Pennywise:  Do you want a balloon too, Georgie?

Georgie: I’m not supposed to take things from strangers.

IT was one of the most anticipated horror films in 2017, and the highest-grossing horror film ever, not surprisingly. Set in the summer of 1989, the film tells the story of a malevolent shapeshifting creature who takes the appearance of a clown, Pennywise, who begins hunting and eating children. The film is based on the 1986 novel of the same name by Stephen King, which was also adapted into a 1990 miniseries.

In “IT,” a group of young people in a small town are terrorized by Pennywise, a shape-shifting demon who appears as a clown. The film was praised for its effective use of jump scares and its intense, creepy atmosphere. It also included topics like overcoming anxieties, friendship, and trauma.

Another reason for the movie’s popularity was the excellent performances by the cast, including Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise. He brought a terrifying and unpredictable energy to the role. The young roles were portrayed by the kid performers in a genuine and endearing manner, which won them accolades as well.

So Pennywise continues to be a popular Halloween costume with the film’s sequel, It: Chapter Two in 2019, and it will always be. But to purchase a Pennywise Halloween costume is quite expensive, upwards of $150 to achieve the complete look.

A Pennywise mask alone will run you about $50, and over $150 for a Pennywise costume. But, if you have some time to spare and creativity, you can make your own Pennywise the clown. Here’s how!

Do-it-yourself!

First, you’ll need to find a white shirt and pants/leggings. You can find a plain white button shirt at a thrift store, or at Old Navy for about $15 and white leggings for $5.

Then, you’ll need to take a trip to the dollar store and buy an inexpensive orange wig, a bald cap (or find one at Amazon like this one), hot glue, coffee filters, and some red yarn. 

Then, the work begins!  Fold the coffee filters into fours so that they resemble a ruffle neck. You can do the same for the shoulders, and waistline as well. Use hot-glue to adhere to the shirt and leggings.

After applying the coffee filters but before adding the pop-poms, you can spray paint the costume with metallic silver paint to better resemble Pennywise’s costume from the 2017 film, or leave as is in white.

Here’s how to make the pom-poms:

 

With the orange wig, transfer the hair to the bald cap using hot glue to glue pieces onto the bald cap. Or, you could also buy an orange wig and trim the hair into Pennywise’s hairline. You may still wish to wear the bald cap along with the wig in order to have a high hairline. 

For the face, you can skip the cheap Halloween makeup and use a pale foundation and/or light powder to cover the face, and a red lip liner or lipstick to paint the rest of the face, including the marks on his face and lips.

What do you think of this make-your-own DIY Pennywise costume?