INTRO
The new Dark Knight series of Batman films is by far the most critically acclaimed. Audiences clearly agree. In large part, this is due to the more believable, more complex villains.
Batman uses fear against his enemies, and so does The Scarecrow, making the two a sort of yin and yang duo. With so many Batmans sure to be roaming the streets this Halloween, why not add some balance? A Scarecrow costume is easy to put together, yet still packs a wallop.
Before you begin, learn a little about your character and view a photo gallery of him in action.
For a look into the history of The Scarecrow, see Wikipedia.
THE COSTUME
Your first stop will be your friendly neighborhood thrift store. Dr. Jonathan Crane, The Scarecrow's true identity, favors muted, soft-looking suits. Look in the mens' section for a single-breasted grey jacket with a left breast pocket and matching pants.
During most of his screen time, Dr. Crane wears a white dress shirt with thin
olive stripes. However, any striped dress shirt should do. For a tie, you have
several
options. Depending on the scene, Dr. Crane/The Scarecrow wears either a navy
tie with a knitted look; a diagonally striped tie with olive, cream and grey;
or a solid burgundy tie.
For the purists out there, pair the burgandy or stripped tie
with a reddish-grey crew neck sweater.
If you plan on taking your Scarecrow mask off at any time during your portrayal, you'll want to look like Dr. Crane underneath. See if the thrift store has wire-framed glasses with a thin, rectangular shape and silver finish. If not, inexpensive reading glasses can be found at most drugstores. You'll probably want to remove the lenses before you wear these!
To complete your look, part your hair on the right side
and slick it back with a bit of gel. Let the hair start to fall back down before
spraying
it
into
place.
Dr. Crane's
hair
has a somewhat greasy, messy look.
THE MASK
Now on to everyone's favorite part. The mask is essentially a burlap bag covering
a partial gas mask. The only time anyone ever sees the gas mask, however, is
when the whole assembly is being put on or taken off. In other words, there's
no point in making yourself uncomfortable by adding it, and gas masks tend
to be expensive.
To find your burlap bag, try feed stores, plant nurseries and international groceries, where staples like rice are often sold in sacks. Tip: Burlap is also called "jute". If you have no luck locally, there are online resources.
14" x 26" bags
26" x 16" bags
39" x 21" bags
To decide which size you'll need, use a cloth tape measure to find the circumference of your head at its widest point, which is probably around the ears. Once the bag has arrived, kids should have the help and supervision of an adult to continue working on the mask.
| No time? Get a mask here. |
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The width and height of the bag you order may be reversed from what you need. That's no problem. Just rip open one side and sew the top shut with some matching thread. The Scarecrow's bag mask is in very rough shape, so don't worry about making your sewing neat or even.
When you try the bag on for size, gently use a marker to indicate where your eyes are. After you remove the bag, carefully take scissors and push them through the marks. Then cut holes that are big enough for you to see out of.
Again, the rougher the holes are, the better. You'll probably wind up with a ragged fringe. Make sure the fringe is pushed outwards so that it doesn't irritate your eyes.
The Scarecrow's mask has thick, black cord sewn in a jagged line to close a hole in the bag over his mouth. Similar cord should be easy to find at any fabric store. In a pinch, you can use a black shoelace.
There
are a number of other jagged rips in the bag that have been sewn shut
with twine. The twine by itself will accomplish the look you want without
the need to actually rip your bag. Twine is available at hardware stores and
most
supermarkets.
For most people, the scariest aspect of The Scarecrow is the brown, worm-like things that appear to come out of the mask. You can imitate this look (and save yourself some sewing) by buying some long-grain brown rice and glueing it into place where the mask's rips would be. Hot glue should do the trick.
EVERYTHING ELSE
To complete your ensemble, make a small, fake hangman's noose. This will hang loosely around your neck, giving the bag more of a head shape.
Buy some lightweight, natural fiber rope. Create the "knot" by hot glueing together coils of rope that leave enough room inside for the ends of a separate strand to be pulled through. Drape a 3 foot length of rope around your neck and thread the ends through your "knot" like a bolo tie.
The goal here is to make sure that a yank on the rope won't hurt you. Angle the knot to one side of your chin so that it can be seen.
Lastly, for those who want to add an extra punch to their costume, The Scarecrow appears on horseback towards the end of the film wearing a full-body straitjacket as an overcoat. (It's undone, of course.) These are practically impossible to find, so you may have to create your own. The link at the beginning of this article has a photo to guide you.
Scare 'em silly before Batman puts an end to your fun!
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