How to Make an Easy Stick Figure Costume

Yep, today’s post is about DIY stick figure costumes from Halloween 2014! Better late than never, right? You can pin it now, and thank me later! So, the stick people idea has been lingering in my head since 2012 when I bought the black one piece spandex things for Andy and I. I attempted to stitch the glow sticks to the outfit a few hours before we were supposed to leave and well, that was an epic craft fail. Not to worry, we whipped up a 70 year old and a 70’s girl costume in 5 minutes flat and Halloween-ed it up!

I was prego for Halloween 2013 and wasn’t feeling the black full body spandex suit, ha! (We went as Bob Ross, Happy Tree, and a squirrel) So, Halloween 2014 I was bound and determined to figure out these stick figure costumes! It worked, but there were issues.

Here’s what you need to make glow in the dark stick figure costumes

Black pants and shirt (or full body spandex if you’re feeling wild and crazy… it might be cheaper that way too!)
A minimum of 14 necklace size glow sticks per adult costume (I’d buy a few extra packs just to be safe, a few of our packs had sticks that didn’t glow.)
Clear packing tape

How to make stick figure costumes

In theory this is a very simple costume, but there are a few issues to be aware of- mainly that in the light this costume is not nearly as cute!

Step 1- Arrange glow sticks

Layout the black attire and arrange the glow sticks in a stick figure shape

Step 2- Tape the body

Use clear packing tape to tape the glow sticks in a stick figure shape.

Step 3- Tape the head

Now, step into your masterpiece and tape on your stick head. I literally just taped it to my forehead and chest.

A few things to consider when wearing this glow in the dark stick person costume

In the dark, the stick figure costume is awesome. See below. But, in the light, you look like a hot mess. This costume is perfect if you’re a kid and running from house to house in the dark or an adult attending a Halloween party where you are 100% sure it will be dark.

Bring extra packing tape, your limbs will start falling off
You make a crinkle tape sound with every step you take
Bring extra glow sticks because some of them just don’t last very long

Here is a close up of how much tape I used on my chest:

And to see the DIY glow in the dark stick person in all of its glory, watch and listen to the crazy crinkle sounds you make:

In the end, I decided to ditch the glow in the dark stick figure costume and put on my can of coke costume from the night before! I love the idea, but it is not the most practical costume I’ve ever made! In conclusion, this is an awesome last minute costume idea for a kid who is going to run from house to house in the dark.

And if you want more Halloween costume awesomeness, check out these posts:

Here’s what you need to make glow in the dark stick figure costumes