Guide
Painting on the train? With a few tricks you can be relaxed and creative
by Stefanie Lechthaler
I upcycled parcel filling material into a failed Wrecking Ball costume
16/10/2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Stefanie Lechthaler
Sometimes, there’s more to a package than just filler material. I made myself a Halloween costume from the leftovers. And what a result.
Looking back, I understand my friends’ puzzled reactions when I told them about my DIY costume project. «Are you insane? It’ll take forever,» they warned me. And they were right. Only, I wouldn’t realise that until later.
For an upcoming Halloween party, I really want to dress up in a Wrecking Ball costume famous from Miley Cyrus’ iconic music video. And since my last delivery came with a massive load of filling material, I took the opportunity to use the paper padding for my craft project right away.
Materials
Besides the brown paper padding, I used a large balloon, wallpaper paste, a scalpel, acrylic paint, lots of newspaper, an old pillow, an elastic strap and a beige onesie. Pretty Harlem Shake-esque, that last one.
1. Cutting strips
In preparation, I spent an evening cutting up all the waste paper with scissors. In hindsight, I’d have cut wider strips at this point. I definitely didn’t do myself any favours with my skinny ribbons.
2. Inflating the balloon
Luckily, I had a spare balloon; the first one burst at two-thirds capacity. I inflated the second one using a pump without any problems. Once at the right size, I put it in a bowl and fixed it with painter’s tape. A bucket and a more stable foundation would also have proved useful in retrospect.
4. Pasting, part two
The next day, I realised my patience was wearing thin. My first coat was dry after twelve hours. So, I cut the paper into much wider strips. Lo and behold, a few hours later, layers three, four and five were already stuck to the ball.
5. Brushing and painting
I waited another three days until the paste dried to paint the balloon. For this, I mixed black and white gouache paint. Acrylic would probably be more water-resistant, but I couldn’t find it at home. I painted over the cardboard twice, all in all.
6. Getting the ball Halloween-ready
When the paint was dry too, I popped the balloon inside my wrecking ball and enlarged the bottom hole. I noted the right spot on the opposite side and used a scalpel to cut out a second hole for my upper body.
7. Miley’s legs
I first removed the head from my full bodysuit with scissors. That’s where mine will go, after all. Then, I made a small cut in the back. This allows me to slip into the one-piece through the wrecking ball at the back. I filled the legs with polyester wadding from a cushion I found at a second-hand store.
8. Elastic suspenders
Since I wanted to have my hands free at the party and didn’t want to carry the ball around, I attached rubber suspenders to the ball. To do this, I cut out four triangles with a scalpel and threaded two elastic straps through each, knotting them together after. Behold, a wrecking ball you can wear like a pair of trousers.
9. Two become one
As soon as the grey ball was at the right height, I pulled the bodysuit over my upper body. The wrecking ball and I merged together.
And I had to laugh.
Not exactly perfect. But hey, the costume’s charming precisely because of its wonkiness. And maybe it is just a little creepy. Good enough for me.
Header image: Stefanie Lechthaler
Painting the walls just before handing over the flat? Making your own kimchi? Soldering a broken raclette oven? There's nothing you can't do yourself. Well, perhaps sometimes, but I'll definitely give it a try.
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