Make a Poison Ivy Costume

Poison Ivy is arguably one of the most timeless, dangerous villainesses of the Batman universe, easily joining the ranks of Catwoman and Harley Quinn in that respect. You can make your own Poison Ivy costume to wear at your next comic convention or Halloween party, and doing so is moderately simple. Here are the pieces and procedures you'll need to concern yourself with.

Steps

Creating the Outfit Base

1. Find a green bodysuit. The bodysuit should be a little darker than mint-green, but not quite as dark as standard green. It needs to cover your entire midsection, from your bust down to your hips, but it does not need to extend over your hips.
   • A leotard or bodysuit could also work well. Just make sure that whatever base you start with is a solid green, rather than a patterned green.
   • A green corset or structured bodysuit would also work well and might even be easier to work with. These tend to be more expensive, though, and it might also be harder to find one in the right shade of green.
2. Sew fake ivy onto the bodysuit. Use a needle and green thread to attach individual ivy leaves to the front of the bodysuit.
   • Attach the leaves by weaving the thread into the back of the bodysuit, through the center of each leaf, and back down through the leaf and bodysuit. Repeat this several times for each leaf to secure the centers in place.
   • Create a climbing ivy pattern by having a consistent line of ivy running from the top of the costume to the bottom. The entire top should of the bodysuit should be lined with leaves, while the center of the costume can have as few or as many leaves as desired winding down it.
   • If you use a corset instead of a bodysuit, you could simply glue the leaves onto place using a hot glue gun. This can be problematic with more flexible materials, however, since it will make the costume stiffer and harder to slip on.
   • You will likely need four to six bundles of fake ivy for this project.
   • For added flair, you could also paint each leaf with red and green glitter. This is not necessary, though.
3. Wear a camisole, if necessary. If the bodysuit you choose dips a little too low for your own comfort, modify the costume slightly by wearing a light green camisole beneath it.
   • For an added touch, look for a camisole that has a little lace pattern toward the top. While not part of the classic Poison Ivy look, this feminine detail certainly plays into the "femme fatale" flair of the character.
4. Slip on a green dance skirt. The skirt should drape well and loosely match the color of your bodysuit. A short pixie-style skirt should suffice.
   • You can wear this costume without the skirt, but adding one can provide an appropriate degree of modesty if you feel uncomfortable showing off so much of your figure.
   • Alternatively, you could make a simple cape-skirt by attaching sheer green fabric to a belt. Measure out enough fabric to fit comfortably around your waist. The fabric should also be knee-length or longer for this option. Attach it to a green belt by sewing or gluing one side of the fabric rectangle to the belt. You could also add a layer of green lace to the skirt to mimic the look of leaves.

Covering Your Arms and Legs

1. Wear green gloves. The most traditional Poison Ivy costumes include long green gloves that reach up to your elbow.
   • Make sure that the shade of green used for your gloves differs from that of the bodysuit. If the bodysuit is dark, go with a lighter shade of green. If the bodysuit is light or a medium shade, opt for a dark green.
   • You could also mimic the look of gloves by wrapping rectangles of fabric around your arm. These rectangles should extend from the elbow down to the risk. Sew or glue them together. Using green lace fabric can mimic the appearance of ivy leaves.
2. Slip on a pair of green tights. Wear a pair of green tights beneath the bodysuit and skirt.
   • The shade of green used for the tights may vary depending on the green used for your bodysuit. If the bodysuit is fairly dark, use lighter tights. If the bodysuit is fairly light or a medium shade of green, use darker tights.
   • In a pinch, green leggings will also work. You simply need something skin-tight and green to cover your legs.
   • If you cannot find green tights, you could get a pair of white tights and dye them green using cheap clothing dye. The advantage of using this option is that you can also dye white gloves and white boots to match your tights exactly.
   • For added decoration, use a needle and thread to attach a few stray leaves of fake ivy along the legs. You do not need much, however, and too much can actually distract from the shape of the costume.
3. Wear green boots. Ideally, the boots should match the color of the gloves and should extend up to the mid-calf or knee.
   • Both flat and heeled boots can work, but opt for a lower heel rather than a notably tall one.
   • You can also get white boots and color them green using dye or fabric spray paint.

Dealing with the Hair and Mask

1. Dye your hair red. Poison Ivy traditionally has long, bright red hair. Dye your hair using the brightest shade of temporary red hair dye you can find.
   • Note that if you have dark hair, you may need to lighten it first before applying the red hair dye. Otherwise, you may end up producing a deep burgundy color, which is a little less accurate to the character.
   • If you would like to avoid dying your hair, you could simply use a red wig. Look for a wavy red wig that extends past your shoulders but not past your mid-back for the most classic Poison Ivy look.
   • If using a wig, you could decorate it further by sewing a handful of individual fake ivy leaves into the back.
2. Cover a cat eye mask with ivy leaves. Instead of trying to paint on "Poison Ivy eyebrows" with make-up or body paint, you can create the look with an ivy-covered cat eye mask.
   • Cat eye masks are slanted dramatically above the eyebrow, giving them the perfect shape for your Poison Ivy costume.
   • Start with a green mask if at all possible. While the entire mask should be covered with leaves, using a green mask will prevent any other colors from slipping through if there are gaps between your leaves.
   • Attach small ivy leaves around the mask. Start at the inside corners of each eye, and make sure that the leaves point outward instead of in. You should also be careful so that the leaves do not cover up the eye holes.
   • Use craft glue or hot glue to secure the leaves in place.

Applying Make-Up

1. Layer on the green eyeshadow. There are several ways you can do this, but green eyeshadow should definitely be the key focal point of your eyes.
   • Start by applying a medium shade of green to the lid of the eye. Draw a line of dark green in the crease of your eye with dark green eye shadow, and cover everything from the crease to the bottom of the eyebrow with light green eye shadow.
   • Alternatively, apply burnt orange eyeshadow to the lid, dark green to the crease, and medium green to the upper eye.
   • You could also apply dark green eyeshadow to the lid, burnt orange to the crease, and light to medium green above the crease.
   • Glitter eyeshadow can be used for added drama.
2. Apply green or brown eyeliner. A deep green or dark brown eyeliner can further emphasize your eyes. Apply an even, smudged line to the top lid only.
3. Wear mascara. Your eyelashes should be long and voluptuous. Use green or black mascara to coat and curl your upper lash line.
   • If your eyelashes are naturally thick, you can get away with simply curling them using an eyelash curler.
   • Instead of applying mascara, you could also attach fake eyelashes to your eyes.
4. Swipe red lipstick over your lips. Bright red lipstick is an absolute must. The red should be at least as bright as your hair color, if not even brighter. For an alternate approach, you could also use green lipstick, but it will be harder to find.

Things You'll Need

• Green bodysuit, leotard, swimsuit, or corset
• Fake ivy, 4 to 6 bunches
• Sewing needle
• Green thread
• Hot glue gun
• Red and green glitter
• Green camisole
• Green dance skirt
• Green belt (optional)
• Sheer green fabric (optional)
• Green gloves
• Green tights
• Green boots
• Red hair dye or red wig
• Cat eye mask
• Green and orange eyeshadow
• Green or brown eyeliner
• Mascara or fake eyelashes
• Red lipstick

Sources and Citations

See also

• Dress Up As Lola Bunny
• Make a Harley Quinn Costume
• Make a Spider Man Mask
• Make a Superhero Costume
• Make a Spider Man Costume
• Be Like Batman
• Design a Costume for a Superhero
• Make a Batman Mask
• Make Comic Book High Heels
• Make a Robin Costume

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