

Be aware that this costume is a bit clunky to carry around and that you will have to bend to get in doorways, but I think it's worth it!

Did it pretty cheaply, too!

Cardboard

Cardboard box OR a diy duct tape mannequin (I had one lying around the house, and I got the instructions here https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Mannequin)

Brown and green spray paint

Faux green plants

Duct tape

A LOT of hot glue

Aluminium foil

Ping-pong ball

Thin-ish sticks/twigs

Green and black sharpie

2 pool noodles

1 pair nude nylon stockings

Poly-fill

velcro strips

Large belt

1 small backpack

A bit of flesh colored paint

Needle and thread

1 pair of slightly big jeans (you will paint on them)

1 pair of big old jeans (the ent butt)

1 pair of small children's pants

Brown hair, preferably curly (I snipped mine from an old wig. You could also use your own hair, pet hair, or collect hair from your hairbrush)

Brown shoes (for the ent's feet)

Hobbit-like shirt (a frilly blouse if you're a girl, or a polo-type shirt if you're a guy)

(Optional : LOTR leaf brooch)

Roll a sheet of cardboard (maybe 3 x 2 feet ish) into a cylinder and duct tape together.

Get a big sheet of aluminium foil and crunch it into a nose shape.

Hot glue nose to middle of head.

Duct tape head onto either the mannequin head area OR onto the top of a flat-ish rectangular cardboard box.

Tape big old pants onto hips of the body.

Thread a pool noodle through the arm holes (cut arm holes in the bow, if using).

After much trial and error in this area, I found a nice solution.

Cut off the legs of the jeans and hot glue the hole shut.

Hot glue 2 strips of velcro near the crotch.

Cut off excess fabric in the leg area.

Go around and around the torso when you're duct taping the backpack onto it. REALLY make sure it's secure!

Bend the pool noodle into elbow shapes and duct tape in place.

Duct tape the arms closer into the body (so that it it "holding" you, the hobbit).

Hot glue strips of velcro onto the slightly big jeans (you will be wearing these).

It helps to have the ent backpack on you to match up the velcro areas.

Cover the velcro areas with masking tape.

Spray both the pants and the ent with brown spray paint, then patches of green spray paint.

I would recommend using a lighter brown color than I did, but the paint was what I had.

I took pictures of my own feet (top and bottom) and printed them out life-size (or a bit larger).

Stuff them into nylon stockings and fill with poly-fill.

I then painted the parts where the stuffing showed a nude color.

I then stitched toe-lines (you can see them clearly in step 11) by threading thread through the toes and pulling the string taught, thus making the in-between parts of the toes more prominent.

Shove a pool noodle in the children's pants like 2 legs.

Cut a slit into the noodle where you want the hobbit knees to be.

Stuff a paper ball as the kneecap and duct tape over it to secure. Repeat on both sides.

I used a bit more duct tape to make sure the hips area of the noodle would stay in place.

Fill the thighs with poly-fill to look more realistic.

Shove the nylons/feet onto the noodle and secure with a bit of hot glue.

Hot glue feet to poo noodle bottom to form ankles.

Hot glue on your hair of choice.

Cut the ping-pong ball in half. Cover with foil. Color green with sharpie, and use a black sharpie to make pupils.

Glue on the eyes. Glue on 2 sticks in the eyebrow position, then glue some faux plants on top.

Glue on several sticks on the head ti make a crown shape.

Glue the faux greenery in little bits all around the ent's body, and use a LOT of it to form a beard and moustache.

Glue on a short stick for a mouth. I gave him a lil' smile! :-)

Shove some twigs into the foam pool noodle to make "hands".

Put 2 little squares of velcro on either lower arm of the ent. Put the other side on the hips of the hobbit legs.

Put everything on as shown and enjoy!

It takes a bit of effort to get it on and off, but the whole costume is so cool!