Create a show stopping Beetlejuice Sandworm costume with bold stripes, creepy teeth, and spooky details. This is a creative DIY project that’s perfect for Halloween!

A person wearing a costume resembling a black and white striped worm with a large open mouth stands on grass, surrounded by leafy green trees. The costumes head features red lips and a pink tongue.

When planning for Halloween we love to binge watch our favorite, cult classic spooky movies. Beetlejuice is, of course, at the top of the list!

Hocus Pocus is a close second though – you should check out my hocus pocus dessert board, zombie pretzels and Sanderson sisters rice krispies!

Too busy to make this right away? Pin it for later! Pin this post to your favorite board on Pinterest and it will be there when you’re ready!

A large, striped black and white sculpture resembling a snake or worm stands upright on grassy ground. It has a jagged, open mouth with sharp red teeth and a horn, surrounded by tall trees.

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Every year my kids challenge me to create unique DIY costumes and this year was no exception! In the past we’ve made a Plague Doctor, Functioning Demogorgon Mask, Beeker Costume, Mario & Luigi Go Kart Costumes and a whole family of Angry Bird Costumes!

DIY Beetlejuice family costumes, Beetlejuice, Shrunken Head, Witch Doctor, Adam and Barbara Maitland.

We’ve made an entire DIY Family Beetlejuice Costume, Bob the Shrunken Head Guy costume and epic Barbara and Adam Maitland costumes! These were probably our favorite costumes to date!

What is a Sandworm?

A sandworm is a character from the Beetlejuice movies that is a giant, creepy creature that lives in an afterlife desert called Saturn. It’s kind of a mix between a snake and a worm, but way more terrifying—like it has sharp teeth, and it can be pretty aggressive.

You see it in the movie when characters are stuck in the weird desert dimension. The sandworms pop out of the ground and seem to be one of the biggest dangers there.

They’re hard to control, in the end, even Beetlejuice himself isn’t able to handle them easily! It’s one of those quirky Tim Burton-style monsters that sticks with you because it’s both freaky and bizarre.

A person in a creative costume resembling a black and white striped sea creature with an open mouth and sharp teeth, standing on grass near tall evergreen trees.

For some reason I have always loved the Sandworm. There is just something so iconic and fun about its features and black and white stripes! So, of course, we had to make it into a costume this year…

I have detailed every step of how to create this epic Beetlejuice sandworm costume. It’s fairly easy to create with the step-by-step tutorial, promise!

A person dressed in a black and white striped costume resembling a fictional creature with a wide open mouth and sharp teeth, standing outdoors in front of green trees.

Beetlejuice coles notes

Beetlejuice is a 1988 dark comedy directed by Tim Burton and produced by Warner Bros.
The Maitlands are a married couple that suddenly pass away and are trapped in their house.
A new family moves in and the couple tries desperately to scare them off.
They transform themselves with these scary faces but still have no luck.
Finally, they enlist in the aide of a poltergeist named Betelgeuse, played by Michael Keaton.
Drama ensues, “Beetlejuice” is banished and the Maitlands and family decide to live together peacefully.

A colorful, whimsical mask resembling a sandworm with a striped horn, sharp teeth, and red mouth against a white background. The cakes body is striped in black and white, with eye-like patterns and a playful, artistic design.

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Beetlejuice Sandworm Costume

Large round laundry hamper with handles, about 16-18″
Medium, tapered plant pot, about 10-12″
14-16″ wreath form
Sheet of foam poster board x 2
Wire clothing hanger x 2
Masking tape
Brown craft paper
White glue
Brick of floral foam
Scissors
Air dry clay
3″ Styrofoam ball
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Glossy mod podge
Two PVC poles about 12″ in length
Hot glue gun
Hot glue – lots!
Play tunnel

I found most of the craft supplies at our local Dollarama store but have linked similar materials on Amazon.

A white tabletop displaying a beige plastic basket, a black plastic container, two white foam balls on a circular wire frame, and two metal hangers. A wooden basket and shelves are visible in the background.

I have included photos along the way but if you have any questions at all be sure to drop me a message.

DIY Sandworm Costume

1. Gather all of the supplies. Be sure to have lots of masking tape and hot glue – this project uses a lot!

2. Cut mouth shapes out of the laundry basket and plant pot. Cut a hole in the bottom of the laundry basket about 8″ round. Use caution when cutting the plastic. I used heavy duty kitchen shears.

Black container with poster board attached to it on a white table.

3. Cut the wire hanger to form curves to elongate the lips of each mask. Hot glue these into place and then support and cover with poster board cut into a similar shape.

Laundry hamper covered in tape and poster board on a whote table.

4. Wrap each mask in poster board (if needed – I only wrapped the laundry basket) and use masking tape to fasten it all together. Press the wreath form into the center of the laundry basket to add a support that the smaller mouth will rest on. Use hot glue and/or masking tape to fasten it inside.

A white tabletop displaying two masks with large mouths covered in masking tape. A wooden basket and shelves are visible in the background.

5. Use the air dry clay to add lip and eye details to each mask. Cut the styrofoam ball in half and glue each half to the larger mask to form eyes.

Many clay teeth on a piece of parchment paper.

6. Create two sets of teeth, smaller 1″ teeth (about 30) and larger 2″ teeth (about 25) using the air dry clay. Allow the clay to dry overnight.

A white tabletop displaying two masks with large mouths covered in decoupaged craft paper.

7. Cover the masks in a layer of craft paper using a decoupage method of mixing 1 part white glue and 1 part water to create a watery paste. Tear the craft paper (newspaper works too!) into 1-2″ pieces and layer it over the masks with the glue mixture. Use the floral foam to shape a 8-10″ tongue and cover it in craft paper as well.

Two handcrafted masks are displayed on a table. The left mask is white with red spots and yellow eyes, while the right mask features black and white stripes with red circles. Two matching striped accessories lie in front of the masks.

8. Using acrylic paint, paint both the masks, teeth and tongue. Try not to paint the base of the teeth as the glue will adhere better without paint.

A simplistic black paper sculpture resembling a fin, standing vertically on a white surface. In the background, there are wicker baskets and wooden furniture.

9. Cut a fin shape from the poster board and a rectangle shape. Glue the fin to the rectangle and paint it black.

A black and white striped play tunnel is laid out on a tiled floor in a room with chairs and a small table nearby.

10. Paint the play tunnel with black and white stripes.

A person holding a slightly open flap of a black and white tunnel-like structure, showing its inner material. The structure appears to be made of fabric and is cylindrical in shape.

Finishing Details

11. Cut a slit in the top of the tunnel, place the fin in it and then use hot glue to fasten the fin in place. At this time you can try the tunnel on and cut an eye hole in the tunnel, opposite to the fin.

A close-up view of the interior of a large acoustic drum. The drumhead and circular structure are visible, with a white ring outlining the opening. The inner surface appears padded with a green foam lining.

12. Fasten the two PVC pipes into the laundry basket on the inside, equal distance apart through the holes with hot glue – these become handles to use while wearing the mask.

A sculpted mask designed to look like a sandworm with a large open mouth, sharp pointed teeth, red and white polka dots, and a striped black and white tongue sticking out.

13. Glue the smaller mouth into the center of the larger mouth. I used hot glue and later reinforced it on the inside with spray foam.

Close-up of two black and white striped cone-shaped objects, resembling teeth, set against a background with blue edging and red interior. The texture appears glossy, with visible adhesive.

Close-up of a colorful paper mache sculpture featuring sharp white spikes along a red and blue edge. The background shows black and white striped and red patterned parts of the sculpture.

14. Now glue all of the teeth and tongue to the mask. The large teeth go on the larger mask and smaller teeth on the smaller one.

Tip: use LOTS of hot glue on each tooth! We learned our lesson after making this Functioning Demogorgon Mask – tons of glue is key to having the teeth stay on.

A colorful sculpture resembling a stylized, open-mouthed creature with red spots, yellow eyes, and striped black and white patterns. The sculpture stands on a white surface in a room with a window in the background.

15. Finally, use glossy mod podge on the tongue, mouth, teeth and eyes to give them a shiny finish.

A colorful, handmade sculpture resembling a stylized shark with exaggerated features, including large red polka dots, sharp teeth, and big yellow eyes. The shark has a striped pattern on its body and sits on a table in a room.

Close-up of a colorful, painted sculpture featuring red spots, a large yellow eye, and numerous spikes. The surface is white with black and white striped patterns along the edges. The background is blurred indoors.

16. To assemble the sandworm costume you’ll need a helper. Carefully step into the tunnel, hold the mask through the base and pull the tunnel up over the base of the mask.

You can tape the tunnel to the mask if you want, but we didn’t find this to be needed.

A person stands on grass wearing a costume resembling a quirky, black-and-white striped creature with red eyes and a wide mouth, featuring a protruding red tongue and spotted details. Tall, dense evergreens provide a backdrop.

DIY Beetlejuice Sandworm Costume

Fun right?! Luckily we snuck in this photo shoot in between breaks in the rain today!

You can shuffle around in the costume but I wouldn’t recommend it for long walks and/or trick or treating. It would definitely win a costume contest though!

I hope that you love this Beetlejuice sandworm costume as much as we do. Be sure to check out all of the fun Beetlejuice inspiration all over the blog!

If you love this Beetlejuice Sandworm Costume DIY, please help me by sharing it on Facebook or Pinterest so that others can enjoy it too!

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Beetlejuice Sandworm Costume DIY

Create a show stopping Beetlejuice Sandworm costume with bold stripes, creepy teeth, and spooky details. This is a creative DIY project that's perfect for Halloween!

Active Time2

Yield:

Author: Heather Painchaud

Cost: 50

Materials

Large round laundry hamper with handles about 16-18″
Medium tapered plant pot, about 10-12″
14-16 ” wreath form
Sheet of foam poster board x 2
Wire clothing hanger x 2
Masking tape
Brown craft paper
White glue
Brick of floral foam
Scissors
Air dry clay
3 ” Styrofoam ball
Acrylic paint
Paintbrush
Glossy mod podge
Two PVC poles about 12″ in length
Hot glue gun
Hot glue – lots!
Play tunnel

Instructions

Gather all of the supplies. Be sure to have lots of masking tape and hot glue – this project uses a lot!
Cut mouth shapes out of the laundry basket and plant pot. Cut a hole in the bottom of the laundry basket about 8″ round. Use caution when cutting the plastic. I used heavy duty kitchen shears.
Cut the wire hanger to form curves to elongate the lips of each mask. Hot glue these into place and then support and cover with poster board cut into a similar shape.
Wrap each mask in poster board (if needed – I only wrapped the laundry basket) and use masking tape to fasten it all together. Press the wreath form into the center of the laundry basket to add a support that the smaller mouth will rest on. Use hot glue and/or masking tape to fasten it inside.
Use the air dry clay to add lip and eye details to each mask. Cut the styrofoam ball in half and glue each half to the larger mask to form eyes.
Create two sets of teeth, smaller 1″ teeth (about 30) and larger 2″ teeth (about 25) using the air dry clay. Allow the clay to dry overnight.
Cover the masks in a layer of craft paper using a decoupage method of mixing 1 part white glue and 1 part water to create a watery paste. Tear the craft paper (newspaper works too!) into 1-2″ pieces and layer it over the masks with the glue mixture. Use the floral foam to shape a 8-10″ tongue and cover it in craft paper as well.
Using acrylic paint, paint both the masks, teeth and tongue. Try not to paint the base of the teeth as the glue will adhere better without paint.
Cut a fin shape from the poster board and a rectangle shape. Glue the fin to the rectangle and paint it black.
Paint the play tunnel with black and white stripes.
Finishing Details
Cut a slit in the top of the tunnel, place the fin in it and then use hot glue to fasten the fin in place. At this time you can try the tunnel on and cut an eye hole in the tunnel, opposite to the fin.
Fasten the two PVC pipes into the laundry basket on the inside, equal distance apart through the holes with hot glue – these become handles to use while wearing the mask.
Glue the smaller mouth into the center of the larger mouth. I used hot glue and later reinforced it on the inside with spray foam.
Now glue all of the teeth and tongue to the mask. The large teeth go on the larger mask and smaller teeth on the smaller one.
Tip: use LOTS of hot glue on each tooth! We learned our lesson after making this Functioning Demogorgon Mask – tons of glue is key to having the teeth stay on.
Finally, use glossy mod podge on the tongue, mouth, teeth and eyes to give them a shiny finish.
To assemble the sandworm costume you’ll need a helper. Carefully step into the tunnel, hold the mask through the base and pull the tunnel up over the base of the mask.

Hello, I’m Heather!

I'm an active mom of twin boys who is always looking for opportunities to inspire creativity through fun crafts, do-it-yourself projects and delicious recipes. This blog has been an integral part of supporting my little family and I am so grateful to have you become a part of our journey! Let's create together... Read more...

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Lea

2 months ago

This is amazing!!! Great job! Do you have any other ideas on how to make the body? I can’t get my hands on a tunnel in time 😭

Heather Painchaud

Author

Reply to Lea

Thank you! Have you tried looking for used ones on Facebook marketplace? Alternatively you could buy a black jogging suit and paint white stripes on it with acrylic paint! Good luck 😊