How to Make a DIY Beetlejuice Costume

Beetlejuice has various costumes in the two films, but there is one which is seen as his trademark. This is the ratty and partially decomposed suit with black and white stripes. While it will be difficult to find a black and white striped suit in the store, this is an easy look to replicate at home. To create this homemade Beetlejuice costume, you will need to prepare the following basic materials:

Clothes

To select the right clothes for your Beetlejuice costume, you will need the following:

• White shirt
• White or black pants
• White or black suit jacket
• Black high-top boots

If you are able to source a black and white striped suit, then the main work is done. However, this is going to be tricky. We explain why you can choose a white or black suit in the method section, although it will be easier to find a black one due to their commonality.

Make-up

The DIY Beetlejuice makeup should include:

• White foundation or face paint
• Green and black eyeshadow
• Black eyeliner
• Purple lipstick

Accessories

Finally, to add the last touches to get it the true Beetlejuice look, we will need the following:

• Black tie
• Wig with longish hair
• Grass cuttings

Once you have these materials, you will have everything you need for your homemade Beetlejuice costume. In the next sections, we explain the method of making these raw materials into the final product to use for Halloween, costume parties or wherever you want to dress up.

Since the materials we use will differ, this affects the method of making the costume. If you managed to find a black and white striped suit, then skip ahead because you are halfway there. If not, you should have either a white or black jacket. With a white jacket, you will need to make black stripes. With a black jacket, you will need to make white stripes.

To make your DIY Beetlejuice costume clothes, you will need to make stripes. You can do this in one of two ways:

• Paint stripes: take some masking tape and create stripes lengthways down the jacket which are spaced evenly with each other. Then take either white or black paint and paint over the areas that are not covered. When you lift off the masking tape, you will see that you will have straight stripes which contrast with each other. Do the same with the pants.
• Make stripes: instead of painting stripes, you can make stripes with tape. Ideally, you should have strong adhesive tape that is either white or black, according to your needs. You could use masking tape and paint it the color you need, but this will fall off easily once you start wearing the clothes.

Painting the stripes means your costume will look better and you don't have to worry about tape falling off. However, if you use tape, it means you can remove it after you use it and use the jacket again. For the shirt, you just need a plain white shirt. Ideally, you can make it a little dirty to give the unkempt appearance of Beetlejuice.

Now you have made the outfit, you will need to create the Beetlejuice makeup look with the materials we detailed in the first section. You can do this with the following method:

1. Apply the white foundation all over your face to achieve a very pale look. Remember to apply makeup to your neck as well.
2. Apply green eyeshadow on your eyelids and under your eyes.
3. Use black eyeshadow to define your eye sockets for a more dramatic and scary look. If you don't have green eyeshadow, you can use purple eyeshadow or paint the entire eye black. The goal is to achieve a scary and dramatic look.
4. Using black eyeliner, draw lines on your eyelids for a spookier look.
5. Paint your lips with the purple lipstick to give a little contrast to the face. If you cannot find an appropriate color, you can paint your lips white as well.
6. Give your skin a distressed look by applying a little black shadow over your foundation using a sponge.

To get the perfect hairstyle to complete your DIY Beetlejuice costume, you have two options:

• Use a wig: you may be able to buy a Beetlejuice-style wig, but this is a DIY option. Instead, you can choose a wig which has a similar hairstyle to Beetlejuice (i.e. high hairline and long spiky hair). Ideally, choose one with white or gray hair. You can then use green paint or hair dye to dye the wig. Use hair product or hairspray to get a messy look with the hair sticking up at the end.
• Use your own hair: if you have long hair, you can replicate Beetlejuice's hairstyle by using temporary green hair dye. While you can use paint or permanent hair dye on the wig, do not do this to your own hair, unless you want to keep this look for longer than Halloween. Use hairspray to stick your hair up and give as similar an appearance as you can match.

Beetlejuice was once a person who is now dead, despite being reanimated. For this reason, you can see parts of his body are in various stages of decomposition. This is why we suggest using a little grass, moss or similar light cuttings and attach them to your face. These may be able to stick to the makeup, but if not, you can use spirit gum to attach them to your face, especially around the mouth. Finally, to finish the look, you should wear a plain black tie loose around the neck.

Now that you know how to make your Beetlejuice costume, don't forget to keep in mind the following tips so that your costume is a real success:

• Before preparing your costume, try doing a makeup test to make sure you get the look you want. It will also be much easier to achieve Beetlejuice makeup if you have a photo of the character in front of you to help you get the look.
• Find inspiration through images from the film and add your own touch to reinterpret the character with your personal style.
• To recreate the costume, keep the weather in mind. Make sure to wear a matching coat in case it's cold or a short-sleeved shirt in case it's hot.

To create your Beetlejuice costume, the best advice is to make it a fun and creative experience. Use the right materials to bring this iconic character to life. Finally, the last thing you need to do is work on your best “It's showtime” to break out when you have your homemade Beetlejuice costume together.

If you decide Beetlejuice isn't for you and you want to dress as an iconic character from film and TV, check out our guides to how to make a DIY Eleven from Stranger Things costume and how to make The Incredibles costume.

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