# Help with burning witch costume



## churchofsubgenius (Sep 8, 2008)

Holy crap that's a great idea! I don't think theres any way you're going to be able to make this "comfortable" but it can all be done.
You might want to consider pool noodles for the core of the stake, like 3 tied together and painted brown (covering with brown mat'l prob better option) I don't think you should perm. attach the stake to your dress if you ever plan to sit down, maybe just make some velcro attachments for when you are standing/posing for pics.....and they will take pics.
The flames would look great in red and yellow satin, I am drawing a blank for making them do anything more than "lick" up your dress (yes, I just said that)


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## LawP (Dec 4, 2007)

What a unique costume idea! Instead of the hula hoop why not affix some interfacing to the satin flames so they stand up and have some of them go further up the dress so you look like you're on fire. The portable fogger is a great idea and the smoke will add to the flame illusion. I agree with COSG about not making the stake a permanent attachment. You could attach a real rope to the stake with some type of clasp that you can put around your dress - that way it is part of your bindings but easy to undo. If you pull this off please please post pics!


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## cylonfrogqueen (Feb 13, 2008)

Smokin idea. My mind is frazzeled with my own project how to do......so I don't have anything other than...yes, you will want to be able to sit. And pool noodles are the best for the stakes.
Other than that......I WANT TO SEE THIS, if you get r done. And make sure you take pics and write the how to for it. Cause you know its going to be required. LOL ! Wow! That would be such a cool costume. Good Luck !


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## Pat-f (Oct 15, 2006)

You could also get one of those battery powered blowers from an air blown costume, and make some ducting at the bottom of the dress. Then use the blower to make the fake flames move. Then get some orange flickering lights to give it a glow.


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## Valkryie (Sep 17, 2008)

*Thanks for the suggestions*

I've been toying with this for so long, since it's something I've never seen done. I figure throw on some burn appliances and smoky-looking makeup, and that should do it. 

I probably will make the stake removable, and the pool noodles are great idea! Any thoughts on what would be best to paint them, or perhaps the cloth would be best and then paint that to look like wood.

I'd still like to find some lightweight battery operated lights for under the flames - probably poke around the web and see what I can find. 

Keep the suggestions coming, and when I get it all together, I will post pics, no problem.

Thanks everyone!


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## hallowedding (Sep 20, 2004)

What a cool idea! 

Hmmm... I'm thinking something charred would add to the charm of the costume. Maybe a shawl that's been burned at the edges (or dyed/painted to look burned)?

As for the flames, I like the idea of using flowy fabrics like chiffon or poly-silks as an underskirt (just peeking out from the beneath the dress) or as trim to give them some movement. (See attachment for fabric idea.)


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## Pat-f (Oct 15, 2006)

For the stake, I would use mattress type foam. I would cut a 6 inch square piece that is as long as you are tall, maybe a little longer. You might have to glue a couple layers together. I would give this a coat of latex (carpet adhesive works well), then when dry paint it brown and "wood grain" it. There's a tool you can get for this in the painting department of most hardware stores. I still think that the silk flames with the small fan is the way to go, here is a couple of links on making fake flames;

Backyard Imagineering - Pirates of the Caribbean Fire

Minions Web - Projects - Faux Flame Urns - All the fire and none of the burn

The only trick would be making the flames go around you. Also, you should have some wood stacked up around you, strips of foam, or the pool noodles would work for this. Then you could attach the flames to this, and hide the fans underneath. Three or four orange and red colored light sets with flasher bulbs in them so that the all flashed at different times would give the flames their glow. There was a tutorial on the site here that showed the author making some pretty sick looking skin with latex and oatmeal, colored the right ways it could look like burned skin. How burned do you want to look? When on fire, the hair and clothing would be the first to go, so if you wanted to get really grotesque, you could go with a bald cap, really distress the dress, and coat any exposed areas of you with the latex and oatmeal to look really burned.


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## Pat-f (Oct 15, 2006)

I just checked the decoration department at Fred Meyer, and they didn't have any battery powered mini lights. How ever they did have a battery powered strobe light.. Perhaps you could place one under some colored cellophane to get the look of flames.


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## churchofsubgenius (Sep 8, 2008)

For the material going over the noodles, take a look at Jo-Ann's (or the equivalent where you live) I would not be suprised at all if they had a wood pattern material, then you could just paint some char at the bottom.
I found some battery op LED mini-lights (string of 18 multi-color, 4 AA batt's) at Target, they work perfect for my daughers Slot Machine.... you might have to black out a few to get the right effect.
I would shy away from the fan idea, all battery powered fans I have seen that will actually move air sound like a vacuum cleaner....except those ones kids hang around their necks at Disney and such....but you would need like 4 strapped to your legs (hot, lol)

I found some DC LED strings with color choices HERE

Wow, found the motherload HERE


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## keegan17 (Sep 23, 2008)

Hi!

I had the same idea this year! The advise so far has been great. 

Here are my plans so far if you're interested...

I managed to find a long round piece of styrofoam for the stake at a supply store and plan on distressing it with a dremel to put some wood-like grooves in it and then will paint it black to fill the grooves and do a sort of dry brush with a few browns to give it a wood-like look.

I haven't actually put it together, but the plan is to use rope to create an almost back pack like strap that would make it look like I'm tied to the stake, but allow me to take it off to sit down. (I host the party, though, so I don't usually sit much.)

I was also going to make wood out of foam for the bottom of the dress, but then I found a grape vine wreath at the local craft store that's 30" so I can stand in it.

The plan is to use a piece of rope for the belt and tie the wreath to it with fishing line just above the ground. I will use use other small branches to build it up and make it look more like a pile and put the lights and start some of the fabric.

I was thinking the fan route at first, but just couldn't figure out how to get them in the hem of the dress or the wood and have them be strong enough to actually blow the fabric. So I'm thinking of using some fishing line to attach them to the belt or sleeves or something that will hopefully allow for some movement.

I hadn't even thought of the smoke! Great ideas on that. I was just planning on doing some charring. As far as the lighting goes, I've bought a variety of battery operated LED lights from Menards (a home improvement store) to try and create a cool affect, some flashing, some red, some orange, some white...again, haven't really put it together so it's all still in concept.

Typing this all out I realize how much I have to do before Halloween!

I'm wondering what type of witch you're planning on being...black dress, warts and a hat; puritan from Salem; renaissance period; etc. I haven't decided on that part of it yet.

Have fun and good luck!


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## Valkryie (Sep 17, 2008)

*These are great ideas!*

Thanks for the thoughts, and the links, COSG. I did actually find some battery operated lights in red and amber, so I think I can light the thing up. I'm still investigating the fan thing, just wondering about the noise. And keegan's ideas with the grapevine around the bottom are good, too. 

As far as what kind of witch, I'm going more realistic, no pointy hat or any of that jazz. More of a Salem witch thing, peasant dress, but with bigger skirt to allow for all the additions. I also have a bloody appliance that I'll apply to my forehead that looks like a Satanic symbol has been carved into my skin. I have time to pull it together, as this year's costume is pretty much done, I'll be using the witch get-up next year. That gives me a lot of time to perfect it!

This year, I'm a dead vampire, as opposed to undead. Stake through the chest, pale, etc. Hence, dead vampire. Gothic outfit. 

Along those lines, didn't someone recommend a better adhesive than spirit gum? The darn stuff isn't holding my stake in place very well, and also have a couple of neck bites to apply. (But my teeth are great - Scarecrow, of course!)


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## Pat-f (Oct 15, 2006)

Well, good luck with this years costume, and post some pics. I've heard a lot of good things about using medical adhesive for attaching prosthetics try the link here
Skin Adhesives from Special Effect Supply
I'll try some experiments with the fans when I get a little extra time, and let you know if I come up with anything.


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## mjane (Oct 29, 2009)

I've been working on this costume all day. I have an office chair, to which I attached a cardboard "stake" painted brown. I attached fencing wire around it...then attached pieces of sticks onto the wire. I'm also adding dry ice, flashlights with the lens painted red, and a few signs (Guilty for heresy) or something like that. Is anyone else making this costume this year?


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## icyuod2 (Oct 27, 2009)

sew the dress, 2 layers thick (inner and outter layer) add one of those battery operated fans to the mix (from blow up costumes, as previously stated)

add vent holes to your outter dress and attach your chifan flames to those area's.

ya might experiment with a couple small pieces of rubber tubing (1/2" diameter)
i'd cut a 2" long piece, wrap the bottom of the flame around it and stuff it in the vent hole in the dress. a couple had stitches should position the tubing vertically. this should help dirrect your air flow and keep the flames blowing in an upward fashion.

you could add an led to each of the pieces of tubing and hide all the wires between the 2 layers of the dress.


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