Last year I was Missy Elliot for Halloween!
Hold on... Lets all just take a minute to recognize the icon that she is. If you think I’m overreacting then I’m going to need you to take an even longer minute... an hour, preferably, to shuffle through her music. Once you're done, I want you to close you eyes and try to imagine the artistry that is: Missy Misdemeanor Elliot.
Honestly yall, she is just SO versatile and she's genuine with it. I'm not too sure how to explain that...so be open for my telepathic waves that I'm sending you right now so you can understand what I mean. But, in case you're not on the correct telepathic radio to receive my message, I guess what I'm trying to say is that she doesn't force herself into a different genre, or a different visual, or message. She just has an idea and it comes to life...Here I am talking like she knows I exist 😂😂 bahahahha. Okay but on the real... this track here is my go to! Especially on a blessed kind of day.😇
One last thing: I’m glad she finally got her Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award this past August! Give her roses while she can still enjoy them!
Now onto this Halloween costume, it was so much for to be her! Let me tell you this, it was HOT and HUMID that Halloween and that blow up suit was a walking air conditioner! I was living my best life in it! Again yall, I did this last year and my OG helmet is still in amazing shape! I haven't worn it since Halloween 2018 so if you plan on constantly reusing the costume make sure you have extra material for any future touch ups-just in case.
Glasses/ Hat Materials DIY:
Check my Pinterest for a visual shopping guide HERE.
- Sunglasses - red or reflective lenses (recommended)
- Black Felt - (I used six 9x11 sheets), but you can grab about 1/2 yard and use extra for other projects
- Newspaper - For mess control and for the structure of hat ( will be creating tubes further down)
- Newspaper Tubes - structure- TUTORIAL ON HOW TO CREATE INCLUDED SCROLL DOWN
- Glitter -Gold or Silver (recommended)
- Hot glue gun & compatible glue sticks
- Modge Podge - Glossy (recommended)
- A cheap paint brush (recommended)--for spreading Modge Podge glue.
- Clips to act as clamps - ex: Binder clips (regular and tiny), paper clips, and or hair alligator clips
- Scissors
- Tape - Painters/Masking Tape (recommended)
- A Wooden Skewer to make tubes for the structure (optional but highly recommended)
- Chalk or something visible on felt to make markings when needed (optional but highly recommended)
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Materials for FULL costume:
Check my Pinterest for a visual shopping guide HERE
- Black -B low Up Suit (if you're plus size I personally (being 3/4x) recommend shapewear to ease getting on the suit)
- Black sneakers/ running shoes
- Bobby Pins to style up hair- video later on for hair
- Lipstick- dark purple or black (recommended)
- Gold Hoop Earrings
- The Sunglasses/Hat you make
- Dance Moves
- Knowledge of Missy Elliot Songs to Randomly Sing- Specifically The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
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Steps:
1.Newspaper Tubes to Create Structure
➜Materials for Step: Newspaper, skewer, regular liquid glue, and scissors.
1.Cut approximately 3 in. wide strips of newspaper, keep the length of the newspaper at the length it already is.2.Take a strip of paper you've cut and hold a skewer against one of its corners.
You want to create about a 30° or less imaginary triangle in one of its' corners with the skewer. I'm about to drop more Geometry skills -- act as if the skewer is the hypotenuse line in this triangle.
3.Using both hands, you want to support the strip of paper against the skewer and use your dominant hand to pinch the corner where you created that imaginary 30° triangle and tightly roll the paper around the skewer and into itself.
4. Keep the supporting hand under the paper and slowly move it up along paper strip - you should guide the paper with that hand while you are simultaneously turning the skewer to tighten the tube with your other hand. This is how you are creating the tube - make sure the tube is being rolled tightly.
5.Once the paper rolls its self a triangle shape on the end, take the liquid glue to then draw an outline of glue onto that tab - continue to roll it up.
6.Let it sit for a few seconds, but it should pull off easy and clean from the skewer- ready for you to make more tubes.
7.If the tube does not come off the skewer easily/cleanly, let the tube dry with the skewer still inside before pulling the tube off of it. That way there is less of a chance it'll be damaged. Move on with the creation of tubes with another skewer if possible.
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2. Creating the Structure
Full Tutorial Video--Creating the Structure at times 0:27 to 4:09
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses, felt, scissors, hot glue, newspaper tubes, clips.
1.Cut out a triangle from felt and hot glue it to the sunglasses above the lenses. The triangle should be big enough to fit 9 to 11 tube ends on it...about 2.5 to 3 inch long sides. This will be the center of the design where you will attach the newspaper tubes to create the sections in the headpiece.2.Space out the tubes on the triangle to closely match the pattern of Missy Elliot's hat. She has 11 sections- 1- in the middle. 5-each side of middle section. I used the glasses arms as the 5th section, you can too!
3.Make markings on the triangle that match the placement of the tubes. You can most definitely use a ruler to space it out more evenly, I did not use a ruler I honestly did it by eyeing it, so either way it can work.
4.Use hot glue to attach the end of the tubes to the triangle where you marked it.
5.Once glued, bend the tubes to help increase flexibility - They should not break or tear.
6.Try on the glasses with the tubes attached to get a feel of how short you want to cut the tubes. (I would recommend to mark tubes while they are on your head then take them off and cut them to to cut them. )
7.Try to make the length even across all tubes. You can fix this later,but try your best.
8.Once done, take another tube and using some clips (paper clips, binder clips, even hair clips anything available), clip the sections to the new tube creating a headband shape. Once the sections are clipped, clip it to the arms of the glasses. This is really just helping the tubes keep the shape of your head since the tubes tend to want to stand up.
9.Try it on again to ensure that it fits correctly- use a mirror, phone, or ask another for their help on resizing this to better fit your head. Adjust clips on sections if necessary.
10.Try not to clip your hair while doing this, I highly recommend a friends help, but you might be in my situation (home alone) when making this. But definitely put your hair back, and don't be too confident... or you'll end up like me. (See video above.)
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3. Covering the Structure
Full Tutorial Video--Covering the Structure at times 4:45 to 6:56
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses/tube creation from above, felt, scissors, hot glue.
1.Cut strips of felt long enough to cover each tube/section. You will want to just cover the top of the sections.2.Use hot glue to attach the felt strips to the tubes. This step might be a bit choppy, but continue to follow the next steps and it will clean up itself.
3.Don't cover up your lenses yet, just work on the shape of the tubes for now.
4. Once all sections are covered with felt, trim each section to further recreate Missy Elliott's headpiece.
5.You might need sections to be thinner or even have the dip be in more of a "V" shape.
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4. Covering the Lenses
Full Tutorial Video--Covering the Lenses at time 6:57 to 8:09
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses/tube creation, felt, scissors, hot glue.
2.Make sure that the large felt piece will cover the lenses and forehead to more of the headpiece. and that when you glue, have excess felt above the lenses before you follow the next steps.
3.Use hot glue to trace a line of glue around the lenses, only on the frames. You might want to do this in small sections.
4.If you have rims that go all the way around the lenses, try cutting a small circle over the felt that will cover the lenses just so that trimming away excess fabric over it, will be easier.
5.The felt piece should be covering the lenses. So once that is done, carefully cut out the felt that is blocking the lenses.
6.The excess hanging felt above the lenses we left in step 1-2, will now need to be glued to cover the forehead and as much of the sections it can reach to help smooth out the headpiece. them trim excess felt to follow pattern of headpiece.
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5. Final Headband
Full Tutorial Video--Creating the Structure at times 8:11 to 11:00
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses/tube creation from above, felt, scissors, hot glue.
1.Now that the whole headpiece is covered in felt take a strip of felt to create the last and final headband to shape the hat.2.Un-clip the Newspaper headband and replace it with this felt strip
3.Try on the hat to check its' fit
4.Glue the ends to the headband
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6. Editing the Headpiece
Full Tutorial Video--Editing the Headpiece at times 11:00 to 11:38
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses/tube creation from above, felt, scissors, hot glue.
1.If there are any "cliffs" from layers of felt on the sections, cut a strip of felt from scraps the length and width you need, then glue it right next to the "cliff" part to even out the surface.2.Too big or Too short? Cut away or add felt to each section to increase or shorten the length.
3.Too tight? Re cut the headband piece to be longer or shorter, if its the actual glasses that are too tight, any way of "stretching" them can potentially damage the actual glasses.
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6. Decorating the Headpiece
Full Tutorial Video--Creating the Structure at times 11:38 to 14:48
➜Materials for Step: Sunglasses/tube creation from above, Modge Podge,
Glitter, Paint Brush, News Paper, Painters Tape.
1.Set up your area with Newspaper down to catch falling glitter. You can reuse or dispose of this later.2.Also take some newspaper to crumble and stuff under the headpiece to keep the shape of your head.
3.Use painter's tape to cover the lenses of the glasses to avoid glue and glitter in the area.
4.Also try not to get glitter on the visible pieces of the headband. Just to keep it camouflaged
5.Using a cheap paint brush, apply Modge Podge over small manageable sections of the headpiece.
6.Sprinkle glitter over the Modge Podged area.
7.Repeat steps 5 and 6 until you have covers it all in glitter
8.Repeat 4-6 for at least one more layer. You can do more than 2 layers of glitter, but at least do 2.
9.Leave to let dry-- The more layers you do without drying in between the longer the dry time needed for the final product.
10.Once fully dry, use Modge Podge to cover the glittered headpiece- this will help prevent glitter fall out by encapsulating the glitter.
11.Let dry
12.Then carefully remove tape from lenses and wear it out!
