Have I told you lately that I love costumes? I do. I know I’m a grown woman and all, but I just can’t help it. Whether it’s a full costume or more of a Disneybound situation, I love getting dressed up. Once upon a time, I was a theater major, which probably added to my love of costume. Pretending to be someone, or something, else for even just the smallest amount of time is exhilarating.
Easy Disney Halloween Costume
With Halloween on the horizon and a few fun activities I have planned for myself and my family in the days leading up to Halloween, I knew I would need an awesome costume. I wanted to choose something a little obscure but fun. And, of course, it needed to have a Disney twist.
Disney’s Orange Bird: A History
While searching high and low on the interwebs for just the right idea, I came across some vintage Disney. Have you ever heard of the Orange Bird? If not, here’s a little background on him from the Disney Wiki page:
The Orange Bird was created in 1970 as a mascot for the Florida Citrus Commission in exchange for them sponsoring the Tiki Room attraction at Magic Kingdom. Accompanied by singer Anita Bryant, the two appeared in ads for Florida oranges and Bryant narrated a record album telling the character’s story. After the Anita Bryant ad campaign was dropped in the late 70s, the Orange Bird had a solo career and appeared in a few educational shorts in the 1980s such as Foods and Fun: A Nutrition Adventure and The Orange Bird and the Nutrition Bandwagon. Eventually, the bird would fade into obscurity when Disney and the FCC severed their ties in 1987.
Years later, at Tokyo Disneyland in 2004, the Orange Bird would experience a revival as the Japanese became infatuated with the character and the character received a lot of merchandising to coincide with Japan’s annual Orange Day on April 14th of that year. The Orange Bird soon returned to appearing regularly on merchandise in the US as well.
Eventually, on April 17, 2012, the Orange Bird made a proper return to the Sunshine Tree Terrace.
DIY Orange Bird Costume
I’ve loved the look and bright colors of the Orange Bird for many years, and I thought I could pull him off just right with a few things I had at home. This costume required a quick trip to the craft store for some extras, but I still came out only spending about $15 for all of it. Here’s what you’ll need:
- Orange shirt
- Orange pants
- Yellow duct tape/fabric
- Green foam board
- Black permanent marker
- Removable glue dots
- Orange and yellow spray paint
To create the most labor-intensive piece of my costume, I used a foam “safari” hat that was on clearance at the craft store, cut off the back end and spray painted it the correct colors. I freehanded a leaf design on foam board for the wings and cut it out accordingly. By using duct tape for the yellow “belly” of the bird and removable glue dots to attach the leaf “wings” to my shirt, I did not damage any of the items I planned to wear again.
Simple DIY is the Best
While I love costume, I don’t want anyone to mistake me for a seamstress. I took sewing classes in college as part of my major, but I barely got through those as it was. Whenever I look to DIY something, it has to be simple. I also want my costumes to be comfortable. Disneybounding is a favorite trend of mine because you use what you’ve got to make your look. Don’t make your costume more difficult than it needs to be.
Have you decided what you’re going to be for Halloween yet? You’ve still got time to get yourself together! I’d love to hear about your adventures in costuming, so make sure to connect with me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, or Instagram!