Crocodile Costume Tutorial

Costumes ||
Crocodile Costume Tutorial

Crocodile Costume Tutorial

For the performance of Peter Pan and Wendy, one of the costumes that stumped me was that of the crocodile.  I had looked at several available for order, and none of them seemed just right.  Then I remembered that I had a homemade dragon costume that I had inherited from a past teacher.  The body of this costume would work perfectly for the crocodile; I just needed to create a crocodile head.  So I set to work sketching up a design, and my crocodile costume came to life.

Supplies:

Step 1: Creating the Head

Crocodile

The majority of the head is made out of cardboard.  Start by sketching out the profile of the head (the top half, and then the bottom).  I wanted the top to overlap the bottom, so I took this into account as I drew out my design.  Be sure to leave an opening in the back and on the bottom/back of the jaw for your actor’s head and neck.  Once you’re finished sketching, cut out your design.  Use these two pieces as a template to trace out the other side of the crocodile head, and them cut those out as well. 

Next, cut a strip of cardboard just slightly wider than your actor’s head and long enough to wrap along the top two portions of the head.  Attach the two sides to the center using masking tape.  Do this same process for the bottom.  

Step 2: The Teeth

I wanted a bit more of a three dimensional look, so I sketched out the teeth separately for both sides, top and bottom.  Then cut them out as well.

Step 3: Putting it all Together

Hot glue the teeth on from the inside and and then cover the seam with masking tape.  With the top and bottom of the head laying on its side, align the back of the head where you want it attach and mark your hole.  I cut out

the hole using an Xacto knife.  I attached the top to the bottom using rope,
tying a knot on both sides of the hole to work as a hinge.  Do this for both sides in order to create a hinged jaw.  To help the actor keep the head on, I also tied an elastic band around the knot hinges so that the head would fit snugly. 

Step 4: Paint

Paint outside of the top and bottom portions of the head green (matte acrylic or flat latex).  Paint the inside of the head black.  Next, paint the teeth white.  Once everything was dry, I dry brushed over the green with brown paint  to add a bit of detail.

Step 5: The Details

Using hot glue, attach two Pringles can lids to either side of the head for the eyes.  Then cut a ping pong ball in half with an Xacto knife for the eyeballs and also attached them using hot glue.  
*Pro Tip: Draw on the eyeball using a permanent marker prior to attaching the ping pong eyeball.
 

Step 6: The Body

As I mentioned earlier, I happened to have a dragon costume that I used for the body of my crocodile.  If you don’t have access to a homemade dragon costume, here is a cute one piece Dinosaur Pajama Costume that I think would substitute perfectly for the crocodile body!  You would just need green socks and a green pair of gloves for the hands and feet.

Step 7: Pulling It all Together

Finally, I made a small wheeled platform for my actress to scoot along on her belly and when she lifted her head, the mouth opened. It was adorable.

In Conclusion

I was really intimidated when I first started thinking about how to create this crocodile costume, but once I envisioned what I wanted, it actually came together pretty simply.  If you don’t happen to have access to a homemade dragon outfit, there are some pretty cute ones that you can order, and then you can just add your own customized crocodile head like I did.  Have fun and happy costuming!

7 Comments

Leave a Reply