The image of Baba Yaga is one of the most popular at children's parties and matinees in kindergartens. Such a fairy-tale character often appears at various public events, adult corporate events and school carnivals.
By being creative, you can come up with several options for embodying the image of Baba Yaga. She can look like a traditional old grandmother or a youthful modern witch. When thinking about the details of the image, you should first of all focus on the age of the event participants and the theme of the holiday.
It’s easy to make a costume for a fairy-tale character yourself. At the same time, a hand-sewn Baba Yaga costume for a girl may differ from the adult version only in size.
Look with a blouse and skirt
Baba Yaga can look quite charming and stylish. This goal can be achieved by wearing an open-shoulder blouse, tying it flirtatiously with a knot at the waist, and as a bottom, choosing a multi-tiered skirt and placing several scarves on it. A few bright beads and bracelets will be a great finishing touch to this look. A scarf in the form of a bandana would also be useful. To maximize the charisma of the role, you can take the phone as a prop.
Headdress
The forest hermit rarely visits hairdressers, so her hair looks sloppy and disheveled.
How to do a hairstyle:
- Hair can be curled using large rollers, then the strands can be tousled.
- Combine effects: smooth some strands with an iron, treat others with corrugated tongs.
- The hair should be raised with the forehead into a high ponytail, and the rest of the hair should be loosened. Weave colored ribbons, artificial flowers or berries into some strands.
- The hair should be combed on the forehead and at the temples, fluffed up, and fixed with hairspray.
Most often, a scarf is put on the head, which is tied with a knot forward. But the image will become more original if you tie the scarf in a knot above the ear.
This method of tying a scarf will add playfulness to your appearance:
- fold the scarf into a ribbon;
- tie it on the top of the head with a knot from above;
- straighten the ends.
If you want to add gray hair to Baba Yaga, a wig will come in handy.
From an oversized dress
You don't have to be good at sewing to create an original evil character costume. An elementary method suggests simply arming yourself with scissors. As a base, you can take a dress that is noticeably large by several sizes. Everything else is a matter of technique. Cut out the edges and hem of the outfit using triangular motions with scissors. You don't have to try too hard - a Baba Yaga costume will look more charming if you give it a touch of casualness.
This look can be completed with colorful leggings, a false nose, charismatic insects, a vest with patches and house shoes or galoshes.
You can implement a similar idea with burlap - you just need to create a hole on the bag for the head, arms and legs, and tie such an outfit with a belt.
Here is another version of the look with a loose dress at the base. Its finishing touches, which set the right mood, will be bracelets on the legs and arms, a bright apron, a bandana and makeup with an emphasis on the eyes.
Modern Baba Yaga costume for adults
Yaga's outfit is easy to whip up from rags and household items. Use any dark turtleneck as a shirt. For the skirt you will still need sewing skills. Sew a piece of fabric in a couple of places at the top, insert an elastic band into the belt. This skirt with a slit does not have to be made to the floor. It's better if she's free. All this can be purchased at a second-hand store - buy things 2-3 sizes larger.
Tights with holes and arrows are suitable for this model. On your feet - flat shoes or old ballet shoes. Comb and fix the hair on your head with hairspray. But it’s better to do bright makeup: beautifully, but excessively line your eyes and paint your lips. Don't forget about black or red manicure. A cone-shaped hat would be appropriate for this outfit. It can be made from two cardboard parts: a ring and a cone.
Advice. If cutting fabric is not part of your plans, but you want to add some ambience to your suit, just sew fringe on the sleeves, hem and other parts of the outfit.
Dress according to your figure
At the heart of this image is a dress that has been mercilessly cut up with scissors. It’s good if the style has wide sleeves and a maxi length. You can achieve a modern suit if you complement this look with fishnet tights, heels and bright makeup in a modern gothic style.
This photo shows another version of a fashionable image for Baba Yaga. As you can see, showiness and believability here are achieved through large accessories, bright makeup and a carefully maintained “forest” palette.
Non-standard options
It’s easy to make an outfit at home, based on the clothes you have. It’s easy to “fit” a dress that is too wide with an elastic waist, resulting in a fairly full skirt at the bottom. It’s a good idea to complement such an outfit with beads made from rowan or rosehip. An old dress can be slightly transformed with the help of sharp scissors, making curly cutouts on the sleeves and bottom.
For girls, a stylish suit can be complemented with gothic makeup.
The costume can also be sewn using the patchwork technique from multi-colored scraps. This idea will take a lot of time to implement, but a stylish and bright image is ultimately guaranteed. It is easy to use the patchwork technique to make a warm shower vest.
To create a costume, it is recommended to use dark fabrics, but you can also sew a dress from a light-colored fabric (gray or beige), complementing it with dark-colored accessories. The embodiment of a fairy-tale witch in a modern style will require the addition of fishnet tights and high-heeled shoes.
Shreds
Multi-colored scraps will help turn old clothes into an adult Baba Yaga costume for the New Year. Implementing this idea with your own hands is as easy as shelling pears - you just need to cut out rectangular or abstract shapes from contrasting fabric and sew the scraps to the main clothes with large, deliberately sloppy stitches. At this stage, you don’t have to stop and “decorate” the outfit with artificial holes, cuts and scuffs.
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Apron
Baba Yaga always wears an apron, because every now and then she brews a witch’s potion. The apron is tied around the waist. It should be as old and sloppy as the rest of your clothes, so a new kitchen apron won't do.
Find some old dress or skirt from which you can cut an apron. If you don't have any old clothes at all, you can use a pillowcase or waffle towel.
Modern Yaga
Baba Yaga, living in the 21st century, can easily afford to wear a black sheath dress as an outfit. Even the villains in the show can be beautiful! A creative addition to this look would be a typical witch's hat, gloves and broom. You can also use bright red lipstick. This way you will be able to create a modern and fashionable Baba Yaga costume without any extra hassle, which will definitely impress everyone.
Vest
A DIY Baba Yaga costume for adults will make an indelible impression on holiday guests if you design the vest correctly. This thing is a colorful attribute of an old woman from a Russian fairy tale and one of the main differences from the costume of an evil European witch.
Ready
If the goal is to create the image of a modern Baba Yaga, riding a motorcycle and engaging in fraud, then you should look for a ready-made vest in the style of steam punk or thrash metal. This outfit will add credibility and brightness to the image, becoming the main component of the costume.
From improvised means
If there is an undershirt from an old coat left in the house, just cut it to size and decorate it. The edges do not need to be hemmed; on the contrary, they should be given a disheveled look.
You can take a rectangular piece of fabric; its width and length should correspond to the volume of the chest and the height from the shoulder to the middle of the thigh or waist. The fabric is applied to the back, the location of the armholes is determined by eye, and holes for the arms are cut. There is no need to process the edges.
According to the pattern
For a vest, burlap, artificial leather, thick coarse fabric in gray, black, brown colors are suitable. After printing or drawing the pattern, the fabric is cut, the side parts and shoulder seams are sewn. The armholes are left unfinished or trimmed with bright braid with a folk pattern; the vest can be trimmed with faux fur in gray or black. It is worth sewing 2 ties on the front part.
Decor
A Baba Yaga costume made by an adult with his own hands does not contain many elements, so the vest should be interestingly decorated. It is enough to add 2-3 details to give the image a multi-level meaning.
Vest design options:
- Sew on a small soft toy - a cat or an eagle owl. Figures can be made with your own hands from felt using the felting method.
- A scattering of bright mushrooms on the shoulder or back looks funny. Fly agarics and toadstools are made from papier-mâché, felt or sewn from fabric.
- Make a small spider from felt and fabric (a ready-made toy will also come in handy). For web use twine or thin twine. Weave a small web, sew it onto the vest, and secure the spider in the center. You can lower the spider on a thin rope from the hem of the vest.
- Artificial ivy is attached to the back and sides.
- Sew small bunches of artificial berries and herbs.
- Fangs and bird bones strung on string are attached to the front part, made from salt dough or plastic.
The more complex the composition of the vest, the more interesting it is for the participants of the holiday to consider it.
Handkerchief
An integral attribute of the image of this fairy-tale character is a scarf. We have several ideas on how to use this accessory in an interesting way.
You can fold the product several times in width, throw it on the back of your head and point it towards the top of your head. The final touch is to form a messy knot at the front.
Anything can be a source of inspiration for a New Year's look! For example, in a magazine or at a fashion show, you can borrow a technique that allows you to tie a scarf in the form of a bandana and fits perfectly into the image of a villainess. If you are going to a corporate event in this outfit, you can complement the look with large bright earrings.
An old lady will gain individuality with a scarf tied in this way.
Baba Yaga costume from the movie “Morozko”
Many people of the older generation, when they hear the word “Baba Yaga,” see in front of them an image from the Soviet film fairy tale “Morozko”. The character of actor Georgy Millyar can be called classic. To make a similar costume, you need to work a little with a needle and thread:
- Take a piece of cotton shirt fabric. You can buy the most unsightly and cheapest one.
- Create a simple full sleeve shirt with the back and front sewn together under the arms and at the sides.
- Make a few stitches on the sleeves, and then slightly cut the fabric and tear it into “delicate” rags.
- To make a skirt, take a simple rectangle of fabric or burlap, sew it in two places (at the waist and at the bottom) and insert an elastic band.
- Throw a scarf over your shoulders or take a ready-made vest.
- Tie a scarf onto your wig or tousled, hairsprayed hair. Yagi’s “signature” scarf is knitted in a knot at the back of the head, and then twisted onto the forehead, with the knot forward. For reliability, it can be secured with invisible pins.
- Apply appropriate makeup in pale tones.
Advice. You can artificially age a suit by staining it with watercolors and sewing patches from pieces of colored fabric.
Apron
If you believe mythical stories and fairy tales, Baba Yaga always wears an apron. She wears this item of clothing because she brews magic potions in her signature cauldron. It is advisable that the apron in the image is not new - for greater effect, you can paint it with stains that seem to have formed after preparing the magic drink.
Hump
A hump, which can be easily created from scrap materials, can be a fun way to complete the look. The easiest option is to take a pillow, sew an elastic band to it and fix an improvised hump on your back under your clothes. This detail will make the image of Baba Yaga much more realistic and interesting.
Final image
Put a dry wig on your head and, if possible, comb it, tie a scarf so that a strong knot is visible in the front. Put on your hump and start bundling up from head to toe, layering multiple pieces on top of each other for volume and a tousled look.
You can add everything that you associate with Baba Yaga to the image:
- Make “living” and “dead” water from available liquids.
- Make a “poisonous” fly agaric mushroom from paper or papier-mâché.
- Take a chicken foot, paint its claws with nail polish and get a terrifyingly magical effect.
Apply makeup or make-up in the style of this fairy-tale heroine, using black, dark gray, and bright colored shadows, smearing them deliberately sloppily over the face.
Nose
Baba Yaga is not Baba Yaga at all, if she does not have a characteristic long nose with a hump and a pointed edge. Some needlewomen create frightening props themselves from fabric or using the papier-mâché technique. But you can simply purchase this props in a specialized store.
If such a nose constantly strives to move away, you can use glasses without glasses as an additional fixative.
Features of the suit
It is not necessary to purchase all the materials in the store. A beautiful outfit can be made from improvised materials. A bright and colorful character attracts attention at any holiday. The outfit should consist of a long skirt with patches and a scarf on the head.
The character has a long nose on his face and holds a broom in his hands. The rest of the wardrobe items are selected depending on the characteristics of the event and the personal preferences of the craftswoman. You can use a vest and blouse, a blouse with fringe
Broom
To make the image complete, it should definitely be supplemented with a broom. If you don't have such a Yagi flying machine, you can easily create one yourself. To do this, you need to take a long stick and attach several rows of twigs to its base. Don't forget to make sure the branches are securely tied!
How to make a nose for Baba Yaga
A nasty long nose is a distinctive feature of this character. Although the costume can do without this expressive detail. You can probably buy the nose from a store that specializes in holiday supplies. However, if you still decide to make this part of the costume yourself, try papier-mâché technology.
For this:
- Make a hook-shaped nose out of plasticine. It doesn't have to be wide, but thin won't do either.
- Cut or tear thin paper (you can use newspaper) into small pieces.
- Coat the plasticine mold with PVA glue.
- Cover your nose tightly and evenly with pieces of paper. Wait for everything to dry.
- Paint the uniform in flesh color. To do this, mix red, yellow and white.
- Make holes on the sides at the base of the nose, thread a thin elastic band or thread - the nose is ready for “work”.
Character image in detail
Looking for ways to make Baba Yaga more interesting? We have some fun ideas!
There are no trifles in a theatrical image - every nuance matters and forms the impression of the character. If your goal is to make the Yagi costume more memorable, you can sew a black cat or find such a soft toy. According to the plots of many fairy tales, it was the cat who was the character’s faithful companion.
Web
Baba Yaga is a very colorful character who always makes any performance or holiday more interesting. For greater expressiveness, you can decorate her forest dweller’s bow with cobwebs. To create this element, you need to fasten white ropes with knots in a characteristic pattern and place the resulting web on your clothes.
You can also draw small spiders on the neck and face.
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Bright makeup
Leaving such an interesting character without bright makeup is a real crime! Baba Yaga, like a true woman, loves to highlight her eyes with a dark pencil and is not averse to adding a bright accent to her lips. You can use your imagination and make a fantasy make-up.
Any experiments are acceptable in holiday themed makeup!
How do you like the idea of adding makeup to deep, noticeable wrinkles? With such a detail, the image will truly be unforgettable!
Manicure
If you want everything to be perfect down to the last detail in your holiday look, you should also take care of the appropriate manicure. A win-win option would be to cover it with black varnish and smoothly shade the dark pigment on your hands as in the photo. You can also use false claws.
Hairstyle
You can add some zest to the villainous image with the help of an excellent bouffant on long hair. If the hair is short, it is either hidden under a scarf or a wig is used. You can even use black or gray rain instead of a wig!
Now you know how quickly and beautifully you can make an adult Baba Yaga costume with your own hands. A little patience and a little imagination, and you will get an original and fashionable outfit for the most colorful character in Russian fairy tales. Don't forget to take memorable photos!
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Skirt
When choosing materials, you need to focus on natural fabrics without synthetics; it is advisable that there are no bright prints. The fabric is selected in restrained shades, woody, black, greenish tones are suitable - semantic accents stand out well on a dark-colored skirt. An elderly forest dweller traditionally wears a skirt of medium length (just below the knees). The skirt should be wide enough to allow the wearer to move comfortably.
Using an old thing
The easiest way is to find an old skirt of the required length in your wardrobe and cut the bottom with scissors.
The edge is cut so as to create the impression of rags: it can be cut into long strips or uneven triangles.
Linen skirt
An adult Baba Yaga costume can be easily made from 2-3 old skirts.
It looks interesting if combined as follows:
- for the base, a black skirt;
- 2-3 bright cotton items (you can take fabric or old clothes) for inserts;
- a small piece of black soft tulle.
Making such a skirt is not difficult.
Progress:
- Cut the black skirt into triangles reaching to the middle of the thigh. At the bottom, the width of the cut will be 15-25 cm.
- Cut out rectangles from calico fabric that fit the size of the slits on the base skirt.
- From the inside out, insert chintz rectangles into the cut areas and hem them with stitches. Rectangles can be assembled.
- Sew gathered black tulle into some of the slits.
The skirt will be extravagant and quite bright.
Longline
This is a popular skirt pattern that is easy to sew without a pattern. You will need 3-4 types of fabric in different shades. The calculation begins with determining the height of the skirt; it is necessary to measure the distance from the waist to the bottom of the product (slightly below the knee, to the middle of the calf, to the ankle). The width of the stripes is determined by a simple equation: the total height of the skirt is divided by the number of stripes + 4 cm for hemming on both sides on each tier.
Calculation of the length of the stripes starts from the top tier, it is equal to the volume of the hips + 4 cm for fullness + 2 cm for side allowances. Each next tier should be 1.5 times longer than the previous one.
Progress:
- Cut the fabric into tiers.
- Sew each tier on the sides and to each other.
- The upper edge of the first tier, located on the hips, is folded, stitched or sewn by hand, and an elastic band is inserted.
The bottom of such a skirt does not need to be processed if the fabric does not fray. It looks more interesting if the bottom is cut unevenly with scissors.
Skirt decor
The main “highlight” of Baba Yaga’s skirt is the small details that emphasize the nature of the activity of the lonely old sorceress; they are presented in the table:
Detail | Performance |
Patches | Cut out patches from fabric in contrasting colors and sew them onto the skirt using large stitches. Patches can be placed on top of each other. |
Embroidery, a small piece of braid with a folk pattern | If a piece of skillful embroidery flashes on one of the patches, the costume will acquire ambiguity, puzzling the audience as to where Yaga could have gotten such an element on her clothing. |
Artificial grass | 1-2 bunches of grass sewn to the hem will remind viewers of what the old woman is doing in her hut. |
Bones and teeth | The malice of Baba Yaga is emphasized by the numerous bones and teeth placed on the skirt - she needs them to prepare the magic brew. Bones and fangs can be made as follows: · cut from thick cardboard; · made from polymer clay and painted; · molded from self-hardening plastic; · to tie; · sew from white fabric. When sculpting, you need to make holes in the upper part of the products so that you can then sew them onto the skirt. |
Feathers | Feathers tied in bunches will decorate the skirt. |
Beads | Large beads strung on a cord are tied to a piece of braid 4-6 cm long, and the braid is sewn onto the skirt. |
You can decorate Baba Yaga’s skirt with whatever you can find in your sewing box.