Rock Star Drummer Halloween Costume for the Wheelchair-Bound

Wheelchair costumes can be tricky for Halloween, but they can also be the hit of any party or neighborhood. This simple costume looks complicated and is sure to make your child feel like a rock star all night long. Be creative with decorating the wheelchair drum set and your child can be any drummer, any band or any genre of music they want. The materials are also cheap and fit into any Halloween budget.

Materials for the Bass Drum:

Hula Hoop
Duct tape
Strip of poster board or cardboard 14 by 100 inches
Large sheet of craft foam board or posterboard
Superglue
Metallic paper (gift wrap works well) or paint
Silver pipe cleaners
Cord or fishing line

Making the Bass Drum:

First, trace the inside of the hula hoop circle onto the craft foam board or poster board. Craft foam is thicker and works better. This is the inside of the drum, so white usually works best. Or let your child decorate the center with their drummer character's name or the name of their favorite band. Cut out the circle.

Tape the strip of 14-by-100-inch cardboard and make a circle around the hula hoop. Use duct tape to secure the cardboard around the edge of the hula hoop. Make sure the hula hoop is an close as possible to the side of the cardboard. It should make a 14-inch-rim stretching behind the hoop. Use as much duct tape at the seams as necessary to make it sturdy.

Next, take the white circle and place it inside the hula hoop at the rim. Secure it with thumbtacks through the outside edges of the cardboard or duct tape inside. Be sure to place the duct tape on the back of the white circle, inside the cardboard rim so you cannot see it from the front.

Cover the cardboard rim of the drum with metallic paper or spray paint it the color you want your drum to be. Use silver pipe cleaners and superglue them around the front and back edges of the cardboard rim. Glue vertical stripes between the rims all the way around the drum.

Securing it to the Wheelchair:

Your child's chair should have a removable tray fitted just for it. If not, try to purchase one and secure it to the chair. Place the drum so the open back faces your child's wheel chair. Push the bottom of the drum up under the foot guides on the wheelchair and make pencil marks where the sides and top of the bass drum are even with the tray. Cut a small hole on either side where it meets the tray and another hole in the top, center of the bass drum. String thin cord or invisible fishing line through the holes and tie the drum tightly to the wheelchair tray. If the drum sags to the floor, making it hard to move around, use duct tape to lift it up and secure it under the foot guides.

Making the Side Drums:

Two 1-gallon cylinder shaped ice cream cartons with lids.
Metallic paper or paint

Decorate the ice cream containers with metallic paint or paper to match the bass drum. Make sure to paint the inside of the top lid white for the drum head. Cut a slit in the back of each drum and stick it on the corner of the wheelchair tray. Use super glue to attach the side that touches the bass drum to the larger drum.

Making the Cymbals:

Two disposable foil pie plates
A long wooden dowel about three feet long and at least ½ inch thick
Rubber bands

Cut a small hole in the center of each pie-plate. Paint the dowel silver or black and secure it to the side of back of the wheel chair with fishing line or duct tape. Wrap a rubber band around the dowel where you want the bottom cymbal to sit. Wrap the band until it is tight and there is not extra slack. Slide the first silver cymbal down to the rubber band. A few inches above the first cymbal, secure another rubber band. Sit the top cymbal on top of it.

Make a tape of your child's favorite drummer rocking out. Drum solos from Neal Peart of RUSH, the Beatles or their favorite punk rocker work well. Duct tape a cheap cassette player inside the main drum so your child can reach it easily.

Dress your child in a white T-shirt, black vest and black gloves with the fingers cut out. Add some sunglasses and spike up his hair with gel. Or let your child mimic the clothes of their favorite punk rock drummer. Switch it up with a punk t-shirt, acid washed vest and green or blue spiked hair. Don't forget the drumsticks. As your rock star drummer rolls into a room she can press play on the drum solo cassette and rock out.