How to Make a Mummy Costume

Guide Note Wondering how to look embalmed and undead this Halloween without going through the hassle of dying? Hoping to unleash your personal curse on mankind? Or maybe you just want to chase after Brendan Fraser. Whatever the reason, this guide will get you looking like a monstrous mummy quickly and cheaply.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• What You'll Need
• Prepare the Sheets
• Make the Body of the Costume
• Makeup the Face
• Variations and Tips

Mummy Costume Construction Tips

1. Dust the entire costume with flour to make the costume look aged.
2. Dye sheets in black tea to make them look dirtier and more realistic.
3. Use crumpled paper towels dipped in coffee on your face to look like dead skin.

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Introduction

• In 1932, Boris Karloff immortalized the rag-wrapped mummy image in Universal's original The Mummy (not to be confused with newer incarnations featuring Brendan Fraser).¹ This Halloween you can easily recreate this terrifying visage, without having to spend eight hours in hair and makeup.² Follow this simple guide, and with a little bit of time and handiwork you can make an amazing mummy costume. You'll impress your friends, and you don't even have to be embalmed!

What You'll Need

Materials for the Costume

• - White sweat pants and sweat shirt or long underwear
• - 2 White sheets
• - 50-100 Black tea bags
• 

  (Creative Commons photo by Sam Beckwith)
  - Hot glue, Spray adhesive or Tacky glue
• - Green and yellow makeup
• - Flour or baby powder

Materials for the Face

• - Coffee
• - Several paper towels
• - Flour
• - Corn syrup
• - White face makeup
• - Brown cream makeup
• - White face powder
• - Black lipstick
• - Gray eye shadow³
• - Black eyeliner

Equipment

• - Scissors
• - Hot glue gun
• - 2 Large buckets

Prepare the Sheets

1. Give the sheets an aged look by steeping them in black tea.⁴
   1. Put hot water and tea bags into a large sink or buckets.
   2. Put in the sheets and let steep for at least 2 hours or at most overnight.
   3. Take the sheets out and hang them dry.
2. After the sheets have dried, rip them into strips.
   1. Start by making 2 or 3 inch slits down the sides of the sheets.⁵
   2. Tear down the length of the sheet to make frayed mummy bandages.

Make the Body of the Costume

• You could simply wrap the body with sheet strips and call yourself a mummy, but attaching the strips to undergarments will allow you to go to the bathroom.

1. 

   (Creative Commons photo by The Hurricane)
   Dress model in under-clothing.
2. Starting at the neckline, wrap strips around the person.⁶ Make sure it is snug enough, but not too tight.⁷
3. Using the adhesive of your choice, place glue intermittent points to ensure that the rags stick to the garment. If you are using the hot glue gun, make sure the heat is set to the lowest setting.⁸
4. Wrap as haphazardly as possible. Have strips hanging off random parts of the costume. You really can't go wrong. Just make sure the under-clothing is completely covered.
5. Use green and yellow makeup at intermittent spots around the costume to look like mold.⁹
6. Dust on flour or baby powder to make the rags look older.

Makeup the Face

• This is the final step. After this you'll be ready to stumble through the streets and frighten little children.

1. At least one day prior, dip paper towels in coffee and let dry.
2. 

   (Creative Commons photo by Patty Ho)
   Mix together 2 tablespoons of flour and 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon of corn syrup. Add brown makeup to color the paste.¹⁰
3. Spread paste over face.
4. Tear up pieces of dyed paper towel, wrinkling as necessary. Cover all parts of face including eyebrows, but excluding mouth and eyes.¹¹
5. Cover any exposed skin with white face makeup.¹² Use white face powder to set.
6. Line eyes with black eyeliner.
7. Dab gray eyeshadow under eyes and on cheeks to create a sunken appearance.¹³
8. Put black lipstick on lips.
9. Finish the costume by wrapping leftover sheet strips around the face and hair, bringing it to meet up with the neckline of the costume.

Variations and Tips

1. If you're handy with a needle and thread, you can sew the strips on with a sewing machine.¹⁴ The costume will be sturdier and last longer.
2. You can dye your tongue black by swishing around a mixture of red, blue and green liquid food coloring.¹⁵
3. Long hair can be kind of tricky. You can let it hang out of the wrapping in messy chunks. Put egg white in it to make it look clumpy. Dust it with flour or baby powder for an even messier look.

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References for How to Make a Mummy Costume

1. ↑ Amazon.com: The Mummy
2. ↑ IMDb.com: The Mummy  
3. ↑ Familyeducation.com: Mummy Halloween Costume
4. ↑ Threadbanger.com: How to Make a Mummy Costume
5. ↑ Threadbanger.com: How to Make a Mummy Costume
6. ↑ Hersheys.com: Mummy Costume
7. ↑ thefunplace.com: Halloween Costumes
8. ↑ Hersheys.com: Mummy Costume
9. ↑ Hersheys.com: Mummy Costume
10. ↑ Marthastewart.com: Scary Makeup
11. ↑ Marthastewart.com: Scary Makeup
12. ↑ Familyfun.go.com: Mummy Costume
13. ↑ familyeducation.com: Mummy Halloween Costume
14. ↑ Threadbanger.com: How to Make a Mummy Costume
15. ↑ Marthastewart.com: Scary Makeup

More Suggestions for How to Make a Mummy Costume

• Threadbanger: How to Make a Mummy Costume
• Family Education: Mummy Halloween Costume
• Expert Village: How to Make a Mummy Costume for Halloween
• Hershey's: Mummy Costume