But first, a little backstory...
To say that I love matcha would be an understatement, matcha is my life — I have devoted the last six years of my life to it. Those closest to me wouldn't be surprised that I would go to great lengths to create my own Jade Leaf Matcha-themed costume. I searched the internet for instructions on how to bring my vision to life and came up empty handed, nothing like this existed. Instead of giving up, I sketched out my vision and searched for the proper supplies needed to create this giant Chasen costume.
Honestly, Plan A did not work out — it was a disaster. It involved a giant children's play tunnel, zip ties, and... well, I'll just stop there. My dad noticed me struggling and offered his help and shared some ideas with me. He suggested that I purchase a large trash can, but I was so invested in my original vision (I was set on having more mobility when wearing the costume which the tunnel would provide). But one thing my dad and I have in common is: persistence. We are both stubborn and persistent. He continued to describe his vision and eventually, I relented.
I set out to purchase new supplies at Home Depot, scrapped my original vision, and quickly came up with Plan B. Well, here it is — this costume is a collaboration between me and my dad. He inspired Plan B and gave me some pointers along the way... Working on this with him was heartwarming and nostalgic, he helped me design most of my elementary school projects when I was a child which included a wooden catapult, a 3-D replica of the Golden Gate Bridge, amongst many others.
I got a little bit of a late start to making my costume this year, I apologize if this doesn't provide you with enough time to recreate it. We'll be sure to share more Halloween DIYs earlier on next year. We are so passionate about matcha and will always share fun tips and information in the hopes of deepening your love for matcha. We hope you enjoy this fun project!
P.s. Don't forget to shake up one of our matcha drinks as you craft this costume. You'll get thirsty, trust me ;)
Happy crafting!
xx, Matcha Jules
Supplies you'll need:
- 32 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck Black Round Trash Can
- (or a larger trash can depending on your height/body type - I have a smaller frame and fit perfectly in a 32 gal. If you need to, step into a trash can at the hardware store. You should've seen the look on of their employee's face when I asked for a trash can I could fit inside of)
- 10-pack 24" Bamboo U Trellis Hoop Stakes - this is available at some Home Depot locations, I recommend purchasing them online
- If your body frame requires a larger trash can than the size I recommended above, consider purchasing an extra 10-pack of 24" Bamboo U Treilis Hoop Stakes
- 10-15 feet 1/2" Twisted Black Nylon Rope
- 2-3 (12oz) cans Rust-Oleum Painter's Touch 2X Gloss Khaki Spray Paint
- 5-6' green fabric (I used a matcha-colored sheet of wool felt sheet)
- Hot glue gun & glue sticks
- Hacksaw
- Box cutter
- Cordless driver
- 1/4 or 5/16 drill bits
- Extension cord
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Sharpie
- Plastic tarp or large pieces of cardboard
- Work gloves
- Clothes you wouldn't mind ruining :)
- Your favorite playlist to keep the good vibes flowing
- Your favorite matcha drink to keep you hydrated. If you're in need of some matcha recipe inspiration, check out our recipe blog here.
Steps
- Prep your working station, I recommend building your giant Chasen costume in a well-ventilated area (garage with the door ajar or backyard will suffice)
- Lay a large piece of plastic tarp or cardboard down on the ground
- Place the trash can upside down on your tarp and use a hacksaw to safely saw off the handles of the trash can, set the handles aside
- Use a sharp box cutter to cut a circular hole at the base of the trashcan, ensure that it's large enough for both of your legs to fit through
- Stand the trash can upright on its base. Use a ruler and sharpie to mark where you will drill holes on the rim of the trash can (note: you will need 20 holes). The diameter of each bamboo stake will vary, use your judgement around which drill bit size will be best. Use your power driver paired with the appropriate drill bit to drill holes into the rim of the trashcan. Repeat until all holes are drilled
- Spray paint your trash can evenly as it stands upright. Be sure to spray inside of the trashcan (at least 1/2 way down). No need to make the first coating perfect, we'll add additional coats later on
- As your spray paint dries, begin prepping your bamboo stakes
- Gather your bamboo stakes. Use a hacksaw to cut directly in the center of the U-shape stake. You should have two identical pieces of bamboo stakes. Repeat until all stakes are cut. Set aside.
- Connect your hot glue gun to an extension cord. Keep your glue stick refills handy! Place one bamboo stake into a drilled hole (approximately 1-2 inches down). You may notice that the base of the bamboo stake might protrude passed the rim and become visible, no need to worry - we'll cover this with black rope later).
- One your stake is positioned at the desired height and angle, hold the stake in place with one hand as you use the hot glue gun to secure the stake - place glue at the base of the stake (under the rim of the trash can) and on the top of the rim to secure the upper base of the bamboo stake. Hold the bamboo stake in place until the hot glue dries (approximately 2-3 minutes). Repeat until all bamboo stakes are in place.
- Note: This part is time-consuming, but it's important to allow the glue to dry completely before moving on to secure the next bamboo stake. You may notice the paint scraping off as you secure each bamboo stake, no worries, we'll paint over it
- Once all of the bamboo stakes are secure, clean up the residual hot glue strands
- Add your second coat of spray paint. Spray the entire base (or "handle") of the Chasen, be sure to spray the rim of the trash can to paint over the hot glue. Allow the paint to dry completely.
- Grab a friend or family member to help you affix the black rope. Determine which "side" of the bamboo whisk you would like to establish as the "front". The rope should hang off the left or right side of the "front".
- Ask your friend to stand in place holding 6" of the black rope near one of the side walls of the trash can, begin walking around the whisk to tightly wind the rope around. As you near the end of the rope, tie the two ends together twice and unfurl the strands to mimic the bamboo thread that hangs off of the whisk.
- If you notice that the large rope isn't as secure, drill a small hole (strategically placed where the rope will cover it) and thread a small strand of black rope through the drilled hole and around the larger pieces of rope, tie both ends together to secure the rope closer to the rim. Repeat as necessary in areas you notice the rope has more slack.
- Lay your green fabric on the floor and fold it in half horizontally (hot dog style lol). Use a thin sharpie to draw the matcha "drips". I eyeballed this part and used scissors to create large and small slopes to mimic matcha dripping.
- Place the folded edge over the tops of the curved bamboo bristles and arrange the cloth in a way that is pleasing to you. Once the "drips" are in place, use a hot glue gun and place a thin line of glue on the interior part of the fabric. Gently place the exterior part of the fabric over the glue and pinch in place. Continue as needed to secure the fabric around the bristles.
- AND THERE YOU HAVE IT! You are now a giant Chasen! Go on with your bad self, take a gorgeous selfie, and tag @jadeleafmatcha and @matchajules on Instagram - we would LOVE to see how your costume turns out.
We hope you enjoyed our Halloween DIY Chasen costume. Stay tuned for what Jules will dress up as next Halloween :)