(Yes, this stage is a bit tedious.er.I mean time consuming. We used white construction paper from our local craft store and put 3 layers of paper on the ball for each shell. I recommend you use white glue rather than paste to make the paper mache as we did - it takes longer to dry, but produces a stronger shell. Each of the seven shell pieces were formed on the ball, dried, removed and trimmed. We first coated the ball with a thin layer of petroleum jelly so the paper mache would not stick to it. We found a large exercise ball and inflated it to until its diameter was the width we calculated in Step 1. Since you want to end up with a costume that can form a ball, each shell piece needs to be molded on a ball. If not, you will have to make the Roly Poly a bit wider until it's width is the diameter of smallest ball the person can crouch into. If so, congratulations, you have the costume size. Make a rough measurement of the diameter of their crouched body - will it fit into the width you calculated from the aspect ratio. Have your would-be costume wearer crouch down and make their body into a ball as small as they can. This will also be the approximate diameter of the Roly Poly when it is in a ball. Now, multiply this length by the aspect ratio to find the width of the costume. Measure the length of from the top of the head to the mid-calves or so. Get a large piece of cardboard or paper and trace the body of the person to wear the costume. You need to get this aspect ratio right to look like a real Roly Poly. Divide the length by the width - this gives you the aspect ratio of the bug. Catch a few Roly Polies and measure their length and width. To be a convincing Roly Poly (aka Wood Lice, Pill Bug, Potato Bug, Grammarsaw, or Chuggypig, Moneky-Peas, or.) you need to get the shape right. This project was not made with the creation of an Instructable in mind, so I will apologize if advance for not having better photo documentation Then we got to work on the costume with the conviction that the costume must be able to roll into a ball just like the real thing. We scoured the internet for pictures and facts (did you know that a Roly Poly is actually a crustacean that breaths with gills?), we caught them in our back yard, studied them and even dissected them to see how their cleaver shell was constructed. He decided to be a Roly Poly for Halloween long in advance so there was a great opportunity to get to know the critter. My son loves insects and spent his childhood telling people that he was going to be an entomologist when he grew up. welcome to my first Instructables.The Amazing Roly Poly costume. Over the years since publishing this video of the costume we have gotten many inquiries from people wanting to make there own. My son and I made this costume together back in 2012 when he was 7 years old.
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