Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles = Coolest Group Costume Ever
They fight crime. They eat pizza. They’re named after Italian Renaissance artists. They’re Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Let’s face it, they’re the coolest reptile warriors in town. And with this easy DIY group costume, you and your friends can dress up as them for Halloween! I worked with Beauty Editor, Misty, to create a modern interpretation of the Ninja Turtles. The best thing about this group costume is that it’s simple and inexpensive to make, so it’s easy to coordinate with all your friends.
I was inspired by the ’90s TMNT cartoons, by Lara Croft and by Rihanna’s turtle costume back in 2014. I got green Fever Women’s Opaque Tights ($8) and green JustinCostume Turtleneck Leotards ($19) from Amazon. To make four sarongs, I bought two and a half yards of green chiffon. (PSA: These leotards are a little revealing in the back, so you may want to wrap a more opaque fabric around your hips.) I also used red, blue, purple and orange fabric scraps to tie around the knees, biceps and foreheads. Then I found gladiator sandals on sale at Target (score!).
For the shells, I bought Party Essentials Catering Trays ($14) from Amazon and spray painted them brown. Then I bought brown webbing ribbon and hot glued them on the trays to make straps. I wrapped the remaining ribbon around the girls’ torsos as weapon straps.
I didn’t include weapons in this costume, but the real-life TMNT totally carry epic weapons. You can find play nunchucks, swords and staffs on Amazon or any party supply store.
After the girls got dressed, we each helped French braid each others’ hair. We also braided two thin braids in the front for extra warrior-ness. Misty, our resident makeup goddess, gave the girls strong brows and dark lips and swept lots of dark eyeshadow over their eyelids.
Cowabunga!
Pizza Time!
Donatello. Michelangelo. Leonardo. Raphael.
Heroes in a half shell! Turtle Power!
What group costume are you and your friend wearing? Share your photos with us on Instagram using the hashtag #iamcreative and tag @BritandCo. Need even more inspiration? Head to Pinterest STAT.
DIY Production + Styling: Irene Lee
Makeup: Misty Spinney
Models: Anita Yung, Torii Burnett, Lee Schellenberger, Rosee Canfield
Photography: Kurt Andre
