How to Make a Glow-in-the-Dark Stick Man / Stickman Halloween Costume

When my then-11-year-old daughter asked me if she could be a glowing stick-man for Halloween last year, my response was "Huh?" I had no idea what she was talking about. She had seen it somewhere and wanted to duplicate it. She described it to me, then off we went to good ol' Google to find some instructions on just how to pull this costume off. I was intimidated at first, but it turned out to be a very easy costume, and on Halloween night she got lots and lots of positive responses.

Although I had never even heard of the costume, there were many, many Google results that came up. Some of the instructions for making this costume involved glow-in-the-dark paint, hot glue guns and even batteries. After reading up on the various methods, I came up with one of my own that ended up being super easy and looked great. Read on below for directions on how to make this fun, super-easy, inexpensive Halloween costume.

• Black long-sleeved shirt

• Black pants

• Glow bracelets or necklaces - get plenty! The kind that can be formed into a circle work best. We used the ones that are about 8 inches long and can be connected together.

• Clear packing tape

1. Have your child try on the black clothing. Holding up one of the bracelets or necklaces and using it as a guide, estimate how many pieces you'll need for each arm, leg, the torso, head, etc.

2. Don't forget to figure in enough glow necklaces for the back view. Putting glow necklaces in the stick man shape on both the front and the back will not only add dimension and drama to the costume, it will add to your child's visibility and enhance his (or her) safety as he (or she) trick-or-treats.

3. Keep the glow necklaces in their packaging as long as possible. The packaging is specially made to keep the glow sticks fresh so they'll glow as long and as brightly as possible.

4. On Halloween, as trick-or-treating time gets near, remove the glow necklaces from their packaging and follow the package instructions to get them glowing.

5. Use the clear packing tape to attach the glow necklaces to the black pants and shirt. Rub the tape on so that it adheres well and will last the evening.

6. We made one of the necklaces into a circle and used a hair clip to attach it around my daughter's face. Then she was ready to go! You could also attach a face-sized cirle to opening of the hood on a sweatshirt.

7. Get creative! Mix different colored glow necklaces, add them to your shoes, make "glow hair," hands, eyes, glasses, whatever you like!

A few reasons why this is a really great costume:

You probably already have much of what you need to make this costume. All we had to buy were the glow necklaces.

My daughter was totally covered up and stayed warm. You can alter this costume to the climate you live in. In a warmer climate you could use lightweight knits for the black clothing; in a colder climate, you could use jeans, sweats or even a coat.

When Halloween is over, simply remove the packing tape and you can go back to wearing the black clothes. They will not be ruined or destined to be part of a costume forever.

I also love that it's a unisex costume that all ages responded well to.

You don't have to wait for Halloween to have fun with a glowing stickman costume. Go solo or get a group together for your school or church talent show or variety show. Even kids who have never had a dance lesson will be a big hit when they dance in glowing stickman costumes. Just choose some fun music with a great beat, and do a few basic moves. The glowing costumes add so much to the act! As you can see and hear in the video below, these kids are doing the most basic of dance moves but the crowd goes absolutely wild! If you have dance experience or are in a group that has been rehearsing together a while, that makes your act even more impressive and exciting!

A glow stick routine is also a great idea for cheerleaders, dance teams or drumlines at pep rallies! For drumlines, get your sticks in the act. Spray paint your drumsticks with glowing paint and the crowd will be blown away as they listen to the beat and watch all the perfectly synchronized, glowing drumsticks.