I put this homemade mad scientist costume together so I could play "Host" to my son's Halloween themed birthday party.
Approximate Time: 10 minutes, once supplies are on hand
The most important part of this costume is the lab coat, the rest can be customized for the type of mad scientist you want to be. I found a white lab coat at a local thrift store for about $5. If you know anyone that works at a hospital or in the medical field, ask if you can borrow one.
I picked up the white hair coloring, glasses, and fake teeth from a party store. The orange gloves were from the dollar store and he had the hair gel on hand. The dry ice and beaker were extras that really helped set the mood for the party. I got the dry ice from Baskin Robbins and we happened to have a beaker that worked great. If you don't have a beaker, a punch bowl will work perfectly!
Since I was hosting my son's birthday party, and we wanted to surprise the kids, I needed a costume that I could get into quickly without them noticing I was gone. That is why I made sure to keep it simple. Once the kids had arrived, my wife distracted them with a game while I disappeared into the back.
I used the hair gel to spike my hair out a bit before applying the spray on coloring to give it the classic "shock" look. Next, I put in the teeth and threw on the glasses. I put on the lab coat and gloves last, then snuck out to the garage before the kids finished their game.
Perhaps it worked too well. Some of the kids were scared and didn't want to come near me at first! The party ended well though. They had fun feeling the "eyeballs", "brains", "finger nails", and more that we had hidden in a box. We played Halloween music and gave them all glow sticks to play with.
By Jess from Hillsboro, OR
