Make a Vampire Costume
Vampire costumes have long been a favorite for Halloween, but buying your costume online or in a store can get pricey, so why not make your own? With our step-by-step guide it's easy to transform yourself from a mere mortal into a bloodsucking creature of the night. Fang-tastic, you say, let's get started!
Contents
Steps
Creating the Cape
- Choose your fabric. Whether you prefer bloody red taffeta, jet black silk or inky blue velvet, make sure your fabric and color choice is sufficiently vampiric. You will need {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} of fabric, depending on how long you want the cape to be.
- Cut out your cape. Lay your fabric out on a large space, such as your living room floor. Use a measuring tape to measure from your shoulder to your calf, or wherever you want your cape to end. Use this measurement to mark the length of your cape on the fabric. Cut along this line to make your cape.
- Another way to measure your cape is to lie down on the fabric. Lie with the top edge of the fabric at your shoulders. Sit up without moving your legs. Mark with chalk at your leg where you want the cape to fall. Make another mark a few inches lower. This is where you will cut. Use your measuring tape to mark this line all the way across the fabric. Cut across.
- You can hem all around the edges of your cape if you are going for a refined look. For a rougher look, leave the edges raw.
- Cut out the hood. Measure a 30" by 15" rectangle in the corner of the remaining fabric. Mark this rectangle with chalk, then cut it out. This will be the hood of the cape.
- To hem the hood, fold in the short edged of the hood about 1/2". Pin and then iron in place. Stitch the hem and then set aside.
- If you want an extra droopy hood, measure the rectangle as 35" by 20" instead.
- Baste and gather the cape. Loosely straight stitch along the edge of the cape, a 1/4" from the edge. You are putting a loose thread along the edge of the cape so that you can use it to evenly gather the cape. This is called 'basting'. After you have threaded the edge of the cape, hold the extra thread with one hand and use the other to scrunch the fabric down along the thread. Continue to evenly gather the fabric along the thread until the edge of the cape is the same length as the hood.
- If you are using a sewing machine, set it for the longest stitch available.
- Leave plenty of loose thread on the edge.
- Sew hood to cape. Lay the hood on the gathered end of the cape. Sew the cape to the hood.
- Make sure you are touching together the right sides of the fabric so the hood is inside-out.
- Use a straight stitch to sew the cape to the hood.
- Personalize your cape. You can add applique patches, such as bats, moons or spiders to personalize your cape.
- Alternatively, buy a costume cape. A costume shop will have them as props around Halloween, but comb vintage and thrift shops, too.
Choosing the Right Clothes: Men
- Wear a white button-down shirt. A simple button-down, long-sleeved white shirt will work, but a tuxedo shirt or a ruffled shirt will look better. Look for a lacy or brocade shirt at a thrift store for extra effect.
- Put on black dress pants. Tuxedo pants work best, but any simple black pants will do. Black jeans or slacks will work in a pinch, just make sure that they are very black, faded black jeans that are almost grey would definitely dilute the effect you are going for.
- Consider wearing a suit vest. Any self-respecting vampire knows that it is important to always look your best. A suit vest adds an air of elegance and sophistication to your outfit, all the better to seduce your victims. Black, crimson or silver are all good colors vest colors.
- Tie a makeshift cummerbund around your waist. Use a swathe of black or scarlet silk to create a makeshift cummerbund. This is optional, depending on the type of vampire look you are attempting to create. A cummerbund adds an air of formality to your vampire costume, perfect for channeling Count Dracula himself.
- Wear black dress shoes or boots. Again, you are aiming for upper-class elegance with your vampire costume. Wearing your white Nike's would completely ruin the effect.
Choosing the Right Clothes: Women
- Put on an elegant top. A boned corset would be ideal, but any form-fitting top in black velvet, satin, lace or brocade will do the trick. Look for elaborate designs with some metal accents, such as grommets, buckles or zippers. In terms of color, black, dark purples and deep reds are best, although a ruffled, immaculately white shirt can be striking.
- Wear a long skirt. A full-length, floor-skimming skirt is essential to complete your vampire costume. Try to find full-skirted black tulle for a glamorous edge, or choose figure-hugging satin to reveal your seductive side.
- Slip on heels or heeled boots. Wearing high heels will elongate your figure and and ensure your vampire costume retains its classy style from head to toe. Wearing heels will also lend you an air of confidence and authority essential to any female vampire. Again, black is best, either in matte leather or shiny patent.
Getting the Right Vampire Makeup
- Consider wearing white face paint. Vampires are technically dead, so the paler you are the better. White face paint can be used to achieve that bloodless look, but it can seem fake if poorly applied. Use a make-up sponge to ensure even application. Blend the color well and make sure to extend the color down to your neck and chest if necessary. A subtler alternative is to apply a very pale shade of foundation.
- Before applying any type of face paint, try slathering your face with a foundation primer or moisturizer. This keeps makeup from appearing cakey, especially if you have dry skin.
- Apply a puff of powder over entire face to keep it in place. You can use white baby powder here to keep the white effect.
- Use facepaint or eyeshadow to make your eyes dark. For the perfect vampire makeup, you want a smokey eye. The trick here is to use eyeshadow for the smokey bits, over an eyeliner.
- You can choose a dark gray, brown or black or have fun with aubergine. Any dark eyeliner and eyeshadow will do you.
- Apply eyeliner on the inside of eye, on the top and bottom. Then take a dark eyeshadow and apply around the perimeter of the eye. Blend well.
- Wear dark red lipstick. Apply dark red lipstick to create the appearance of having feasted on blood. You can even use red face paint or fake blood capsules to make it look like you have drops of blood around your mouth.
- Paint your nails red or black if you're a girl. The longer your nails are the better, file to a point if possible. Alternatively, you can apply false nails.
- Opt for shiny, blood red lacquers or glittering blacks.
- If you have a steady hand, try some nail art by painting on tiny white spiderwebs or black bats.
Creating Fangs and Spooky Accessories
- Wear fangs. You can find a wide range of vampire fangs both in costume shops and online, and the more that you are prepared to pay, the more realistic your fangs will look. They come in plastic, wax or even edible candy.
- If you are really dedicated to looking like a vampire, you could go to the expense of having a set of fangs made especially to fit your mouth by a dentists.
- To make a set of vampire fangs at home, try to find a round washing-up liquid bottle in white plastic. Make sure that you clean the plastic thoroughly and cut out a pair of fangs from the white plastic bottle where there is no writing. As the bottle is naturally rounded they should fit in your mouth quite well and use a bit of red nail varnish to create the effect of the dripping blood. Be careful not to swallow any fake fangs that you are wearing and do not make fangs from bottles that have contained bleach or any other strong chemical.
- Alternatively, give the impression of having fangs using tooth black-out goo. Blacken the bottoms of your incisors to make your pointy canines look longer.
- Use liquid blood capsules. Blood capsules can be used to achieve the "I-just-fed-on-human-blood" look. Blood Capsules are filled with non-toxic liquid fake blood. You simply place the blood capsules between your upper and lower teeth and bite down til the blood oozes out of your mouth.
- Consider a wig. Female vampires tend to have long, lustrous black locks, so if your natural hair is not like this, you can try on some wigs that will give you that true gothic vampire look. Wigs can be found in costumes stores, online or at specialty wig stores. Again, the more money you are willing to spend, the more realistic your wig will be.
- Wear gothic jewelry. Vampire jewelry is generally quite chunky and dramatic, and comes in silver or pewter.
- Look for chunky crosses and crucifixes on silver chains. Layer them up, if desired.
- Look for bat charms on necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings.
- Opt for red gemstones. A large red gemstone worn on a choker-style necklace can look very effective.
Warnings
- Planning a costume well in advance of an event will help prevent last-minute panic.
- Always remove makeup before going to bed; it will stain your bedclothes and clog up your skin's pores.
- Avoid pastels or pale, washed out clothing colors.
Things You'll Need
- Cape materials or cape
- Quality clothing, dark colors, some reds and whites; nice fabrics including silk, velvet, satin, lace, etc.
- Face makeup
- Freshly washed and groomed hair, or a sleek wig (you can make you hair longer with a wig)
- Fangs, homemade or purchased
- Contacts (optional)
- Boots or shoes, preferably black or dark
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