From talking apple trees in the Wizard of Oz to the trees featured in school and church plays, trees are almost as common on stage as off. Making tree costumes can be a bit of a challenge, as you need to get the bark texture in a flexible material that will allow actors to express their full range of dramatic abilities.
Building the Trunk
You will need a brown sweatshirt, jersey gloves, a 1-inch foam mattress pad, brown and black spray paint, a green knit cap, spray glue, green fabric and needle and thread to create the trunk portion of the costume.
Mark and cut out a rectangle three inches longer than the height of the actor's shoulder and wide enough to wrap around his torso. Cut out holes for the actor's arms--wider is better, to make sure he will have as much range of motion as possible.
Use the spray glue, preferably 3m's Super 77, to glue the edges of the rectangle together along the back of the costume. Use spring clamps or clothespins to hold the edges of the foam pad together until the glue sets up. (about a half hour)
Slide the cylinder down over the actor's head and have them put their arms out through the arm holes. Use scissors to trim under the actor's chin. Cut the top of the foam with the scissors to give it a rough, jagged edge.
Slit the sides of the foam up to knee height to allow the actor to walk without tripping. Remove the foam from the actor and use a box knife to slice the foam vertically, making sure not to cut all the way through. This will open slits in the foam, giving it a tree bark like texture. Use the spray paint to give the foam a coat of brown, using the black to add lines in the slits to enhance the bark effect.
Adding the Details
You should now have a foam cylinder log with arm holes that will provide your tree with a trunk. Use scissors to cut fabric leaves from the green cloth and tack them onto the knit cap with a needle and thread. Dress your actor in the brown sweatshirt, jersey gloves and green cap, slide the trunk down into place and add the final touch by face painting or making up your actor in browns and black.
If you need additional foliage, you can use branches of silk leaves that can be held or tucked into slits in the foam behind the actor's head. They can be purchased at any fabric or craft center. If you prefer, leaves from the same branches can be used on the hat as well, although sewing silk leaves can be a bit tricky.
Tags: tree, leaves, costume, actor head, brown sweatshirt, brown sweatshirt jersey, brown sweatshirt jersey gloves, jersey gloves, leaves from, needle thread, silk leaves
