In need of an easy, quick, and funny costume? Get old-school and make yourself into a school portrait. In just an afternoon, and with the help of a thrift shop / clothes hidden in the back of your closet, you get a second chance at elementary school.

Plus, you'll gain respect on the playground this year after your mom springs the extra $4 for a laser background....

Step 1: Print Background

I've saved you the hard work with photoshop, and have attached the pre-sliced images of this rad laser background. I used a 24x32 sheet of corrugated plastic, so this is sized to fit with a little bit of wiggle room. Cardboard would also work fine as a backing.

Simply print out these 12 images and lay them out to find where they go. Be sure to print each 100% to scale (see my screenshot for reference), without letting your printer re-size to fit the page. Chop and glue each piece to each other first. Then, once satisfied with your paper sheet, carefully use spray adhesive to attach to your backing.

**note: there's a little bit of overlap with these images, but not much. Be sure to work meticulously so your pieces all line up.

Step 2: Assemble

While holding up the freshly mounted backdrop behind you, have a friend mark where your shoulders and armpits are.

Align each of those dots, and carefully cut a set of holes around each. I used zip-ties to make little loops. Then, between these two loops, I tied some yarn that matched my shirt, so I was wearing the sign like a backpack.

Feel like adding some braces to the mix? Jeannie Mai show you how:

And you're done! Trim any edges, throw on your retro gear, and rock out in your costume! Celebrating your success with a pudding cup: optional, but encouraged.