How to Make a Vampire Costume with Amazon Box

How to Make a Vampire Costume with Amazon Box

Halloween is my favorite holiday because of the costumes. I love to dress up and I love to make costumes that are inexpensive. 

In 2020, I upcycled an Amazon Prime box to create an affordable, easy Halloween ‘boxtume!’  I've updated this post for 2022, because recycled costumes are the best way to go!

This fantastic Vampire with stand-up collar and metallic amulet are perfect for Halloween and easy to make.

Look how simple: cardboard box collar, plastic table cloth cape and a cardboard amulet. Just add paint!

Pre-packaged store bought costumes are cheaply made and can be super pricey. 

It's much more rewarding to make a costume in a couple hours out of things that are on the way to the recycle bin. 

I don't have little kids to dress up for Halloween anymore, so I made this to fit me! 

This costume is simple enough to make any size and it just takes a few supplies found easily around the house.

Supplies Needed for Vampire Boxtume:

• Amazon Prime Box 
• Black Plastic Tablecloth or Black Garbage Bag
• Staple Pliers with Staples
• Low Temperature Hot Glue/Gun
• Razor Knife
• Self-Healing Cutting Mat
• Ruler or Straight Edge
• Metallic Red and Gold Paint
• Black Paint or Spray Paint
• Paintbrush
• Crystal Amulet Pattern Printable (end of post)

Step 1: Cut Crystal Amulet Pieces

Begin by printing off the Amulet pattern template I created at the end of this post. 

Cut out the shapes and trace them onto the cardboard.

Place the cardboard on the self-healing mat and use the straight edge and razor knife to cut out the shapes.

Step 2: Assemble Crystal Amulet

The top of dimensional amulet has 7 pieces, arranged like this:

Begin by carefully applying hot glue to the edge of the long side piece.

Then adhere it at an angle to the large center piece.

Continue hot gluing the pieces around the crystal.

Finally, close it up with the final piece, hot glue on all three edges.

The top of the amulet is a faceted crystal.

The backside forms a shallow dish. If the cardboard doesn't feel sturdy, add some more hot glue to the seams of the cardboard from the inside.

Step 3: Crystal Amulet Base

Now use the faceted amulet as a pattern to get a precise shape of the jewel, or the larger crystal from the pattern. 

Trace it on the cardboard and cut it out.

Then hot glue the top to the base of the amulet. 

Step 4: Pendant Loop

Now Cut a shape that looks like a stretched out diamond. 

Make a simple pattern by folding a paper in quarters and drawing a thin, long triangle on it. 

Then cut and open it up and clip off the ends.

Then cut it out of the Amazon Prime Box and create it's rounded shape by rolling the cardboard over a glass.

Then staple the small ends together with the staple pliers. A regular stapler should work too, I just love my staple pliers.

Use hot glue to attach the pendant loop to the back of the crystal amulet.

Step 5: Paint the Amulet

Now paint the cardboard amulet in a fabulous metallic paint. I used Treasure Gold Paint in Fire Opal and Antique Gold.

Then let the paint dry completely.

I love how this amulet turned out! Now let's make the collar and cape.

Step 1: Vampire Standing Collar

Use some scrap paper to make a basic pattern. 

Fold it in half and cut the open ends at a slight angle. 

Then cut a curve from the top center to the top edge. 

Cut a curve out of the bottom to accommodate shoulders. 

Place the paper around the neck and see if it needs adjusting. 

Mark and trim as necessary. I always make my costumes out of paper first as a pattern.

Trace the pattern onto an Amazon Prime box, take advantage of the fold of the box and place the fold of the collar pattern on that edge. 

Use the razor to cut the cardboard.

Then open up the collar and try it on. It can still be trimmed down at this point if it doesn't fit right.

Take it outside and spray paint it--or use some black acrylic paint and a paintbrush and paint it black.

Step 2: Vampire Costume Cape

After the collar has dried, turn it upside down on the table. 

Then place the narrower edges of the plastic table cloth or garbage bag on the collar. 

Staple it right in the center of the cloth and the collar.

Now staple the edges of the tablecloth to the edge points of the collar.

Now find the center of the tablecloth sections between the staples and staple them to the center of the collar.

Repeat the process of halving the tablecloth space and stapling them down in the enter of the remaining collar.

Repeat until there is a perfectly gathered plastic tablecloth stapled to the cardboard collar.

Then turn up the collar to reveal the gorgeous gathers and the stand up collar.

Step 3: Vampire Cape Collar Ties

Finally cut a couple strips of plastic to tie the collar on with. 

These are 3 inches wide and about 18 inches long. 

Length will vary depending on size of human.

Staple the ties on the bottom edge of the collar on the opposite side that the cape is attached.

Now the amulet can be threaded through the ties and then tied to hold in place.

The costume is remarkably sturdy and doesn't shift around. 

The cape hangs great and flows in the wind.

Amazing right!? 

This awesome Vampire Halloween Costume was created using things found in the recycle bin. 

I love budget friendly costumes. 

Just add fangs!

Accessorize with make up, fake blood, a suit and tie--or a velvet dress, some buckle accented shoes and a pillow case for treats!

Here's the Amulet pattern for the perfect cardboard gemstone. 

Right click to save off and then print. 

That's it! 

Will you create a Halloween costume out of recycle materials this year?

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