DIIY JET PACK CARDBOARD COSTUME

Our amazing cardboard genius contributor Kathryn from Cardboard Folk is back with another fun recycled costume for kids. like this DIY Jet Pack Cardboard Costume. In case you missed it, pop over to see the incredible DIY Hand Sanitizer Costume she created for us, so perfect for Halloween 2020. 

Get your little astronaut ready to rocket into space, complete with super colorful and fun win PinWheels as fuel. 

Jet Pack  DIY Costume – Materials:

1 x Mailing Tube

Piece of Thin Cardboard 2-3mm Th.

Piece of Thick Cardboard 4-6mm Th.

Strip of Corrugated Cardboard

2 x Inner Cardboard Tubes from Masking Tape Rolls (OR: Mailing Tube Off Cuts)

2 x Toilet Paper Rolls

Strong Elastic for straps (OR: Spare kids harness)

Pin Wheels for Flames (we used Whirly Windmills)

Pencil

Box Cutter

Steel Ruler

Hot Glue Gun

Cutting Mat Recommended

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1: Cut the Mailing Tube into 2 pieces about 20cm Long.  Cut the corrugated cardboard into 2 strips about 3cm wide and glue in place around the top of the tubes.

Step 2: Cut out a rectangle from thin cardboard to create the base of the pack.  Ours is 13cm x 10cm and has rounded corners at the front.  Use the tubes as a template to draw two semi circles on each side towards the back and cut out.  Use this piece as a template to cut another for the top.

Step 3: Cut another piece of thin cardboard approx. 15cm wide, the length should be enough to wrap around the front face of the pack including the rounded corners.  Curve the cardboard as required and glue the top and bottom in place.

Step 4: Glue the Mailing tubes to the pack, they should fit neatly into the semi circles you cut in step 2.  The corrugated cardboard at the top should align with the top of the pack.

Step 5: Cut the wings for the jet pack from the piece of thick Cardboard.  Our wing is 50cm Long x 15cm Wide and tapers down from the edges.  Make a cut lengthwise in your TP Rolls all the way through so that it can open up. ‘Clamp’ it onto the edge of your wing tips and glue in place.

Step 6: Make a harness by cutting small slits in the centre of the wing and poking through elastic for each arm.  Measure your child and tie in place to suit. Alternatively you could use an old child sized harness like we did and fix in place with cardboard strips glued to the wing.

Step 7: Glue the Wing to the Jet Pack, it should be centred and hide any harness / strap fixings.

Step 8: Use the Making Tape Inner Rolls to create a mount for your Pin Wheel flames.  Make sure the rolls fit snugly inside your mailing tubes, cut and re-glue as required.  Cut 2 circles to make caps for the rolls and glue in place.  Poke holes in the cardboard caps to position your pin wheels and secure with glue. Lastly glue the Masking tape Rolls to the Mailing Tubes allowing the rolls to protrude  slightly from the bottom.

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ABOUT CARDBOARDFOLK

I’m Kathryn, Interior Designer turned cardboard enthusiast and chaos co-ordinator to 3 small folk, living in sunny Queensland, Australia. My weapon of choice is the hot glue gun and on any given day you can find me crafting my way through the recycling bin.  Mailing boxes are my love language! With a background in design, I bring a love of architecture and engineering to the crafting table, I thrive on testing the limits of what can be created from cardboard. I always have a project, or two, or three on the go.  A classic procrastinator. A serial writer of lists. I started Cardboardfolk to foster a love of creation and recycling in my children.  I’m all about tapping in to the potential of the everyday object, the overlooked and discarded and giving them new life.  You can find more ideas over on Instagram @cardboardfolk