Oogie Boogie
Nightmare Before Christmas

Completed November 25, 2022

Worn to Small Business Saturday Market by The Collective 2022

My very first fully handmade cosplay! Oogie was a hassle and a half but with the help of my mother in law, it happened!

I started by making an air dry clay mask to define Oogie's face. I used a Jack Skelington Halloween mask as a base and shaped the eyes and mouth, making sure they would stand out when covered in the jute fabric.

Once the clay was fully dry, I covered the front and back of the clay mask in paper mache done with a glue and water mixture rather than flour. I then added black fabric to the back over the mouth hole and about 5 layers of black tulle over the eyes so that I could see but it would be difficult to see my eyes.

Then in was time for the jute! I used hot glue to make the majority of this costume. I actually don't know how to sew yet (yes, even with a machine). I glued jute over the front of the mask, cutting slits over the eyes and mouth to glue down the edges inside the ridges. Then it was a game of bunching and pinning and gluing to get the right pointy shape.

I didn't have a pattern for the body, just passion in my soul and with the help of my MIL, we were able to cut piece of jute for the front and back of the body, two piece for each arm, and some more black fabric to create some pockets to stuff to give Oogie his round appearance.

I hot glued all the seams, leaving the shoulders open. The cosplay was made to be stepped into so I used velcro strips on the shoulders to hold it closed while wearing. 

Once all the pieces were together and I had made little pointy booties from the jute for the feet (held up with hair ties around my ankles), all that was left was pinning the santa hat on and it was done!

All together this cosplay took about 50 hours.