Introduction: Lord of the Rings: Swimwear!
Have you been invited to a pool party and want to show them how they party Middle Earth style? Do you want to be able to bring cosplay to the pool? Then get ready for a Lord of the Rings swim wear ensemble!
Show off your elvish allegiance with a brooch and towel cloak combo that will keep you dry and protected.
Keep the One Ring to Rule them All safe on a chain around your neck.
Finally, proudly march around with hairy toes in your hobbit feet sandals!
-Bonus- Equip your foam pool sword and be prepared for spiders, orcs, or nazgul attacks!
I'll show you the quick and easy way to hit the poolside in a fantastical style :)
Step 1: First: the Elvish Brooch
Carry your towel in style as a convenient cape secured with an iconic elvish brooch. Now you can free up your hands to hold a drink while you fend off foes with your sword!
Using pictures from google (shown above) I fasioned my own brooch out of sculpy oven hardening clay. I used black as the base, a green top layer, and white for the details. By using white for the details it won't be as noticable if spots get missed when it gets painted silver.
In order to turn it into a brooch, I simply stuck a large saftey pin into the clay while it was still soft (after it was fully sculpted) and made sure to bury it into the clay.
Final step was to paint the details silver, I used liquid silver leaf but any silver paint should do. I would reccommend sealing it in a clear coat to add shine and protection.
Grab your beach towel, throw it around your shoulders, and pin securely to prepare for your aquatic quest.
Step 2: Second: the One Ring
Protect Middle Earth by keeping the One Ring safe around your neck, keeping the temptation of power of your hands and the hands of others.
I had a steel O-ring on hand and painted it gold. Its larger than a real ring, creating a more dramatic effect. I would love to have used a real One Ring, but I couldn't get my hands on one as it destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom.
A few simple stitches secured the ring to the bikini top. From there I looped a silver chain around it and sewed the chain up the sides. This hopefully gives an illusion that its strung around the neck but still part of the bathing suit.
The chain is not a complete loop, it ends at the shoulder on both sides. This allows the top to still be tied normally.
Step 3: Finally: Hobbit Feet!
The signiture of the hobbit (besides being short, that part is up to you) is hairy feet. Lets get you blending into with the hobbits and make you one with the Shire.
Flip flops and thick, brown yarn are all you need. Cut a couple of lengths of yarn and then loop them around into a latch-hook style loop. Pull tight and repeat until you have covered the top half of the straps. Fuzzy up the yarn and try to gather it to the top of the foot as much as possible.
Now slip on those flip flops and admire you furry feet.
Step 4: Adventure, Quest, and Party!
Now you have all the elements you need to bring a sense of adventure to the next pool party. Gear up! Grab a drink, and entertain folks with bardic songs and tales of your quests!
Good luck and represent Middle Earth with pride!