Are you as creative as a 5th grader? My nephew's Hobbit costume blew me away with how detailed it is. Straight out of the books - hairy feet, Elvin cloak, brooch and all! The idea started as a school project to use one of the MakerBot printers they have to print a custom design for the Hobbit foot. The rest of the details just fell into place as he prepared for Halloween. This 5th grader has read The Hobbit and just finished the Fellowship! Check out how he made his character "Wilbo Tooke" (his own made up hobbit) come to life!

Step 1: Designing and Printing the Hobbit Feet

First, the foot was designed in TinkerCad starting with an existing model found after searching for a foot. The 5th grader measured his own foot, then sized the foot appropriately in TinkerCad. The foot was duplicated a second time and made as a hollow region slightly smaller that the first to hollow out the inside. A cylinder was then used to cut out a place for the ankle so a real foot could slip in.

Unfortunately, after the first foot printed and supports removed, it turned out too small and would have been really uncomfortable to fit a foot into! :) So, using a saw to cut out the back heel and the bottom of the foot, the design was altered so it could instead be slipped on over shoes. (Smart thinking rather than walking around all night with 3D printed feet! haha!) Before printing the second foot the heel and bottom sections were removed. These were printed with supports due to the hollow region inside.

Step 2: Painting the Feet and Adding Hair

Next, white paint with some darker colors mixed in to make it flesh colored was applied. The toenails were lightened for contrast.

To finish the feet, the last part was to add hair... Leg hair that is! :) Bits of string or yarn just wouldn't suffice, so real hair it had to be! (Only a true Dad would support his son by trimming leg hair to donate.) Hair spray was used to stick the leg hair to the painted feet. Looks so authentic!

Step 3: Adding a Strap

Since the design had been altered to sit on top of a shoe instead of slipping a foot inside, there needed to be a way to attach the feet. Holes were drilled by the heel and the ball of the foot on each side and leather rope tied across to hold it to the shoe and ankle.

Step 4: Sewing an Elvin Cloak

Of course the feet and outfit were not enough without a genuine Elvin Cloak to assist the hobbit on his journey! So, a true mother pulls out her sewing machine to turn a large piece of green fabric into a cloak with a hood.

Step 5: The Leaf of Lorien Brooch

The Hobbit's cloak requires a brooch, and not just any. The Leaf of Lorien! To create this brooch, he took a cheerios box to cut out the leaf shape, then used hot glue to outline the leaf. The leaf was painted green and the glue outline silver. A glob of hot glue on the back allowed a safety pin to be pushed through and attached to the cloak.