So MAYBE mom didn’t let you eat sugary cereal as a kid. Well now is the time to rebel everyone. Because if you can’t eat your Froot Loops, you can at least wear them instead. Today we’ve created a giant cereal bowl costume, with pool noodles for Froot Loops and a giant spoon to boot. I just laugh when I look at this costume, so if that’s what you’re going for (And, really, I highly encourage that.) this is the costume for you!
36″ Balloon
Newspaper (lots of newspaper!)
Flour and Water (To make paper mache paste)
Pool Noodles in Desired Colors
Cardboard (We used a large 40×60″ sheet from the art store)
High Gloss White Spray Paint (I didn’t use high gloss, but wish I did!)
Thick White Ribbon
Foil
Box Cutter
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Stapler and/or Duct Tape
1. Make your paper mache paste, using a one to one ratio of water and flour. The paste should be a thick glue like texture. If it’s too thick, add a bit more water. Tear the newspaper into long thin strips. Fully inflate a 36″ balloon with air and set it on something like a box to keep it from rolling around. Begin your first layer of paper mache. Dip each strip of newspaper into the paper mache and squeeze off the excess with your fingers, then place on the balloon. Cover about half of the balloon in one layer and let dry completely.
2. Repeat three more times so you have four layers total. This is really important so the bowl is nice and sturdy for the costume. Once the fourth layer is completely dry, deflate the balloon and you’ll be left with the base of your cereal bowl! You’ll need to trim the top of your bowl to make it even and then cut a hole in the bottom that is big enough for you to fit through and move your legs in (so you can walk). Then, flip your bowl over on top of the large piece of cardboard and trace the perimeter, then cut out the circle you traced. Then, cut a hole in that circle that you can fit through (this will be the top of the bowl that you’ll build your cereal on top of.
3. Spray paint both the outside of the bowl and one side of the cardboard circle white. Let dry according to the instructions on the can.
4. Using hot glue and an extra set of hands to hold it in place, hot glue the cardboard inside your bowl, about an inch or two from the top. I recommend gluing from both sides (top and bottom) to make sure it’s extra secure.
5. Step into the bowl and with the help of someone else, measure and cut two pieces of ribbon for straps. Then staple them with several staples to the inside of the hole on the cardboard. Secure with extra duct tape if desired.
6. Slice the pool noodles into one inch wide rings using your box cutter.
7. Hot glue a single layer of noodles to the cardboard, then continue adding noodles on top until they can be seen over the top of the bowl, like a big bowl of froot loops! I wore mine with jean shorts and a tank top underneath.
8. To make the spoon, cut just the shape of the handle of a spoon out of cardboard. Tear off a long piece of foil (as long as the handle) and wrap the cardbaord in it. Hot glue to the back, inside of your bowl.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
If you want to go all out, go as a breakfast group (breakfast club!?) with a donut, a strawberry and a fried egg too! WA-BAM!
If you make a Studio DIY costume, share it on Instagram with #studiodiyincostume to be featured here on the blog (and for a chance at some other cool surprises we have in store!)!! More costume ideas here.
brittni says
Oh my goodness! These costumes just keep getting better and better. This one is my new fave.
Ani says
Aaaw I have to keep this in mind, I am absolutely carnival addicted and this costume is just perfect!
I LOVE it!!!
xx
ani from ani hearts
♥
Jamie says
This is AMAZING! And the 99 cent store has a ton of pool floats right now!
Kristina B says
You are straight-up GIFTED
Lyndsay says
You are my favourite … Because you make me smile!!! This costume rules the school and I couldn’t love it more. When I first went away to college I was so stoked to buy and eat Fruit Loops!!! For every dang meal for many months… Woh. Xo
Kelly says
Haha! Oh college, if only we could eat like we did then all the time! Cereal, pasta, pastries, repeat. 😉
Amy says
Kelly this is too freaking adorable. Absolutely my favorite costume so far!
Seanna says
This is beautiful!! And I’m almost 100% sold in making this for my costume this year, but here is my worry, am I going to fit through the door?!? And can you sit? What do ya think? Its jut so perfect, I don’t want to pass it up!
Kelly says
Yayy!! Yes, you can fit through the door. You’ll use a 36″ balloon, but if you don’t blow it up quite all the way it will fit through most doorways. If you cut the holes big enough you would be able to sit, though you’d need a good amount of room around you to do so! I would say that it’s not a costume I’d wear if you are planning to sit in it all day long, but if you’re just going to an event and want the option to sit down, you should be good! Hope that helps!!
Seanna says
totally helps! Im just going to a friends party so theyll just have to make room! 😉 Thank you so much, so excited! Ill make sure to take pictures and send them your way! I have never been to your blog but am OBSESSED with DIY halloween costumes. Last year I was a peacock and ordered real peacock feathers from a peacock farmer for the tail! Love your stuff, you are truly talented! Thanks for all the new ideas 🙂
Cara says
Two things: 1). This is the cutest idea! and 2) Now I’m hungry 🙂
Alexis says
I love this one so much! It is so cute and so funny and yes, please to the breakfast club!
Kee-ju says
The pool noodle Froot Loops are absolute genius. I totally would have tried making each individual loop and ended up burnt out and exhausted. Love, love love 🙂
Dee says
i absolutely love this costume. my neice and i just went out and bught everything we need except where do you get a 36 in balloon. i am an activity director at an assisted living community and my residents are going to love it. also i have 70 little preschoolers coming in to trick or treat its going to be awesome great ideas thank you so much. i will take pictures ans send you some. also i am going to do up little baggies of froot loops to hand out to every one…
Kelly says
That is SO FUN!!!!! You can buy a 36″ balloon at local party stores like Party City or even on Amazon! Be sure to share a photo of your costume with #studiodiyincostume on Instagram, I can’t wait to see it!!!
Maddy says
Ok so I live in a small town where there is no party stores. So do u think hobby lobby would have a 36″ ballon? Thoughts on what to do?
sharlyn says
This is soooo cute! I had to go to my Grandma’s house to eat froot loops 🙂 Nice job!
Maddie says
This is the cutest thing I have ever seen, even the styling is adorable! I might have to try it this Halloween!
http://madavenue.blogspot.com
Amanda says
This is SO SO GREAT! Totally made me laugh 😀
Lo says
How long is a good time to wait for it to dry before popping the balloon?
Kelly says
I would say wait at least 24 hours after the final coat of paper mache!
nora says
Hello I love all your posts ( literally!) , I was wonder what if I made a piñata inspired of 1 of your creations and the I sell it on my small store? is there any problem with that situation? I´ll send u love from Mexico 🙂 <3
Kelly says
Hi Nora! Thank you! So glad you love all of my posts. Unfortunately, it wouldn’t be ethical to sell or profit off of someone else’s ideas. I would instead encourage you to come up with your own piñata designs and sell those. It is always best to be the originator of the idea if you are going to make money off of it.
Hope that helps!
Kelly
Kelly
Clem says
Hi! I was wondering if the pool noodles you used already had a hole in them ? And if I order pool noodles without holes is it a big issue ? Thanks for your help!
FDFDS says
thank you totally gonna be that for halloween
Kacie says
Am I going to be able to sit?
Dee says
Hi! I love this idea! You are totally awesome! What size balloon would I use if I’m doing it for my two year old son?
Kelly says
You could use the same 36″ balloon and just not blow it up all the way, or you could try a 17″ round balloon (they’re hard to find!) but it might be too small!
Nadirah Young says
Hey! Absolutely love this costume and had it in my mind that I was doing this for Halloween back in the summer time. I’m having some problems with finding a 36 inch balloon, so I was wondering can I use a medicine ball I have around the house. It’s just collecting dust and since I waited to the last minute to get all of my supplies, I wanted to know if I could put it to good use. Thanks and keep the magic coming!
Kelly says
You could try a medicine ball! You may have to pop it to get it out though, and I’m not sure how well that would go. Could be worth a try!? Otherwise, you can usually find 36″ balloons at stores like Party City or even craft stores if you have one near by!
Lupe says
My daughter loved this idea but I’ve been having problems with the balloons! They keep popping when I put the paper mache! Please tell me what I’m doing wrong?
Kelly says
Hmmm, I’m not sure why that would be happening. Balloons are very difficult and how they behave depends a lot on the environment, so it’s hard to say. If you are filling the balloon really full and working in a hot/warm environment, that might be why they are popping. The paper mache shouldn’t be the cause!
audrey says
This happened to me too. It was heartbreaking to lose all the work (not to mention experience a near-heart attack when it popped at 3:23 a.m.)! We blew it up a smidge smaller, but what really seemed to be more important was how the balloon was supported while drying. It needed support on all four sides and symmetrically at that.
Kelly says
How long does it take to dry completely with each layer? I’m attempting this for this year!
audrey says
Overnight unless it’s warm and you can set it in the sun. It also took me a long time to paper mache each layer. Over an hour each time.
Sophia says
I’m in the process of making this costume for Halloween and I absolutely love it! Totally off topic but I was just wondering where you got your shoes from in the picture?
Victoria Torna says
Also, is this sturdy enough to go trick or treating in??
audrey says
If you use four layers, definitely.
audrey says
This was a great idea, but it was WAY more work than I expected. Here are some problems I encountered so if any of you attempt it, you can prepare beforehand.
1) The balloon popped in the middle of the night after the first layer of paper mache was applied. We found a better way to prop it up the next night. It needed support on all four sides so it wasn’t pulling in one direction or another. My replacement balloon pooped during the application of the fourth layer, too! Thankfully, it was stronger by then and I could put it over the back of our kitchen chair to finish the job. That did mean it didn’t dry in a perfect circle. It wasn’t noticeable at all when the costume was finished.
2) The cardboard cut out for the noodles to sit on top of wasn’t the same size as the inside of the “bowl.” It wasn’t our tracing. It was just where we cut the top of the bowl to be. It wasn’t at the largest part of the bowl (I’m tall AND pregnant so I needed more length) which made hot gluing them together impossible since it didn’t’ touch all the sides at once. We ended up cutting tabs from the left over cardboard and affixing them to the inside of the bowl. Worked great, and even if I had glued it, I would recommend the reinforcements.
3) The wacky noodles may not come in the colors you think they will. It’s only an assortment. I ended up getting only three colors out of the five noodles. If I’d ordered earlier, I could have purchased another noodle or two separately to mix it up more. Tip: use an electric carving knife to cut the noodles, if you have one.
4) Do you step inside or lift it over your head? Step inside.
5) We had trouble finding a place for the spoon handle. Try several options and I recommend using reinforcements to make sure it’s in its place or it will wobble side-to-side. I hot-glued and used a yard stick on the back of the cardboard for stability.
6) It took much longer to complete than I expected. I spent four straight nights and 1/2 of another day working on it, and that doesn’t take into account rounding up all the parts ahead of time. In fairness, part of the time was lost due to the balloon popping the first night, but that is a risk you should plan for. I didn’t expect it to take so many hours and every step of the assembly required a second pair of hands. My husband had no idea he’d have to be so involved and neither did I.
It was a very cute costume, but my goodness, was it a lot of work! Maybe it was tougher for me since I’m not a DIYer? It was a huge hit, nonetheless, and I’m very grateful for the idea!
Danika says
OMG! I am working on this today and I have to wear it by tonight and I am in the same boat! I never knew it would be this much work. Your post is spot on although luckily I haven’t had to deal with the balloon popping just didn’t expect that papier-mâché to be so much work and that it would take so long to dry! sitting here with a hairdryer trying to dry it quicker hoping that I could finish for the party tonight fingers crossed! glad yours turned out OK after all your hard work, I bet it looks so cute! Thanks for the tips on the next steps I’m going to keep them all in mind!
Radhika says
Hi! I love your costume and was going to make it for my daughter. I’m having a hard time understanding how to put the cardboard in and also how to attach the ribbon. Would you please be able to help.
Thanks
Radhika
nicole p says
Love this idea! My daughter wanted something different so thanks for the step by step directions.Cant wait to see how it turns out.
Susan says
How long does this costume take to make it!
This is soooo sooo super cute and my daughter has been wanting to be this for so long!
Thanks
Alex says
Love this! But how did you manage to pee while wearing this?
Nina says
This was a lot of work, but totally worth it. I tried gesso to harden the bowl some more. Wasn’t quite enough so used a coat of glue+joint compound that helped. Used a lot of hot glue followed by duct tape to support the cardboard shelf. Hot glue, staples and duct tape to hold the straps on. I recommend low temp hot glue for the pool noodles because they partially melted with hi temp. This is one of my daughters favorite costumes ever! (Tried to paste a photo but it didn’t work). Thanks for all you wonderful ideas!
Tony Shea says
Thanks for sharing this. My daughter’s bowl of Froot Loops costume was a huge hit yesterday!
Bryn says
Can you use plaster of Paris for the bowl instead of paper strips?
Maddy says
This is an amazing idea how is the spoon glued on to the bowl and not fall off also is it just made out off tin foil?
Tammy says
This is a cute idea. I’m in the process of making this now. Taking my time and letting each layer dry completely (24 hrs). I actually bought a 60″ balloon, put 4 layers on and it popped. Didn’t look good. Bought a 36″ balloon on Amazon for about $8 for a set of 3. I put 4 layers on and the balloon popped but stayed in tack. I did a layer of “glue” (flour and water) on the inside. It’s pretty heavy though. I hope the straps hold up. I see some posts where they used duck tape and staples. I hope it holds. Any suggestions is greatly appreciated.
I only found 3 colors of pool noodles. (Orange, green, purple) Bought extra green, cut them up and spray painted Yellow , blue and red.
Did you use the think cardboard or the thicker cardboard? (yea i know it’s a silly question, but I thought I’d ask).
I hot glued a milk carton to a headband in the angle of it looking like it’s pouring. Glued white material in the milk carton to look like milk pouring into cereal bowl.
Anyway, its still a work in progress. I’ll try to post a picture. Right now I’m concerned about the straps holding.
Thank you!
Jennifer Chaplin says
I am doing this costume but instead of doing the paper machete in strips, I found the paper machete mix at Hobby Lobby. If that doesn’t work, then I’m going to try it with a laundry basket. I will cut the hole just big enough so that the basket sits on top of my hips so that I don’t need straps to hold it. Also, instead of gluing the fruit loops” to a card board I’m going to get some of that white webbing to fill the bowl & just dump the fruit loops in the bowl
Pam says
I tried using the flour and water. After 24 hours, one layer was not dry yet. Not enough time to try something else. My balloon is already deflating. Boo! Guess I will try again next year and start it a lot sooner. I will use glue and water mixture or hodge podge next time and hope it works better. At least I have all the materials bought to make it. Just sad I won’t get to do it next year.
Hello Good Morning says
Nice sharing i love this I tried using the flour and water. After 24 hours, one layer was not dry yet. Not enough time to try something else. My balloon is already deflating. Boo! Guess I will try again next year and start it a lot sooner.good
Carrie says
I made this for my daughter last year and it was a big hit! Keep up with the fantastic ideas!
Thank you
Anamar Cora says
I wonder how big is this costume. I’m plus size so I’m wondering if the 36 inch balloon will work or if I need to use something else?
wowie says
omg i did this costume and i got so many compliments! this is awesome!! 😀
Question says
I was in the middle of my fourth coat and my balloon popped. The top fell and has 4 holes in it is there any way to keep going?
Dina says
How did you make your bowl so smooth?! Mine has so much texture from the paper mache!!
Victoria says
I live it! I’m totally gonna do it. How many pool noodles do I need?
Shirley Kessler says
I use a beach ball, sprayed it with spray adhesive before doing the paper mache. It worked great
Krissi Morris says
Where did you get those shoes?? 🙂
Abby says
This is so much fun!!! Totally being this for Halloween this year! 🙂