Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon

A DIY Toothless costume starts with all-black clothes you own, then adds black card ears, a pair of dragon wings and a tail with a red fin at the end. Green eyeshadow or paint finishes the look. It costs about $22, takes ninety minutes and needs no sewing, and it makes good fancy dress for kids and adults.

TIME

90 min

COST

about $22

SKILL

Patient

What you need

• A black hoodie, black leggings and black gloves or socks
• Black card or thin foam for the ears, and a headband or the hoodie hood
• Two large pieces of black card, and two lengths of wire or garden canes for the wings
• A black bin bag or black fabric for the wing skin
• Black tights or a black scarf stuffed with newspaper for the tail
• Red card or felt for the tail fin
• Green face paint or green eyeshadow, and black eyeliner
• Tape, glue and elastic

How to make it

1. 1

   Put on the black hoodie, leggings and gloves. Keep it all matt black so the dragon shape reads from far away.

2. 2

   Cut two rounded ear shapes about 12 cm tall from black card. Fold a small tab at the base of each and tape them on to the hoodie hood, or on to a headband.

3. 3

   Cut a bat-style wing shape about 60 cm wide from card for each side, or build a frame from two canes and stretch the black bin bag across them. Tape every edge firmly.

4. 4

   Make loops of elastic on the back of each wing, so you can slide your arms through like a rucksack. Test they stay on while you walk.

5. 5

   Stuff black tights with scrunched newspaper to make a tail about 60 cm long, and tape a red felt fin to the end.

6. 6

   Pin or tape the tail to the back of your leggings, with a safety pin through the waistband.

7. 7

   Paint two large green circles round the eyes, add a black pupil in each, and use black eyeliner for a little dragon nose.

Make it better

• Keep the wings small enough to get through doors. About 60 cm each side is plenty.
• Matt black looks better than shiny. Cover shiny bin bag with a layer of black felt if you can.
• Do the green eyes last, and practise a wide-eyed, curious look in the mirror.

Questions

Unofficial. Toothless and the How to Train Your Dragon names belong to their respective owners, and we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by them. The names are used only to describe this homemade parody costume.