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The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles can be a great idea for fun group costumes. You can choose your favorite character and either make or buy a costume to emulate his look. There are lots of great options on the market, as well as plenty of ideas for those who want to get creative.
Leonardo Costume
Known for his discipline and leadership skills, Leonardo is an essential part of any group Ninja Turtles costume. He also makes an excellent solo costume.
Buying a Leonardo Costume
Whether you're looking for an adult or child costume, there are lots of great options available online:
Women's Sassy Deluxe Leonardo Costume from Costume Supercenter
Women's Sassy Deluxe Leonardo Costume - This feminine take on the classic Ninja turtle look from CostumeSuperCenter is a great choice. It features a metallic mini-dress, arm bands, an eye mask, and a turtle shell backpack. It is available in small, medium, and large retails for about $45.
Kids' Leonardo Muscle Costume - This child-sized version of the classic Leonardo costume from Toys R Us features a muscled jumpsuit, detachable turtle shell, and mask. It's available in a range of toddler and child sizes and retails for about $25.
Make Your Own Leonardo Costume
You can make your own Leonardo look for any size using these simple instructions:
Purchase a bright green t-shirt, yellow and dark green fabric paint, and a quarter yard of bright blue jersey fabric.
Using the fabric paint, make a yellow muscular turtle stomach on the front of the shirt and a dark green turtle shell on the back. Allow the shirt to dry.
Cut the blue jersey fabric into three long strips. In one strip, make two eyes to create a mask.
Wear green pants and paint your face green. Put on the t-shirt and top it with a brown belt. Tie two pieces of blue fabric on your arms for arm bands, and tie on the mask.
Fun-loving Michelangelo is another important Ninja Turtle. All you need to emulate his look is a great costume, some nunchucks, and a few enthusiastic "cowabungas."
Buying a Michelangelo Costume
The licensed child-size Michelangelo costume has been discontinued, so it's very hard to find online or in stores. However, eBay is a great resource for this look.
There are adult versions still on the market, however:
Michelangelo Zip Onesie - Featuring a printed turtle shell and orange belt, this men's footless onesie from Amazon.com comes in sizes small to x-large and costs around $27.
Make Your Own Michelangelo Costume
Making your own Michelangelo costume is easy. Just follow these steps:
Gather up a few supplies, including a green t-shirt, fabric paint, and a quarter of a yard of bright orange jersey fabric.
Paint a turtle stomach and shell on the front and back of the t-shirt and allow it to dry thoroughly.
Cut three long strips in the orange fabric and set two aside for arm bands. Cut two eye holes in the other strip to create a mask.
Put on green pants and the t-shirt, and top the t-shirt with a brown belt. Tie the arm bands on your arms. Paint your face green, and wrap the eye mask over your eyes.
Donatello is another costume that's hard to find in children's sizes. Your best bet is watching eBay for this discontinued look.
For men and women, there are Donatello costumes available from online retailers:
Men's Donatello Zip Hoodie - This fun hoodie comes in men's sizes medium through 2XL and features a printed turtle shell, purple arm bands, and a purple mask. It retails for about $35 on Amazon.com.
Adult Women's Donatello Dress - This cute outfit from Amazon features a green and gold mini-dress, purple arm bands, and purple eye mask. It comes in sizes x-small through large and retails for about $40.
Make Your Own Donatello Costume
Making your own Donatello costume is easy for any size or age. Just follow these directions:
Assemble some supplies. You'll need a green t-shirt, fabric paint, and a quarter of a yard of purple jersey fabric.
Cut the purple jersey fabric into three long strips. Set two aside for tie-on arm bands. Cut two eye holes in the third strip to make a mask.
Paint a turtle shell on the front and back of the t-shirt using the fabric paint. Allow it to dry thoroughly before you put on your costume.
Use green face paint to give yourself that turtle look. Put on the t-shirt and some green pants. Wrap a brown belt around your waist, and tie on your arm bands and mask.
It's hard to find Donatello's trademark bo staff, but you can easily make your own. All you have to do is cut a piece of sturdy dowel to be about your height, and wrap the middle portion with white rope.
Raphael Costume
The bad boy of the Ninja Turtles, Raphael makes a fun character to emulate. You can buy or make a Raphael costume to get his signature look.
Buying a Raphael Costume
Raphael is a little easier to find than some of the other Ninja Turtles. You'll find options for kids and adults:
Adult Women's Raphael Costume from Costume Discounters
Men's Raphael Costume - This muscle costume from Spirit Halloween fits men sized 42 through 46. It includes a belt and red eye mask and retails for about $70.
Raphael Kids' Costume - This complete costume from Amazon.com features a padded Raphael jumpsuit, detachable turtle shell, and plastic mask. It fits a range of kids sizes and retails for about $50.
Adult Women's Raphael Costume - Featuring a green and gold mini-dress, red eye mask, red arm bands, and turtle shell backpack, this cute outfit from Costume Discounters is a great girly Raphael look. It comes in sizes small through large and retails for about $45.
Making Your Own Raphael Costume
Making your own Raphael costume is easy with these instructions:
Gather up a green t-shirt, fabric paint, and about a quarter of a yard of red jersey fabric.
Paint the front and back of the t-shirt to resemble a turtle shell, and allow the t-shirt to dry thoroughly.
Cut the fabric into three long strips and reserve two strips for arm bands. Cut eye holes in the third strip to make a mask.
Paint your face green and put on the t-shirt and some green pants. Wrap a brown belt around your waist, and tie on the mask and arm bands.
You'll need to purchase Raphael's signature weapon to complete the look. You can find his sais at BuyCostumes.
Fun and Creative Choice
No matter which Ninja Turtle you choose to be, you can find or make the perfect costume to get the look you want. Whether you're looking for a solo costume or putting together a group look, this is a fun and creative superhero costume choice.
