Homestar Runner Costume!!

Hey Everybody!  (Everybody!)

This instructable will show you how to make one of the coolest of the cool costumes ever - a full Homestar Runner Costume!

Seriously, you guys.

Step 1: Getting Started - Materials

You will need the following items for this costume:

• 1" thick flexible foam - about 1 roll of 2' x 4' (shoes and head)
• 3'x3' blue felt (bottom line on shoes)
• 2'x4' red fabric (shirt)
• 1 sheet of 1/4" thick flexible foam (for star on shirt)
• 1 collapsible laundry hamper (for the body, I used the Household Essentials Pop-Up Spring Hamper-Mesh from Target)
• Elastic band (for shirt neck and to keep the shoes on)
• 1 4x8' sheet of stiff blue insulation foam (for head frame)
• 1 2x5' sheet of white flannel (for the final layer on the head)
• Stiff cardboard/cardstock (to stiffen the bill on the cap)
• 1/4" thick black foam (for eyes)
• Blue pipe cleaner (for propeller)
• White tights (legs)
• Hot Glue
• Super Glue
• yarn
• staples
• pins

Equipment:

• Hot Glue Gun
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors
• Exacto knife
• staple gun

Optional:  mp3 player with portable speaker for sound effects (which can be downloaded from the Homestar Wiki page)

I couldn't fit all of these items into a single picture, so please enjoy this Homestar-o-Lantern picture instead:

Step 2: Making the Shoes

The shoes are very simple. 

1. Measure two 14x16" half ovals out of 1" thick foam. 
2. Cut 3" thick strips of blue felt and hot glue them around the foam pieces
3. Fit the shoe covers over your shoes and tie elastic strips into them to hold them in place.
4. Viola! Homestar shoe covers!

Step 3: Legs

Homestar has white legs, so I went out to the store and bought some white tights/long thermal underwear.  Be sure to pick a pair that isn't too see through, or else you'll have to layer up! 

Step 4: Body

To make the body, start with a suitable trash can/hamper/cylindrical object.  It should be light and comfortably fit over your shoulders.  Also try to use something thin so it breathes well during the costume party.  After that, the steps are simple:

1. Measure the hamper and cut enough red fabric to fit around it, with a few inches sticking up on top of the hamper
2. Stitch the fabric in place
3. Use a piece of elastic to make a neck on top of the hamper
4. Cut a hole for your head on top of the body
5. Cut a star out of white foamboard and hot glue it to the fabric, on the opposite side of the seam
6. Try it on!

Step 5: Head - Internal Frame

I made the head by first making an internal frame out of stiff blue insulation board.  I've included the exact dimensions in the pictures below.

1. Use an exacto knife to cut out all the pieces
2. The top of his head is made by cutting one of the circular cross sections in half to make two arches that are set perpendicular to one another.
3. The jaw cross section should be rounded off (not pointy like it is in the diagram)
4. Glue the pieces together with super glue.  DO NOT USE HOT GLUE - THE HEAT WILL CAUSE THIS TYPE  FOAM TO RELEASE HYDROGEN HALIDE VAPORS WHICH ARE HARMFUL/TOXIC

Step 6: Head - Foam and Flannel

Now comes the time-consuming part: fitting 1" foam around the frame. 

The bottom layers aren't bad, just wrap the foam around the chin and mouth, cutting away the excess where necessary.  Secure the foam to the frame by threading yarn through the foam and tying it to the frame

For the top of his head, I used several 1" wide strips of the foam.  Start at the bottom of the dome and tie the strips to the frame in as many place as possible while trying to keep the pieces round.  Hot glue the individual strips together.  It is OK to use hot glue with this type of foam.  Finally, I used a 6" diameter foam circle to finish off the top of the head.

Once the foam is in place, Cover the entire head with the white flannel fabric.  Stitch it up in the back and bottom.  You'll have to spend a lot of time stretching and tucking, but it'll be worth it.  The best advice I can give is to just be patient and play with the fabric until it's smooth.

Step 7: Eyes/Hat/Finishing Touches

Now it's time to make the most important pieces - his face/hat.

For the hat, I cut a 2' diameter circle out of blue, then cut the circle into quarters.  When one of the quarters is removed and the remaining 3 triangles are stitched together it will make a spherically shaped hat.  The bill is made out of blue and red foam with a piece of foam board in between to keep it stiff and make it stand up on the head.  Once the bill was stitched to the cap, I velcro-ed the cap onto his head (in case I ever wanted to exchange it for another prop)

Eyes are pretty simple.  I just blew up a picture of homestar, printed it out, and traced it onto black foam.  I cut the black foam with an exacto knife and super glued the eyes onto his face.  It's weird, but I like the eyes on his left side the best.

To make the propeller, just cut a solid X shape out of the foam board and wrap a pipe cleaner around it, then stick the pipe cleaner into the top of the hat.

Make a see through mouth by fitting 4 layers of black see through mesh between the corners of his mouth.  Keep the mesh in place with hot glue.

Step 8: Party Hardy!

Great jorb!  You made a Homestar Costume!

Go out and celebrate!  You can make any other modifications/props to make customize the costume, please post pics if you do!  I left the head and body detached for easy access, which came in handy during the dance party at our Halloween Party.

Have fun!