Thomas the Train Costume

My little girl loves Thomas the Train and all his friends so I decided to make her the Engineer for Thomas on Halloween.

Step 1: Step One

Start with a box appropriate to the size of your child. Cut out bottom and top where child will be so that box slips over child. I started to sketch out embellishments with a sharpie to plan out my Thomas. Bend and mold the shape of Thomas and use packing tape on the inside of box. Use hot glue on the outside of box when needed to seal seams.

Step 2: Step Two

Next I decided to add the back hump(Engineer room) area of Thomas by using additional boxes that I purchased from my local hardware store. I taped and hot glued them to the box.

Step 3: Step Three

I purchased a sheet of foam board at my local craft store to create a lip around the bottom of Thomas. I cut and hot glued them together to create that lip which will be used to attach the buffers and the wheels later.

Step 4: Step Four

Next, my husband got me an 8" construction tube from my local hardware store. He cut it to shape the front of Thomas and I attached it using hot glue. He also cut out a whole in the top of the tube using a whole saw, I think it's called, to attach the smoke stack. I made it this way so that the candy will go down the stack and collect in the front compartment of Thomas. If you look closely you will see that I used my daughter's toy cylindrical block for the smoke stack. Maybe she won't notice. I also cut up a paper towel tube to create the buffers in the front which I will attach two circles I cut out using the foam board. You will see these later.

Step 5: Step Five

I wanted to make sure the fit was right. Looks good.

Step 6: Step Six

Primer Thomas to ensure the wording from the boxes doesn't show through.

Step 7: Step Seven

Paint Thomas using spray paint. I taped off the stripes for the curved area of Thomas.

Step 8: Finish

I found a picture of Thomas' face on the internet and printed on photo paper then attached with spray adhesive I got from the craft store. For the rest of the embellishments I used a drawing program on my computer to create them and then printed on photo paper, cut out and glued on. You can use construction paper for the embellishments but I wanted them to be shiny.

For the wheels I used Folgers lids. I painted them and attached nuts and bolts for a cool look then hot glued them to the inside of the lip I created earlier.

I cut up some suspenders and attached them using the nuts and bolts for a cool look as well. These are used to hold Thomas on you little one's shoulders. Now you are ready to go Trick or Treating!