Beekeeper Costume

This watchful beekeeper always takes good care of his bee colony. He wears a sting-resistant suit (actually a pair of painter's coveralls, available at hardware stores), work gloves to protect his hands, and a long tulle veil to guard his face. Dozens of "bees" are glued to the open-mesh netting; others buzz around his wide-brimmed straw hat. The stenciled bucket becomes a winsome receptacle for Halloween treats.

md104880_hal09_beekpr_282_hd

What You'll Need

Materials

  • Scissors
  • Black tulle netting
  • White wide-brimmed straw hat (or spray-paint a regular straw hat)
  • White spray paint (optional)
  • Hot glue gun
  • White seam binding
  • Wire cutters
  • Millinery bees
  • Letter stencils
  • Yellow paint pen
  • Metal bucket with handle
  • Duct tape
  • Light-colored shirt
  • Pair of painter's coveralls
  • Pair of cotton work gloves with yellow accents

Instructions

  1. Cut a piece of tulle 16 inches wide and as long as the circumference of the brim of the hat. Hot-glue seam binding to one long edge of the tulle. Glue tulle to underside of hat brim, and cover with seam binding (to keep glue from seeping through).

  2. Remove wires from most of the bees. Glue wireless bees to tulle. Poke a few wired bees through the top of the straw hat from the outside; bend the wires at a right angle, and glue to inside of hat.

  3. Using letter stencils and paint pen, stencil "HONEY" on bucket; let dry. Tape more wired bees to inside of bucket.

  4. Wear hat with shirt, coveralls, and work gloves.

Originally appeared: MARTHA STEWART LIVING, FALL 2009
Related Articles