Net Zero Green Home Costume

Step 1: gather varying boxes and random Objects such as empty pill bottles, buttons, beads, paper clips, paper...anything you have lying around and don't need.

Step 1: Gather Items

Step 1: gather varying boxes and random Objects such as empty pill bottles, buttons, beads, paper clips, paper...anything you have lying around and don't need.

Step 2: Design

Step 2: design the shape and layout of your costume "green" house. I had 4 shoe boxes and based the main part of the house on those 4 boxes. The bottom box I separated into 2 sections by hot gluing another piece of cardboard in the middle.this became by "underground" portion for the geothermal, and the garage. I covered my boxes in paper and/or painted them. I used small picture frames for windows, which I cut the shape out of the boxes with an exacto knife. I decided to have a kitchen/dining room in one box, a bedroom, and a bathroom in the other 2 boxes.

Step 3: Details

Step 3: I tried to make my green home look as much like a real house as I could using only item I had at home and/or recycled. For details such as the sinks in the bathroomsi used either a paper clip or an "s" hook for the faucet, gold beads for the knobs, and part of a snap button for the drain. For the toilet I used a dental floss container and a lid from a lotion bottle. For the shower head I used an ear bud, some wire and a plastic Lego piece. For the geothermal I used red wire and black wire, which was painted blue. The car was one of my sons and the Tesla power wall was an old game cartridge to a child electronic game-painted white and wrote Tesla on it. The electric car charger was another piece of the ear bud and wire. The Insulated concrete forms, structural foam and spray foam were just pieces of some packing foam I had lying around. The Lights were just battery operated string lights, which I cut holes in the boxes and slipped in. For the bathroom I added some clear beads on wire wrapped around the lights to give them a different look. I also changed up the look in the bedroom by using some round plastic tubing from a nebulizer to for around the lights. I then hot glued some ribbon around the edges so they looked like lampshades. For the top (hat) portion of the costume, I used a small shipping box, wrapped with brown paper. I cut out a faux fence and window with black card stock. The solar panels are the plastic case that you would buy batteries (like AAA) in. I made the wind turbine with paper for the blades, a paper straw for the pole, and a brad to hold them together. I had some mini terra cotta pots that I filled with craft foam and a few snips of faux floral/leaves. I got glued all of this to the top hat. The sun is made of orange paper and is hot glued to a paper straw. The water collection system is the bottom part of a water bottled with a piece of black cardstock on top. I inserted a shaker style lid (like for spices) on top to look like a grate. I also inserted some clear tubing from a nebulizer-cut to size-and hot glued one end to the water bottle base and one end to just under the garage area with ICF's. I reinforced it with a toothpick.

Step 4: Finishing Up

Step 4: finishing up- I wrapped the whole "house" in brown paper, cut out where the windows were with an exacto knife and then added cardstock along the edges for a more finished trim look. I printed signs and glued them on card stock then glued them around the house, explaining the different things in my "net Zero green home". I labeled things such as "recycled glass" countertops and backsplash as in the kitchen and bathroom.
The last step was to attach the straps to the back so it would stay on. I cut 2 slits in the back of the "garage" box, one on each side of the box. I then took a strap from an old bag and inserted the buckle part into one slit and the other closure part into the other slit, making sure they had a snug fit.
For the second strap I had some burlap ribbon I used and tied a knot in one end. I cut 2 slits on either side of the "kitchen" box, and inserted the knot into one of the slits, again making sure of a snug fit. I repeated this for the other side.
The last strap was just a black ribbon hot glued to the "bedroom" box, to add extra support around my neck. I also got glued an empty medicine box to the back of the bedroom to hold my battery powered light box. For the hat I hot glued the battery string lights to the back of the box.