This is topic Halloween Help(I need a giant lizard tail - updated a year later...with pictures!) in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.
If you've seen Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, I'm going as Hunter S. Thompson this year from the scene where he wakes up in the hotel room with the huge black hip waders, the giant lizard tail, and the tape recorder strapped to his chest. Even if you haven't...
what I need is a large, preferably rubber, lizard/dinosaur type tail. I can't find this anywhere. I've searched stores and the internet and have found nothing remotely close.
I've checked out toy rubber snakes, which I figure I could chop the head off and use, but those toys, while having a decent length, are way to small diameter wise. Though I may end up using this if I can't find anything else.
There are larger ones I've found but those are all the soft plush ones which look extremely cheesy. Made from one light green solid color, and it would look like i had a barney tail coming out of my butt.
I've been given various suggestions from paper mache to finding some sort of fabric that would work, sewing it in the right form and stuffing it. I have no idea if there is a fabric that would work for a lizard tail though.
I've managed to get a hold of everything else I need for this costume, and I really want to pull it all off so it looks nice. Any suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated about where to find something to buy or how to go about making something!
[ October 21, 2008, 01:00 AM: Message edited by: Strider ]
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Nagahide would work, but sewing it would take a heavyduty machine.
My suggestion would be to go down to a goodwill or salvation army and browse around looking for something that you could use (with undoubtedly heavy modification, of course).
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
sorry kq and morbo! had to delete the other thread. didn't realize i had double posted like that.
Posted by kmbboots (Member # 8576) on :
What about getting one of those dinasour swim toys or an inflatable dinosaur and cutting the tail off and stuffing it? It wouldn't be plush fabric (or fabric at all).
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
But my answer was so FUNNY!
(It was "Ask quid to send one from Sri Lanka?")
See, now you killed the funny.
Posted by Noemon (Member # 1115) on :
Killing The Funny is a tragic thing.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
sorry.
To be fair I should've deleted this one since the other one was first. And edited in the added text.
Live and learn!
p.s. - I hope this doesn't get me thrown off the "will not delete threads list"! I'm pretty sure there was a clause in there for double posts.
Posted by Eaquae Legit (Member # 3063) on :
I have a big purple felt one. I think it even has orange spots.
I was a dinosaur/monster thing one year when I was 6.
Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
quote:Originally posted by ketchupqueen: But my answer was so FUNNY!
(It was "Ask quid to send one from Sri Lanka?")
See, now you killed the funny.
And I was just gonna ask if you wanted me to chop off a lizard's tail and mail it to ya. Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
as long as it's a big lizard, I'll take it. Posted by quidscribis (Member # 5124) on :
How big is big? A 4-5 foot lizard ought to have a tail about half that length. Although I have seen six or eight foot lizards crossing busy roads, so I could see about getting one of those... Although the easiest ones would be the geckos, especially since they sometimes leave their tails behind... Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
I'd make it... Perhaps with some faux lizard fabric/leather? You could make it an extra foot to "tuck" into your pants, and stuff it.
Depending on the thickness of the faux leather you can use a normal sewing machine with a leather needle or a ballpoint needle (you need to be able to pierce the faux leather). (I've only ever used "faux leather" to make my sister a bag so I don't have much experience... maybe somebody else has some?)
Sadly it's too late in the game to go that route. it wouldn't get here on time. Not to mention the time needed once it did get here to make the tail.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
Do you still live in New Jersey? A quick search came up with this place: jandofabrics
Or you could go to a second hand store and see if you can find some jackets or something that are made out of faux-skin (or real?). You can do one colour for the underside and another for top (which would make it easier to find)
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
no....but that's actually even closer to where I live now in PA.
Thanks a lot Jaiden! I'll let you know if I end up sewing something. Ideally I'd like to find that Aztec Emerald style, which is just perfect. And since that J & O Fabrics place is close I have the weekend still to try to locate it.
Posted by The Pixiest (Member # 1863) on :
I got a big lizard in my back yard. Can't afford to feed it anymore.
Posted by Jaiden (Member # 2099) on :
Glad to be of some assistance You'll have to take pictures
[ October 19, 2007, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: Jaiden ]
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
I found a really great fabric today at Jo-Ann Fabrics. It's not quite as perfect as that Aztec Emerald one, but it's very reptilian. It's called Green Reptile Pleather.
Now I just have to figure out how to sew it into a lizard tail! Where's my grandma when I need her?
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
May I suggest the hot glue gun and/or stapler method?
It's a costume, don't put too much into it.
Chicken wire can be a great frame for large appendages.
Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
I hadn't even thought about doing a frame, but that's a good idea.
oh, and the fabric I found was only $3.50/yd which was a huge savings over those other ones. I think I'll be breaking triple digits all said and done on this costume as it is so that was cool to find.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Yeah, doing it on a frame it won't be so uncomfortable and will be more stable. If you tried to, say, stuff it, it would likely be incredibly heavy and hard to wear, as well as prone to stuffing shiftage toward the end of the tail (lowest point.) With a wire frame you can get the exact shape you want, and expect that it will hold.
Posted by Pegasus (Member # 10464) on :
Must. Take. Pictures. Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
I was reminded of this thread with Halloween coming up, and realized I never posted pictures last year, which was totally unfair to everyone that helped out! I don't know if I would've pulled this off without hatrack.
I ended up buying chicken wire and making a wire frame in the shape of a tail. I then did my best to sew the fabric in the correct form around it(it went relatively well). And then I ended up stuffing the tail with those foam packing peanuts to give it a little weight and substance in case it was stepped on(which it was plenty). It came out really nice, and the costume as a whole came out awesome as well. I also rigged up the tail to my belt strap, so I could take the tail on and off relatively easily if I needed to(like in a car). The tail held up great over the weekend with constant damage being done to it. I still have it saved cause I loved i so much!
While most people looked at me like I was crazy, the people who DID know what it was thought it was the coolest costume they had ever seen, and told me repeatedly. People were stopping me in the street to take pictures with me.
I mostly stayed in character both nights I wore the costume, which tended to confuse those who didn't know who I was even more. It involved a lot of slinking around, stopping in mid stride, looking around confused while making odd sounds and mumbling to myself, and then continuing off in a brand new direction. Most of my conversation was disjointed and rambling. The first night I even had the microphone strapped to my face like it should be, but that proved to be really bothersome so I just wore it around my neck the second night.
Thanks everyone!
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
Awesome!
See, you can find out how to do ANYTHING on Hatrack. Posted by Strider (Member # 1807) on :
Your chicken wire idea was clutch kq, it gave it a nice form and wasn't very difficult to do at all.
Posted by ketchupqueen (Member # 6877) on :
I have some experience making absurdly large costume parts. *whistles innocently*
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