# Medusa Costume Help* UPDATED W/ PICS



## CatMean

I'm going to be medusa again this year but would like to improve on my homemade costume from last year.. basically just a dress. I'd like some 12" wired bendable snakes that I can roll up in my hair like those bendable hot curlers. Maybe 1/2" to 1" thick.. Haven't found any yet.. I mainly got my inspiration from that sexy medusa costume that's out there, with the crappy front snake facade headpiece... Also borrowed snake jewelery from my cleopatra costume. Any other ideas or suggestions?


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## groovethang

*CatMean,

If you can't find snakes that hold their shape with wires inside, a possible alternative would be to take some wire clothes hangers and feed them through the snakes to create the effect. You would probably have to use needlenose pliers to get them to go where you want inside the snake. Since most of those snakes are hollow, I can't imagine it would be too hard to do, once you puncture the snake's skin, initially. Obviously, you would want to make the puncture hole as small as possible to avoid having the wire come back out the hole, or you could superglue the hole shut after the wire is in there and you are satisfied with it. 

Good idea on wiring up the snakes - I am planning on medusa this year as well, so I may try that. Are you planning on putting these in your actual hair, or using a wig? 

I am not digging that headpiece on the medusa costume that is out there, either. I can just imagine how hot it would be, for one thing! It sometimes gets very warm around here (St. Louis) so anything that is not too warm is a good thing. . . last year was 80's during the day. bleh!

I am planning on sewing a dress, possibly with some snakeskin style accents to it -- maybe some sparkly stuff or snakeskin print fabric. For makeup, I want to apply a makeup that is sort of whitish-green, similar to the underbelly color of some snakes to my face/neck, then apply reddish makeup around the hollows of my eyes. It would be nice if I could find a forked tongue prosthetic. If I am feeling really inspired, I may put a tail on the dress . . . don't know if I'll have time, though.*

*Beth Ryan
[email protected]
Yahoo ID: bethofdeathstl
MSN Messenger ID: [email protected]*


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## LHALLOW

> quote:_Originally posted by CatMean_
> 
> I'm going to be medusa again this year but would like to improve on my homemade costume from last year.. basically just a dress. I'd like some 12" wired bendable snakes that I can roll up in my hair like those bendable hot curlers. Maybe 1/2" to 1" thick.. Haven't found any yet.. I mainly got my inspiration from that sexy medusa costume that's out there, with the crappy front snake facade headpiece... Also borrowed snake jewelery from my cleopatra costume. Any other ideas or suggestions?


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## LHALLOW

Let's try this again,

Last year I helped a friend with her Medusa costume. We bought a thick fat fabric covered headband and a bag of rubber snakes from Oriental Trading companny. We then sewed the ends of the snakes tails onto the headband. The snakes were facing different directions. After she teased her hair, we put the headband on, and viola! Looked great and it was easy to remove when the party was over.


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## groovethang

That's a good suggestion, LHALLOW. I had thought of something like that ... I may use that idea.  Thanks.

*Beth Ryan
[email protected]
Yahoo ID: bethofdeathstl
MSN Messenger ID: [email protected]*


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## DanteofDoom2

just buy alot of rubber snakes cut em in half and make a wig then thell move

Good bad im the guy with the gun-Army of darkness


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## DanteofDoom2

just buy alot of rubber snakes cut em in half and make a wig then thell move

Good bad im the guy with the gun-Army of darkness


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## DanteofDoom2

srry posted twice lag...

Good bad im the guy with the gun-Army of darkness


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## Elza

I did medusa one year. This is what I did. Bought a rubber swim cap, rubber snakes, and some green fake fur. I put wire in the snakes (like suggested above) and sewed the snakes to the swim cap. Then I glued the fake fur. I wore green tights/leotard and a lot of green scarves. Used face makeup to create a green snake face. I won second place with that costume. Wish I still had pictures.

Have Monterous Fun!


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## Hecate

Were I to do medusa, I would be her after she was turned to stone.

Halloween obsession, or possesion?


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## Jennafae

I thought I would do Medusa this year as well and found this forum thread on a Google search. You all have great ideas!

Here is another neat idea that just came out in this year's annual Martha Stewart halloween magazine .... They had taken rubber snakes and mad slits on the underside, then threaded bobby pins through them, which made for easy attachment. Some were left whole and some were cut in half. If you have long hair, braid it and coil the braids around your head. If you don't have long hair but would like the same look, buy a cheap wig from your local costume/party shop, snip off long lengths, braid it, and pin those in a coil pattern along with the snakes.

Anyone have any ideas for the rest of the outfit, aside from the white goddess costume and also the black medusa costume I've been seeing on all the commercial sites?

<img src="http://www.vazaelle.net/~jennafae/dollz/HH04sig.gif">


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## wicked

*I like the type medusa/gorgon, where she has a snake body--and you could wear a gold lame' bathing suit over green leotards, and sew large gold sequins on it for scales. You could sew a few here and there to give it a cool effect. Some also have tusks like a boar's, but I don't think you want to go there, and golden hands and bronze wings. Maybe the golden hands thing would look good. You could put a bit of gold glitter on your snake headress too. You'll want to carry around a hand mirror with you so you can look at peoples reflection instead of looking at them directly--you wouldn't want to turn anyone to "stone" now would you?....don't know how loose you're friends are but you could make all kinds of jokes about one look from you and you can make them 'stoned', LOL*

The banshee shrieks with* WICKED* delight, on this a cold and death filled night!


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## HalloweenBride2004

I've just retired my fabulous Medusa costume. Worn it for 2 Halloweens on the Castro in SF, won 3 1st place prizes in contest and admired by many. 

Here is the light-weight way of doing this. Buy 1 inch thick mattress foam from craft store, cut out 12 inch snakes...maybe 20 of them. Easiest way is with an electric turkey carver. Next paint them green or whatever color. Next get some stiff floral wire and stick them inside each snake....this way they are bendable and easy to work with. Next take invisible thread and tie a loop around the top of the neck (or under the head) and spiral the invisible thread around and down towards the end...this gives it texure to each snake. I took an old fitted hat...painted it green and poked holes and put the excess floral wire from sticking out from the snake attaching it from underneath the hat. The snakes stand straight up and are totally posable. 

I took a more glamorous approach with gold cat shaped rhinestone for eyes and glittering the whole headpiece with green glitter...lots of green glitter. Even had red tongues on some of the snakes and had a long green faux fur stole to accesorize. Honey, I look so fierce in this outfit, the Drag Queens were jealous.

I have pictures of it if anyone is interested on what this looks like.

I'm not weird...you are just boring.


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## CatMean

Sounds excellent, I'd love to see the photos, if you've retired your costume, what are you going to do with it? 

I love everyone's ideas, you've really given me great ideas, I'll post pics when I get this year's costume finished.


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## sheilajh

Last year I made a medusa costume, for the wig I got a cheap black rocker type wig that had straight and wavy pieces. I took rubber snakes cut them in half and attached them with needle and fishing line to the wig. I pushed clothes hanger wire through some of the halves with the heads and left part of the wire sticking out the cut end. That end I bent into a hook and hooked it through the mesh on the mesh cap of the wig. When the wig was on the tension made the snakes stand up and wave around. I also braided parts of it and sprayed the braids with green hair color, which just added to the general snakiness of it. I draped one of the leftover snakes around my neck and used one of the coiled ones for a bracelet. For the rest of the outfit, I used green snakeskin vinyl to make a bustier, instead of straps I attached gold chain which hung over my shoulders and attached to a floor length black lace drape. The skirt was tattered black lace. I covered my face with pale green makeup and used a dark green eyeliner pencil to draw on wrinkles and highlight around my eyes. The cost of the whole thing was about $30.


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## RowenasCoffin

For my gorgon hair I used a Babyliss crazy braid, braided my hair and sprayed it green, then got little plastic snakes and put them in amongst the braids using kirby grips. (unless you call them somthing else over there.)At the time I was nine months pregnant with my daughter and I had to wrap a sheet around myself, but this year I got a cheap snakeprint dress off ebay. I always wanted to make myself a snakeprint catsuit though. I used green lipstick, white pan on my face, and gold leaf eyeshadow.


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## melissa

CatMean: have you seen the Martha Stewart holiday issue? There's a snake hairdo that looks pretty easy. You attach bobby pins to the underside of small rubber snakes and work them into an updo (accomplished with hairpieces if necessary).

_________________________
Melissa
My Halloween Links Page
My album
"Haven't you noticed how nothing in this house seems to move until you look away and then you just...catch something out of the corner of your eye? "


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## alleyway

mm.....when makeing your medusa costume...
do rember everyone out there who want to do this
that medusa was a beautiful maiden...type of thing
and her snakes (in the story i find was told more often)
where given to her by athena for dishonoring her alter shrine ...ect.
so if any man looked at medusa...with lust love...another ect.
he would turn ot stone..

but yeh...she wans't ugle or had snake skin herself! she was pretty!!

but....looking all evil and snake like is fun and probally better for the costume...so yeh

DeadMice


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## HalloweenBride2004

Pictures are now posted in the Halloween Gallery under HalloweenBride2004 or last updated. I've include 2 headshots of the massive Medusa headpiece, one shot of the whole outfit I wore 2 years ago, and the shoes....have to include the shoes. 


If anyone needs help on how to make the headpiece....just holler.




Gravity Sucks


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## Jennafae

Where is this gallery? I'm not finding it.


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## HalloweenBride2004

http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=32

http://halloweengallery.com/displayimage.php?album=lastup&cat=0&pos=34

(just updated links) 


ooops, my bad...here ya go hun.

Gravity Sucks


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## punkrockgirl

Hey, that is pretty cool, HalloweenBride2004!

I just ordered snakes for my costume here, after looking all over town for some the right size/price, and having no luck:

I ordered the #R232 snakes- I have blue streaked hair already, and will be weaving in hair extensions that I braided, which will be streaked blue, so I think these snakes will match the best. 

Also on that page, they have glow-in-the-dark snakes, which I thought might be fun- I might add glow-in-the-dark paint to my snakes.

http://www.veghead.com/reptiles/rubberysnake.html

Good luck, everyone!


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## punkrockgirl

Here's the URL of a neat picture I found of someone dressed as medusa:

http://www.ny.com/features/images/medusa.jpg


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## Laurie Strode

http://www.girlgoth.com/gggalleryillusions-medusa.html

This is a link to someone who is very talented in the department of costuming and makeup. This is her rendition of Medusa. I found the site with google.


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## RockStarVixen

I am so glad I found this forum!
I have been wanting to do a Medusa costume for years...

you guys have lots of great ideas. I decided to have my costume be red and black...my hair is already streaked with red and I bought some additional haitr to make snake braids with....I'll post more as I get more done. Just starting on the headpiece and dress at this time.


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## Deamun

Actually, Medusa WAS beautiful but she thought her beauty surpassed that of the goddess, so the goddess turned her into a gorgon, and made her so hideous to look at, that anyone who layed eyes upon her, turned to stone.



> quote:_Originally posted by alleyway_
> 
> mm.....when makeing your medusa costume...
> do rember everyone out there who want to do this
> that medusa was a beautiful maiden...type of thing
> and her snakes (in the story i find was told more often)
> where given to her by athena for dishonoring her alter shrine ...ect.
> so if any man looked at medusa...with lust love...another ect.
> he would turn ot stone..
> 
> but yeh...she wans't ugle or had snake skin herself! she was pretty!!
> 
> but....looking all evil and snake like is fun and probally better for the costume...so yeh
> 
> DeadMice


if all paths lead but to the grave, then let us dance along our way.


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## ddshah

Very cool costume HalloweenBride 2004!! Love it and is a great inspiration!
Thanks!


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## DOOMBUGGY

I too am going to be a Gorgon for Halloween, but not Medusa. I will refer to myself as Zola and hand out cheesy hors d'oeuvres and see if anyone gets it!
Great ideas for the headdress, that was the one aspect of the costume giving me trouble.
For my costume: since Gorgons are based in Greek Mythology I decided to sew a greek chiton (pretty much a toga for a woman) out of sheer snakeskin fabric.

First thing to go in a zealot? 
Their sense of humor. 
Second: Perspective. 
Third: Cool clothes.


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## kryssie_ann

I think I have finally found the solution! I found this tube like ribbon at a craft store that resembles a chinese finger trap. I bought black and green pipecleaners and made snakes w/ heads. Slid these skinny snakes into the ribbon and pulled it tight and secured the two ends with string. On some I added red tounges sticking out. The ribbon was sort of see thru and had gold and silver intertwined in it already. I used puff paint to make some eyes for the snakes and secured them to the little hair claw clips. I wore part of it for a party 2 weeks ago and the snakes stayed put and were very light! In the process of making more Hope this helps someone!


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## CatMean

Here are a few pictures of the finished costume, I did do the snake roller technique. My hair is about shoulder length, and I used bendy snakes like those hot rollers and just wound them up in my hair and around each other, here's a closeup
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/catmean/detail?.dir=be8e&.dnm=5fba.jpg&.src=ph

and the overall costume
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/catmean/detail?.dir=be8e&.dnm=f9db.jpg&.src=ph


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## Wolfman

Cat:
I'd love to see your work, I think Medusa is an All-Time Classic, but I couldn't access your pix.

Wolfman


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## CatMean

Ok, sorry, try again, settings were on private..


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## LHALLOW

the costume turned out great!









"Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!" http://photos.yahoo.com/lhallow


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## stelllaluna02

Hello. I would be interested in seeing a picture of your costume. I am a very visual person so it would really help me for creating my own costume. 
Thanks!


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## Hauntiholik

Here's the link to CatMean's photobucket pictures: http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e227/CatMean/Halloween 2004/


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## Xen

My wife did the Medusa costume last year. We used a large snake which we wrapped kinda like a turban, then wove little snakes into it and her hair. 

Here is a picture of the final costume:


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