What to be for Halloween??? How bout the coolest Robot on the block!
The coolest costume on the block!
My son Cameron wanted to be a robot this year for Halloween. After looking on line for a costume and finding only one that looked more like a hazemat suit then a robot I decided that we would make one.
First it was a trip to Lowes for dryer vent that cost about $10 and was 4X8 silver in color. We also got mailbox light reflectors for about $2 there. Then we were at Walgreens and got 2 boxes of there short tissue boxes for $2. At the dollar store we were able to get 27 feet of wide aluminum foil, glow sticks, packing tape, glider that came in red, silver and green, battery operated Christmas lights totaling about $5. Then at a local craft store I found 2 small aluminum pans for $.30 each, glider foam, super glue, neon green duck tape and a floral foam circle. Total cost there about $10.
My son and I had went to the movies that day and he had gotten little toys from the gumball machine so I kept the clear containers that the toys came in. We also had Chinese for dinner & I kept the lids from the sweet and sour sauce. I had postage boxes that I got for free and used the large and medium size.
First I covered the large box in glue, one side at a time and found that if I lay the box down on the foil and pressure from the inside of the box it keeps wrinkles from forming. After the box was covered in aluminum foil I taped all 4 corners with the neon green duck tape. It was then time for a fitting to see where the arms should go. The lid from my sweet and sour sour was just the right size to trace for the hole of the arms, you have to be careful not to rip the foil. After I had the arm holes cut out I used clear tape along the hole to keep the foil from ripping and keep it in place. I then pulled the dryer tubing out and decided how long the arms needed to be. It turned out to be 18 wire spaces (the tube has wire inside). I cut the center of the lid out and just had the frame of the lid that I put the dryer tubing through and then inside the arm holes. The lid frame gives it a nice finish and inside the box I taped the dryer tubing in place.
I did the same with covering the head but also put tape along the top front and back of the head and all across the top just to give it more color. I also cut out the mouth and eyes before covering it and folded the foil inside and again taped it into place. For the mouth I cut a piece of neon green tape and covered the mouth and then cut a slit in the tape and folded it into the box to add color and help the foil from ripping.
I covered the floral circle in aluminum foil and glued it to the top of the head. I had 2 very small floral balls that I stick silver pipe cleaners in and then covered the balls in glue and sprinkled them with red glider. I drilled a hole in the top of the gumball container and used it to help hold up the antennas. I stuck the piper cleaners into the floral circle and added glue to the gun ball container and taped it in place.
For the body I planned out where the lights should go, I used a pen to make the light holds and I taped them in place inside the box. Once the lights were in place I glued the smaller gumball containers over the lights, we had 6 and there are 10 lights so going back to get more. I taped the battery box inside the side of the box. I took the knob off the timer and glued it on the box then used the bottom of the gumball containers for buttons on the body of the robot.
For the legs I cut the left over dryer tubing in half which is more then enough for my sons legs. For the feet I cut the bottom out of the two tissue boxes removed the tissues and covered them in foil. I then used the glider foam to give them a little color with a green piece on the front and a blue piece on the top of each of them. I cut a slit in the top where the hole for the tissues to come out was already and then on each side of that hole I used clear packing tape just so the foil doesn't rip. On each side of the tissue boxes I put a little piece of tape to re-inforce them then used a hole punch to punch a hole. The plan is to put my sons foot through the tissue box, then put his shoe on, then use a zip tie from hole to hole to keep it in place under his shoe.
For the top of the body box I took 2 8X12 inch foil pans that I got for $1.99 at Krogers. The body box is 12X12. I cut about and inch and a half off each one of them and together they were wide enough. I cut an H in the 2 pans once they were together and folded the cut pieces back and taped them to the inside of the head box making sure there were no sharp edges.
To attach the head to the body I hold punched the pans and the body box and used zip ties 2 on the front and 2 on the back. Finally 5 hours later it was ready! We put the dryer tubing over my sons pants, his feet through the tissue boxes and the robot on, turned off the lights and switched on the robot lights and ALL FINISHED!
I think it turned out GREAT! my son loves it! I'm not sure which one of us is more excited for trick or treat...him or me.