What do you do when the Halloween store hockey masks just don’t do it for you anymore? When the plastic machetes no longer fit the bill? You move on to a more screen accurate Jason, that’s what!
The first thing you need to do is pick a Jason. ANY Jason. Just don’t pick Jason Alexander unless you really REALLY like Seinfeld. But choose wisely as you’re going to be living with this version of Jason for a long time. I chose to build the Freddy Vs. Jason version of the character. Why? Because I liked the overall look of Jason in that film. I thought he was well designed so that’s the one I chose. I also had the machete already, but that’s another story. I also chose the look from the beginning of the film. Pick the look you like best and go for it.
Here’s the list, head to toe, of everything you’ll need if you want to make this killer costume. Links are provided for the sources I used.
- Full-head Hood (a latex mask with the face cut out so you won’t die from the heat)
- Hockey Mask
- Droopy Eye Appliance
- Blue Tee Shirt
- Grey Sweatshirt or Sweater
- Burlap Barn Jacket (more on this in a bit)
- Black Leather Gauntlet Gloves
- Brown & Black Speckled Pants (more on this too)
- Black Boots (originals were Danners w/ dark blue laces) w/shoe lifts
- Grey Makeup (for the eye that can be seen)
- MACHETE!
As you can see, it’s pretty simple but there are a couple of hangups. The biggest is the barn jacket. No one in their right mind would ever make clothing out of burlap so you’ll never find one of these on sale at Macy’s. You can either make it yourself, buy one another costumer has made, or find a jacket that’s similar and weather the hell out of it. It all depends on your thirst for accuracy and your sewing skills. Be warned, though – burlap doesn’t like sewing machines very much. If you build one of these, you’ll probably need to hand sew it. I got very lucky. While I was looking for barn coat patterns and checking out fabric stores for burlap, I stumbled across a poor soul who was selling his VS jacket on Ebay for far less than it was worth. Yes, I bought my jacket for $50! Believe it or not, Ebay miracles do sometimes happen. Even though I bought mine, having it in hand showed me plenty about how to build one. Check out the video for more.
The other problem is the pants. If you don’t care about accuracy, some black sweatpants will probably do the trick if you cut up the bottom of the pants legs. The real pants were custom made terry cloth slacks in brown with black flecks. I’ve not seen fabric like that anywhere (and I’ve looked) but I was able to find some old sweatpants that were VERY similar. In certain light they appear to be brown and in other illumination they look black. I’m not sure why they chose this odd fabric but looking for these weird costume pieces is half the fun!
The mask is the key ingredient, of course. I recommend FrightStuff because they make their masks from the original F13 Part 3 mold, and at a very reasonable price. The mask you see in the video was a blank pull made by NoFace. I cut it out, trimmed it, and painted it to make it match a particular screen-used VS mask but you can make whichever one you want from the FrightStuff masks. And they can be purchased pre-trimmed and pre-strapped. If you decide to paint yours yourself, you’ll need plastic primer to prime the surface, then a base coat, painter’s tape to mask off the chevrons, red gloss enamel for those markings, and a variety of paints for weathering. If I ever decide to paint up my FrightStuff mask, I’ll post a tutorial. Sorry, but I made the mask in the video several years ago so i don’t have any video of the process.
As to the mask straps, you’ll notice that my mask has elastic strapping. The screen-used mask had leather straps with buckles and a metal ring at the back where they meet. I plan on adding that some day but for now, I’m okay with the elastic as it keeps the mask in place very well. If you’re interested in strap sets you can buy them at FiberglassMasks.com or you can raid the dog leash section at your local Petco.
This isn’t a terribly complicated costume. Just keep an eye on the details and the overall shape of the suit. If you need to, add extra padding underneath to bulk up to Jason’s size. But whatever you do, remember to have fun.
Happy Hallowe’en!
21 comments
Bryce
October 27, 2011 at 3:02 pm (UTC -7)
Great costume!!! Good thing I don’t live by your house, I would be scared to death. Could you make a Leatherface costume tutorial
Tom
October 27, 2011 at 3:09 pm (UTC -7)
Hi Bryce. Thanks! I’d be happy to do a Leatherface tutorial at some point, but it probably won’t happen anytime real soon. Which Leatherface is your favorite? Have a happy Hallowe’en!
Bryce
October 27, 2011 at 4:33 pm (UTC -7)
My favorite leatherface costume is the original 1974 Texas chainsaw massacre with the killing mask. Thanks
Tom
October 27, 2011 at 5:33 pm (UTC -7)
@Bryce: Cool. I’ll keep it in mind!
Marco
November 1, 2011 at 1:43 am (UTC -7)
Which fabric isbetter for the barn jacket?
Outer Fabric or Lining Fabric?
Tom
November 1, 2011 at 8:27 am (UTC -7)
Marco, the lining is tan poly/cotton or cotton and the exterior is burlap.
wierd guy .org
November 6, 2011 at 12:14 pm (UTC -7)
that looks cool as hell dude but i cant find the mask thet is pre-bent for a jason mask
Tom
November 6, 2011 at 1:25 pm (UTC -7)
I don’t understand what you mean by pre-bent. The hockey mask? I link directly to my source in my post.
Gil
November 22, 2011 at 5:17 pm (UTC -7)
Nice! I dress as Jason using this look almost every Halloween. (Check out my link if you’d like to see it.) I’m always looking for ways to forever improve the costume. Thanks!
Sara
November 23, 2011 at 4:27 pm (UTC -7)
Absolutely awesome. The Freddy VS Jason is my personal favorite look for Jason, You did a great job!
Tom
November 23, 2011 at 4:37 pm (UTC -7)
Thanks, Sara!
Sara
November 23, 2011 at 10:40 pm (UTC -7)
Not a problem! Got to appreciate greatness when I see it
Billy
January 4, 2012 at 1:53 pm (UTC -7)
Amazing tutorial Tom! These make my life so much easier. I made your machete back when i saw that and now i making this. I Just made the torso clothing in about half an hour, I was lucky enough to find a dark grey sweatshirt and a light black T-shirt in my closet. I’ll let the weathering dry over night. Just looking for a burlap jacket, or preferrably a cheapskate alternative to one
Have a great new year, and i hope you make some more awesome things.
Tom
January 4, 2012 at 1:59 pm (UTC -7)
Thanks, Billy. I’m glad the tutorial was helpful. Good luck with your build! When you’re done, send a pic to costumebot (at) gmail and I’ll feature it on the site.
Chris
January 15, 2012 at 6:23 am (UTC -7)
First of all WOW! That looks f*** Nice!
But i have a big problem! Where do i get this Jacket? Could u give a short advice what kind of label it is from? Or where u could buy it? Did u bought it looking it like this? If not, maybe u could show how u made it look like that?
Keep up the great work!
Tom
January 15, 2012 at 10:39 am (UTC -7)
Thanks, Chris! I thought I explained it in the video but maybe I wasn’t clear. I was preparing to build the jacket myself when I found this one for sale on Ebay at a very low price; lower than what it would cost to make it! Your only real options are to pay a fortune ($500+) to have one made or build it yourself. It wouldn’t be too tough to build, but it would take time because you would have to hand sew the burlap if you didn’t have a heavy-duty sewing machine.
A couple of tips: Sew first, then do the distressing. Use a tan long-sleeved shirt as the lining. Just turn the shirt inside out. That’s how my jacket was built and I think it’s much better than sewing the lining yourself. You also end up with some interior pockets that way. In my post, I included a link to a barn jacket pattern that could be used with minimal modification.
Good luck with your costume!
thomaz
February 20, 2012 at 12:42 pm (UTC -7)
which vendor you bought the jacket on ebay?
thomaz
February 20, 2012 at 12:50 pm (UTC -7)
which seller you bought the jacket on ebay?
Tom
February 20, 2012 at 1:34 pm (UTC -7)
Hi Thomaz, I don’t remember who he was but he was just a guy who had purchased it for himself, not someone who built the jacket.
thomaz
February 21, 2012 at 6:07 am (UTC -7)
thank you for the answer, could you make a escape mask of michael myers tutorial, and a scream costume tutorial( clothing, mask and knife)?
Tom
February 21, 2012 at 10:15 am (UTC -7)
I’ll certainly add them to my list. This is just a hobby for me, so I don’t always have the time to put into it that I’d like. It might take me a while to get around to it.