Project

Beekeeper Costume

This watchful beekeeper always takes good care of his bee colony. He wears a sting-resistant suit (actually a pair of painter's coveralls, available at hardware stores), work gloves to protect his hands, and a long tulle veil to guard his face. Dozens of "bees" are glued to the open-mesh netting; others buzz around his wide-brimmed straw hat. The stenciled bucket becomes a winsome receptacle for Halloween treats.

Source: Martha Stewart Living, Fall 2009

materials

Scissors

Black tulle netting

White wide-brimmed straw hat (or spray-paint a regular straw hat)

White spray paint (optional)

Hot-glue gun

White seam binding

Wire cutters

Millinery bees

Letter stencils

Yellow paint pen

Metal bucket with handle

Duct tape

Light-colored shirt

Pair of painter's coveralls

Pair of cotton work gloves with yellow accents

steps

Cut a piece of tulle 16 inches wide and as long as the circumference of the brim of the hat. Hot-glue seam binding to one long edge of the tulle. Glue tulle to underside of hat brim, and cover with seam binding (to keep glue from seeping through).
Remove wires from most of the bees. Glue wireless bees to tulle. Poke a few wired bees through the top of the straw hat from the outside; bend the wires at a right angle, and glue to inside of hat.
Using letter stencils and paint pen, stencil "HONEY" on bucket; let dry. Tape more wired bees to inside of bucket.
Wear hat with shirt, coveralls, and work gloves.