If you hesitated about turning your baby into a giant loofah, trust me—you should. I’d had “bathtub” on my costume list for ages but waited until we could make it a full family theme. Bella rocked a rubber duck costume like a champ, but Arlo the loofah stole the show. This idea works great as a mommy-and-me set or as a whole-family costume if you can convince someone to wear a robe.
DIY Bubble Bath Family Costume
Total Time: 1+ Hours (depending on costume complexity)
Supplies
For the bathtub:
- Foam cooler
- Model Magic (or other air-dry modeling clay)
- Silver paint
- Elastic
- Hot glue gun
- Box cutter
For the loofah:
- Tulle
- Hot glue gun
- Long-sleeve henley or jumper
- Soft baby shoes
- Short length of rope
- Clear and/or white balloons
Extras for the family look:
- Bathrobe for the adult(s)
- Inflatable duck prop or rubber ducky costume
Directions
For the bathtub:
- Carefully remove the bottom of the foam cooler with a box cutter so it resembles a tub.
- Use Model Magic to shape a faucet and optionally two knobs. Allow to dry fully.
- Paint the faucet and knobs silver and let the paint dry.
- Attach the faucet and knobs to the cooler with hot glue.
- Try the tub on and have an assistant measure where two elastic shoulder straps should sit. Mark strap placement on the tub and cut elastic to length. Attach the elastic straps securely with hot glue.
- Inflate many clear balloons slightly under-full so they stay round. These will be your bubbles.
- Right before wearing the costume, glue the balloons onto the tub and straps. (You can hot-glue balloons—avoid touching the hot glue gun tip directly to the balloon.)
For the baby loofah:
- Prepare the jumper by stuffing it with a sweatshirt, folded towels, or newspaper so it has volume while you work.
- Start by gluing the end of a strip of tulle to the side of the jumper. Bunch short sections of tulle and glue them in place, working around the garment. Repeat in rows until the jumper is covered and puffy. This technique is forgiving—variation in bunch sizes looks natural.
- Cut a short piece of rope and glue it near the top of the jumper, just above the tulle, to create the loofah’s hanging loop. Make it short enough so it cannot slip over the baby’s head.
For a rubber ducky costume, glue elastic to the duck piece and fasten with a safety pin under the child so it stays secure without restricting movement.
Photos by Jeff Mindell
While we were shooting, a passerby commented, “Wow, your husband is such a good sport.” He really was—thankfully he agreed to wear the robe!
For another fun family idea, try a coordinated school supplies family costume or adapt these techniques to create different group themes.