Clams are bivalve mollusks found throughout the world.
Dressing as a clam is not always appropriate, but when it is, you can impress a crowd with a meticulously made costume. Whether the occasion is Halloween, a Little Mermaid theme party or an aquarium fundraiser, your peers will appreciate the effort you put into your costume. A clam costume could also be a good way to instruct students about the anatomy of a mollusk.
Instructions
1. Cut the two large valves of the clam shell from the foam. The easiest way to acquire foam is from a mattress store. For extra precision, print out costume diagrams (see Resources, page 39, for an example) and project them onto the foam. You can then trace the projections onto the foam and cut along those lines. If you're cutting them out freehand, the valves should be just shorter than you are, and slightly taller than they are wide.
2. Cut out a large, tongue-shaped piece of foam for the clam's foot. It should be about 3/4 the height of the shell. Cut out a band from the foam that will run the width of the shell and hold the foot to it.
3. Cut out four 18-inch shell straps.
4. Glue the sides of the two shell valves together with rubber cement, forming the shell's hinge.
5. Glue the ends of two shell straps to the inside of each shell half, so that the two straps run parallel to each other in each set. You will put your arms through these straps when you wear the costume.
6. Glue the foot to the middle of the foot strap, and adhere Velcro to each end of the strap. You can pick up Velcro at a craft store. When you wear the costume, you will join the two ends of the foot strap around your waist, with the foot out in front of your body. It will show out the bottom of the shell when your arms are closed, and it will be completely exposed when your arms are open.
Tips Warnings
Wear gloves when you handle rubber cement, as it can be difficult to remove.
Related Posts:
Make A Pear Costume
You can't cut corners in the construction of a quality costume. Filling the fabric of a body suit with pillows or other linens won't really cut it. You want it to have a 3-D quality. In order to a...
Make An Oyster Costume For Kids
When creating a child's costume, safety is always a consideration. Avoid hanging boxes or cardboard from the neck. Use the shoulders or back instead. With much younger children, it is best to keep...
Make An Oyster Costume
Use a picture of a real oyster to make the costume more realistic.Oysters live on the ocean floor. Oysters have a hard outer shell, and a soft inside. Oysters are capable of m...
Make A Crab Costume
Making a crab costume is extremely simple, so simple in fact, that you can do this project with your child so that she will feel totally included in the process. Or, you can take these steps to ma...
Make A Walrus Costume
Use a picture of a walrus as a reference for your costumeIf your child comes home disappointed with her new role in the next school play and tells you she is playing a walrus,...
