Fire and Ice Costume Ideas

You are invited to a fire-and-ice-themed party, dance competition, show, game or a movie, and you need a costume to reflect the theme. Your costume materials should convey a sense of burning and freezing, texture and even sounds. Dancers and ice skaters offer inspiration for costumes that center around these elements and allow for individuality and a full range of movement.

For a homemade costume that works for all body types, make a robe or gown with long sleeves from a basic pattern or use a garment you have on hand. Nylon tricot, often used for nightgowns, drapes well, gives a bit for easy fit and isn't too stretchy for beginners to sew. The texture of crushed velvet polyester suits the look of fire or ice. Add trim, such as strips of large, iridescent white sequins or rhinestones, on a white robe for ice; use red sequins to represent fire or pick any trim that fits the desired look. Affix lightweight flat trim with fabric glue; alternatively, sew on beads, fringe or sparkly ribbon. A feather boa adds an effect of frost or flames at the neckline.

Crinkle up some sheer, sparkly stiff nylon fabric such as that used for belly dancer's skirts. Wrinkling it gives it more body and helps it resemble the irregularities of flames or ice. Use red for fire and clear, silver or white for ice. Cut the material into flame or icicle shapes; the shapes don't need to be exact and don't require hemming. Tack them onto the costumes with a few stitches of nylon thread or monofilament fishing line. Use a nightgown, long dress, a top and skirt for a feminine costume and a tux, shirt and slacks, T-shirt, jeans or shorts for a masculine costume. Affix the flames or ice down the outside of the sleeves and the sides of slacks, skirts, shorts or a dress for a silhouetted look or in vertical rows all over the clothes for a covered-in-fire or -ice effect.

Use a swimsuit and body paint to create the fiery creature or icy vision of your dreams. Consider silver, white or pale blue swimwear for the basis of an ice costume, especially in a shimmery fabric. Red or a flaming orange works for a fire costume, and you may even find a swimsuit with flames on it. Paint your legs, arms, torso and face with flames, or, for an ice effect, create the prisms of a glacier, a snowflake or icicles in body paint. Have a creative assistant apply the body paint if the costume is for you. Only use body paints designed for use on the skin; other paints can be hazardous to your health. Theatrical makeup suppliers sell body paint.

Dress in a beige sweat suit or jumpsuit with a big red helmet and be a wooden match. Or create an upside down tear drop headpiece out of papier mache with a hole for your face and paint it red. Add red flames to the top of your headpiece made of crumpled red and orange tissue paper. For ice, paint a cardboard box light blue with white streaks to resemble an ice cube. Cut out arm, neck and body holes and wear it with a light blue body suit. Carry bottled water around with you and occasionally pour some on the ground as if you are melting.