Gladiators were the spectacles of blood and entertainment in the ancient Roman world. By spending the time to make your own gladiator costume, you can now be a revered spectacle in whatever event you plan on attending. This sort of costume can cost anywhere between $10 to $40 USD, depending on what materials and tools you already have, but the success of finishing and showing off is definitely worthwhile in the end. This costume in particular is modeled after the gladiators in the Television Series, "Spartacus: Blood and Sand."
Materials
The first step in making your Roman gladiator costume is to assemble all materials and tools needed.
You will need:
A hot glue gun (You can also use super glue, but it will be more expensive in the long run)Hot glue sticks (100 to 400, depending on how frugal with spreading glue)Scraps of leather, faux leather, or other leather-like material (Try to use only one or two colors)Cardboard (2 to 4 medium to large boxes)An old pair of pants or shorts that are one or two sizes too bigPlenty of old belts (or shoelaces)Old Sandals (Solid black or brown preferred)Old sports pads (Optional)Drill (Optional)About 10 hours of free time and a music playlist to keep you motivated
The hot glue gun and hot glue sticks can be purchased online or at any craft store. Cardboard can be found at any home improvement store. The best way to find leather scraps is to go to an outlet thrift store. They tend to be extremely cheap and offer a random assortment of items that can be scrapped for leather or faux leather (i.e. purses, backpacks, jackets, and even couches). Old sports pads, old belts, old sandals, and old pants can also be found at the same thrift stores. Keep searching and you should be able to find the materials without having to spend too much money.
The Inspiration
The second step in making your Roman gladiator costume is to find a picture on the internet to base your costume on. Search on Google images, "spartacus gladiators" or "spartacus blood and sand gladiator" until you find one that you like. Once you found a realistic picture to base your costume on, print it out or keep it on your computer screen.
The Arms and Legs
The next step to make the costume is to design the gladiator pads for your arm(s). You can also make pads for your legs, but it is optional. This can be achieved by layering cardboard on top of each other, or by using old sports pads. Naturally, you can also use a combination of both. Once you've designed your pads to comfortably wrap around your arm, you're going to need to attach belts or shoelaces to them so that the pads won't fall off when you move your body. The belt can be glued around the pad so that both ends meet in the same area. Shoelaces can be drilled into the pad or wrapped in the same manner as a belt would.
Once you have pads that can be connected to your body, you're going to need to decorate it with leather scraps for a more realistic and edgy look. Cut up your leather or faux leather into small or medium strips and carefully hot glue each strip onto your pads. You can be frugal with the glue, but it is recommended that you are liberal with the glue so that your costume does not fall apart as easily. Once you have finished decorating the pads, feel free to cover them with dirt and grime to give them a "worn look".
The Skirt
The next step in making the costume is to design the skirt. The best way to design the shirt is to shorten the old pair of pants to the length you desire and then to cover it in leather scraps. The pants will be significantly tighter once covered, so it is recommended that you use a pair of pants that is one or two sizes too big. You will have to cover any belt loops, but you can redesign the pants to still have pockets. If the pants are still too big to wear after covering it with leather, then you may have to glue your own leather belt loops around the rim of your skirt (use a decent amount to sustain the belt). Finally, once your skirt is covered in leather, embellish it by adding more leather scraps that protrude downward to your knees, for a more realistic look.
Finally, once you have both the pads and the skirt, put on your sandals, and you are now ready to face the world as a gladiator!
General guidelines:
Check with the host of the event before bringing any sort of weaponry to your event. Even a wooden sword can be considered dangerous.This costume is best worn indoors or in warm weather.If you wear this costume and took your time making it, you will likely get many compliments. It is normal for people to stare at you when wearing this costume.If you want to get into character, learn the gladiatorial oath: "I swear to be burned, bound, beaten, or die by the sword in pursuit of honor in the arena."
If you are interested in Roman Gladiators in general, be sure to check out http://theromangames.net/ for anything gladiator related.
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