Kim Elliott Author Blog

Halloween Shang-Chi Costume DIY

10/19/2021

In years past, our family dressed in a unified theme for Halloween. We did Cinderella, in which my daughter was Princess Cinderella, I was peasant Cinderella, my husband was the prince, and my son was the pumpkin. We also did Paw Patrol, in which my daughter was Skye, I was Katie the dog groomer, my husband was Ryder, and my son was a miniature Ryder. The two Ryders were so cute together! My husband called him Mini-me all day.

This year is a little different. My kids are old enough they both have their own ideas, so the family theme is out. Instead, we’re splitting into two themes. My daughter and I are going as Anna and Elsa. My son is going as Spider-man, meaning my husband needed to pick an easy superhero costume from the Marvel universe.

This year's Marvel blockbuster was Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and my husband was really excited to see an Asian superhero. It was no surprise when he picked Shang-Chi for his costume. He told me, "I'm Chinese, so I'm already halfway there!" He even has a mole on his cheek in the same spot as Simu Liu! (The Shang-Chi actor.) The costume was meant to be.

Supplies Needed

Black pants: We already had
Black shoes: We already had
Dark red long sleeved shirt: We bought at Michael’s for ten bucks with a coupon.
Black duct tape: Walmart was out of stock, but we found some at the dollar store. Just make sure yours is decent quality.
Elastic hair bands: We bought a pack of Goody elastic bands at Walmart for five bucks. They're the kind for thick hair.
Scissors

Step by Step Instructions

Lay the shirt flat, facing up.

Roll out some duct tape and cut it to the length needed for one side of the lowest V shape on the chest.
Stick one end of the tape strip to a clean table edge. Using scissors, cut the strip in half lengthwise. Then, cut each strip in half lengthwise again. You’ll have four long, thin strips.
Note: Cutting such long, thin pieces of tape is the most difficult part of making this costume. I did it by myself, but having another pair of hands to hold the tape while cutting would help.
Carefully stick the tape to the shirt, keeping the V centered and symmetrical.
Once you have the first V on, use it as a starting point to space out the other interwoven lines. The pattern I created is a simplified version of the original from the movie. If mine looks too complex, you can simplify it a bit more and just do three or four interwoven V shapes. As long as it gets across that it’s Shang-Chi’s shirt, that’s all that matters. For a rough time estimate, I’ll tell you it took me over three hours to cut and stick all the tape.
Next, do the sleeve details. Here’s a close-up of the pattern I used for the sleeves:

Now it’s time for the shoulder pieces. I cut a crescent shaped piece of tape and stuck it on the shoulder, keeping the part above the sleeve lifted up. Then I cut a smaller piece of tape and stuck it to the adhesive side of the shoulder tape to keep it from sticking and make it jut out over the sleeve. This created the capped sleeve look of the original movie costume.
In creating the black collar, I folded some tape over the top to stick to the inside. That hasn’t worked out well. When my husband puts on the shirt, the collar needs to stretch to accommodate his head. Instead, I recommend wearing a black t-shirt underneath the red shirt (or maybe a dickie, if you can find one)
For the abdomen details, I used very thin strips cut to one eighth width. As you can see, it’s hard to cut a straight edge when the tape is so thin. On the side of the torso, there is a thicker piece of tape as well.

There you have it! That’s the hard part, all done.
Lastly, you need the ten rings. In the movie, they look bronze to me, but they glow blue or orange-red when in use. I thought thick hair elastics would be good because they need to stay in place on the person’s forearm. I went for brown, but there are other color options too.

A few notes:

The duct tape won’t stick forever. If any starts to lift off, gently press it down, being careful not to let it double over and stick to itself.
Don’t try to wash the shirt after the duct tape is on! When Halloween is over, remove the tape and then you can wash the shirt for everyday use.

Here is the finished product, modeled by my husband:

What do you think? Was there anything I should’ve done differently? Did you DIY a costume this year too?

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What Superpower Would You Choose?

10/19/2021

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Writing about superheroes has gotten me thinking about this question. There are some pretty amazing superpowers in comic books and onscreen: flight, invisibility, teleportation, mind reading, super speed…

With teleportation, I could visit my family abroad in the blink of an eye and still be home in time for school pickup.

With super speed comes high metabolism. I wonder how many packs of double-stuffed Oreos the Flash can eat before he gains a single pound.

Flight would be amazing too. Being able to fly is one of my most common recurring dreams. Then again, in the dream I usually have to flap my arms. It’s not the most dignified spectacle.

There are lots of good options, but for me, the choice is clear. I’d choose telekinesis. Then, like Jean Grey, I could move objects with my mind AND fly (by moving my own body with my mind). Who doesn’t love a two-for-the-price-of-one deal? Just imagine the possibilities.

Kids spilled cereal all over the carpet? Look, the vacuum is running itself!
Slow car in the left lane during your morning commute? Screech! He’s over in the slow lane behind the big rig, exactly where he belongs.
Neighbor’s tree overhangs your driveway and covers your pre-owned Mazda with smelly sap? With a flick of your wrist, all that sap goes flying onto the neighbor’s new BMW. Take that Joe!
Neighbor didn’t bring in his newspaper before the rainstorm and now it’s scattered across your front lawn? Damp paper sticks nicely to the side of a BMW.
Neighbor’s dog keeps doing number two on your lawn? Beemers look better in brown.

Joe, if you ever read this, I'm just kidding. You’re really a wonderful neighbor.

...Maybe it's best I don't get superpowers. I'm starting to sound like a villain!

But that’s just me. What about you? What superpower would you pick?

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Beginnings

10/9/2021

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As I write this first (and very brief) post, I'm putting the finishing touches on the website, building my Facebook author page, and communicating with my graphic designer. Falling for the Villain is launching on Amazon on November 1st. I'm both excited and nervous to start this journey. Before you know it, I'm going to start writing book two, which is already outlined.
Here goes nothing!

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Halloween Shang-Chi Costume DIY

What Superpower Would You Choose?

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