Introduction: Mr. and Mrs. PacMan
The following "instructable" teaches you how to create wearable Mr. and Mrs. PacMan costumes. The following is a list of materials needed to complete the costumes. Also, at the end is a couple of steps to create a ghost costume for your dog.
Materials needed:
4 giant cardboard boxes
red yellow and black acrylic paint
2 paint brushes
Large scissors or exacto knife
packaging tape
hot glue gun
White fabric
Color fabric of your choice(Blue,Red,Orange,Pink)
Materials needed:
4 giant cardboard boxes
red yellow and black acrylic paint
2 paint brushes
Large scissors or exacto knife
packaging tape
hot glue gun
White fabric
Color fabric of your choice(Blue,Red,Orange,Pink)
Step 1: Find
Find two huge cardboard boxes. You can get them at Lowes or Home Depot early in the mornings when shipments arrive.
Purchase the other needed materials that you do not have while you are out.
Purchase the other needed materials that you do not have while you are out.
Step 2: Draw and Cut
Break down the cardboard boxes and spread out along the floor.
Draw a giant perfect circle but leave enough room for another circle the same size. (save all excess cardboard for accessories)
Cut out the first circle and use it as a stencil to draw the next 3 circles so they are the exact same.
Draw a giant perfect circle but leave enough room for another circle the same size. (save all excess cardboard for accessories)
Cut out the first circle and use it as a stencil to draw the next 3 circles so they are the exact same.
Step 3: Measure
Measure the width of your body and decide how wide you need your costume.
Measure the circumference of the circle. (Hint: circumference equals Pi*diameter '~3.14*diameter') This will be the length of cardboard cut in a rectangular shape needed to connect the two circle sides. Cut out this rectangle from the second box. The entire rectangle will not be used because there must be a gap where you will slide in and out of the costume at the bottom. The circumference of the circle minus approximately 1.5 feet should be the length of the rectangles. You will need one each for both costumes.
Measure the circumference of the circle. (Hint: circumference equals Pi*diameter '~3.14*diameter') This will be the length of cardboard cut in a rectangular shape needed to connect the two circle sides. Cut out this rectangle from the second box. The entire rectangle will not be used because there must be a gap where you will slide in and out of the costume at the bottom. The circumference of the circle minus approximately 1.5 feet should be the length of the rectangles. You will need one each for both costumes.
Step 4: Cut
Cut an equilateral triangle out of one of the circular pieces. The triangle should not extend into the middle because you need space for your body. SO approximately 1/3 from one side towards the center should be the start of the mouth piece. Use the triangle cut out as a stencil to cut the other three circles.
Step 5: Paint
Paint all the huge circles and the rectangular pieces yellow.
Step 6: Measure and Cut
From one of the triangles that you cut out, measure one side. This will be the length of one of the mouth pieces inserted between the two circles. Measure the other length of the triangle to make sure it is the same size. If not this will be the length of the next rectangular piece. The width of your rectangles is the width of both of these two rectangles. Cut these out from some of the remaining cardboard box. You will have a total of four which should be about the same size.
Step 7: Cut and Paint
Cut out four circles approximately 5" in diameter for the eyes. A small triangular slit should be removed from the eyes. Also cut out two small bows for the PacMan bowties.
Paint the bows and eyes black.
Cut out two larger bows for Mrs. PacMan's bows. Paint these red.
Cut out a rectangle that is the width of the rectangles. The height should be about 4" and then cut out a groove that looks like lips. For the side pieces of the lips, they should be a quarter circle same diameter as the height (~4") and 4 of them total for top and bottom. The bottom center piece of the lips should be a rectangle the same dimensions as the top. The lips should be painted red.
l = width of costume
h = 4"
Paint the bows and eyes black.
Cut out two larger bows for Mrs. PacMan's bows. Paint these red.
Cut out a rectangle that is the width of the rectangles. The height should be about 4" and then cut out a groove that looks like lips. For the side pieces of the lips, they should be a quarter circle same diameter as the height (~4") and 4 of them total for top and bottom. The bottom center piece of the lips should be a rectangle the same dimensions as the top. The lips should be painted red.
l = width of costume
h = 4"
Step 8: Glue
Arrange all of the cut, painted pieces where they should be placed on the circles. Wait to glue the inside rectangle and lip pieces on the inner rectangles. Glue each piece firmly to the circles using the hot glue gun. Be careful not to have an excess of glue as to ruin the painted surface. Also the bowtie on PacMan can be placed at the bottom wherever you like on both circles, preferably in the same location. The eyes should be placed about in the center of the circular pieces but above the inner triangle point. The slit in the eyes should be facing the rear of the costume and opposite the mouth.
Step 9: Cut
This step is tricky. Hold one of the circular sections up to the person that will be wearing the costume. The top of the circle should be over their head slightly, place a dot where the top of the shoulder lines up on the circle. Measure the circumference of their arm and draw a circle that is slightly larger than that from top to bottom starting at the dot you marked. This can be accomplished without messing up the circles by using an Exacto knife. Repeat with the other costume.
Step 10: Assembly
The next step is very complicated to pull off. I will try to explain it as fully as possible as I do not have a picture of the process. The inside rectangles that connect the two side circles should be flipped on the backside where it is not painted yellow. In 1-2" increments horizontally across the back, the Exacto knife should be used to perforate slits from side to side. Make sure do not cut through the cardboard. The slits are to help the cardboard contour to the curved surface and match up with the circular sides. Once you have the slits, form the cardboard to make sure it will conform to the curved contour. The rectangular section will need to be cut some more when complete. The bottom piece should be measured from bottom of mouth to before the bottom of PacMan. This is the bottom center piece to connect the two circles. The other is the top and back for PacMan. There should be, like I said before, about a 1.5 foot gap for you to slide in and out of the costume. Attach these pieces to one side at a time, either with packaging tape or glue. I used tape every foot or so to hold and stabilize the pieces and then went back and hot glued them together.
Step 11: More Assembly
Once you have the bottom and back rectangles attached to both sides, it is time to connect the two black mouth rectangles. Tape these at the center and the outer of the connecting points. Then hot glue them for stability. You now have a full Pacman and Mrs. Pacman structure. The next process is to glue the inner lips onto the Mrs. PacMan. Try the costumes on to make sure they fit.
Step 12: Add Flare
Add a small black mole on each side of Mrs. PacMan for a beauty mole. You can paint the inside circle of her bow black and paint the inside of PacMan's bow red. Also, you can print out some ghost pictures and paste them inside the mouths for extra flare. The costumes should now be complete and ready to wear.
Step 13: Ghost Process
Measure the length and height of your dog or pet. Cut two rectangles of your desired color fabric with those dimensions. Measure the width and cut another rectangle with the dimensions of width and length. Sew the two outer pieces to each side of the center back piece. Cut out four large ovals from the white fabric. Either draw dark blue circles in the bottom right corner or top corners of the white ovals for the pupils. Glue these to the center of the side pieces of fabric. Your dog costume is complete. Lay over the dogs back, if you want it to stay on, attach some string or rope around the neck.