- Look for white, blue or orange jumpsuits from a hunter's or sportsman's supply store or a uniform shop, or explore the workman's or painter's clothing section of a department store. If you can't find an appropriate suit or need to outfit a small child, look in your local fabric store for patterns such as a zip-up jacket and sweatpants made from orange fleece or a one-piece jumpsuit made from silver vinyl. If you're strapped for time or money, use a plain sweatshirt and matching pants and accessorize. Once you have the suit in hand, glue or sew NASA patches on the sleeves and front. You can find these in many stores or order them directly from NASA via thespacestore.com, or from Spacetoys.com. For the finishing touch, add a U.S. flag patch.
- Consider adding a jet pack or oxygen tank for a more authentic look. For the tank, run a small plastic tube (for air) to the back "tank," a blown-up oblong balloon or plastic bottle. Another option is to paint two soda bottles silver or white, duct=tape them together with silver or white tape and attach them to the back of the suit with Velcro or glue. You can also fashion a jet pack out of two Styrofoam wreaths cut in half; use Velcro to hold them together and attach them to the back of the suit.
Make a helmet out of a square box painted white or silver with a hole cut out in front for the eyes, nose and mouth, or use a plastic bucket instead. You can also take a plastic orange pumpkin and paint it white or silver before cutting out the face opening. For a simpler head covering, find or borrow a NASA baseball cap. For those truly strapped for time and cash, use a motorcycle or snowmobile helmet. For footwear, use winter or rubber boots, and don't forget gloves.
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