Now that cosplay convention season is just around the corner, you may be scrambling to come up with a unique and budget-friendly costume idea. If you’re a fan of the cartoon classic The Smurfs, then why not dress up as one of those lovable blue creatures this year?
Smurfs are a great low-cost character that works for a person going alone or as part of a group as there are so many smurfs in the show. Additionally, Smurfette is another great option if you want to turn it into a couple of costumes. We had so many requests for this, that we created a separate guide on how to cosplay as Smurfette on a budget.
What You’ll Need to Cosplay Play as a Smurf
- Blue Shirt
- Blue Facepaint
- White Hat or Baseball cap
- White Pants
- White Gloves (Optional)
Character Background: The Smurfs
The Smurfs were a group of small, blue humanoid creatures that lived in the forest. They were led by Papa Smurf, and their main enemy was Gargamel, a human wizard who wanted to capture them so he could extract the Smurf essence and use it for his evil spells. The Smurfs also had several other adventures, including encountering a group of lost humans in the forest, facing natural disasters, and meeting other fantastical creatures. They were always able to overcome these challenges through the power of teamwork, friendship, and love.
How to Find the Perfect Blue Shirt to Cosplay as a Smurf
This is a perfect option for someone who wants to do costume cosplay. Most people will have a solid blue shirt in their closet and this will work whether you want to use a pullover shirt like a sweatshirt or a button-up shirt.
If you are going to buy a shirt, I would focus more on getting a bright blue. The official color is called “Smurfy blue” and the hex code is #4695D6 if you’d like the reference it.
There are plenty of shirts on Amazon if you do a search for “smurf blue colored shirt” Here’s a link to our favorite shirt (link)
How to find the perfect blue facepaint to cosplay as a Smurf
The first thing you need to do is decide what brand of face paint you want to use. There are a lot of different brands out there and they all have their pros and cons. After trying out a few different brands, I found that Mehron Makeup’s facepaint is the best for cosplay purposes. It goes on smooth and it doesn’t smudge or rub off easily. Plus, it’s affordable!
Once you’ve decided on a brand, it’s time to choose a shade of blue. This is important because you want your face paint to look as close to the real thing as possible. I would recommend using a light blue or baby blue color. One aspect I like about Mehron’s Makeup is that it comes in 41 different colors that are each packaged individually. This is a huge plus for me as once I learn how to apply this brand, it’s much easier just to use it for all the cosplays rather than switching brands for each new character.
Finally, make sure to buy hypoallergenic face paint. This is important because some people are allergic to certain ingredients in face paints and you don’t want your cosplay experience to be ruined by an allergic reaction.
How to find the perfect white hat to cosplay as a Smurf
If you’re looking to buy a hat, then you can search for “White Gnome Hat” and this will produce a huge number of results. The blue hats range in price from $7 to $21 depending on the quality you go for; however, the main purpose of this guide is to help you create the costume on a budget. Therefore, I don’t suggest you go out and spend that much money unless you want to wear the costume multiple times.
Instead, you could buy a white knitted beanie. This could be worn for cold weather for regular street wear outside of buying something specifically for a costume. Another option is to buy some yarn and knit the beanie. My wife had been knitting for 20 years, and she could make a hat like this in about half an hour.
Ironically, when I priced the material it was more expensive to buy the yarn and knit the hat compared with buying a premade hat, it cost more. So if you’re truly on a budget then the premade beanie is the way to go.
Another option is to use an old white pillowcase and cut it in a cone shape. You can measure the diameter of your head and you’ll make it just a tad bigger so that you have room to sew it up. This is a fairly quick project if you know how to do basic sewing. Also, if you don’t have old pillowcases lying around your linen closet, you may want to check the odds and ends section of your local craft store. They will often have pieces left over that they sell for very cheap.
When I was in elementary school, my parents would give me $10 for my birthday and let me buy whatever fabric I wanted out of this bin for projects. This can be a great bargain as the stores just want to recoup some of the costs from products that they’d normally need to toss in the garbage.
How to find the perfect white pants to cosplay as a Smurf
When it comes to finding the pants for the smurf cosplay, we have three main options:
Check local thrift stores – One great way to find affordable white pants is by checking your local thrift store. You might have to sift through a lot of other clothes to find what you’re looking for, but it’s worth it if you can find a pair of pants that fit well and are comfortable to wear. Plus, thrift store shopping is environmentally friendly—it’s a win-win!
Buy a pair of white jeans or trousers online – If thrifting isn’t your thing, don’t worry—you can also buy a brand new pair of white jeans or trousers online. There are plenty of retailers that sell both men’s and women’s clothing, so you’re sure to find something that fits well and looks good. Just make sure to read the reviews before you make your purchase!
DIY your own pair of pants – Finally, if you’re feeling crafty, you can always make your own pair of pants from scratch. This option is more time-consuming than the other two, but it’s also a lot cheaper. Plus, you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you made your costume completely from scratch!
How to find the perfect white gloves to cosplay as a Smurf
The white gloves for a smurf costume are optional. I strongly recommend against using any form of paint on your hands when you are going to a convention. I’ve had friends that touched merchandise in the vendor area and left paint residue on it.
After seeing these experiences, I made a rule that I would never, ever wear paint on my hands or arms at a convention.
One of my favorite tips is to use the yellow rubber kitchen gloves and then color them to fit the cosplay. This is another perfect use for them. You can get 3 pairs of these gloves for less than $6, and one thing I like is their oversized nature. They show up from a distance.
If you are using these gloves for the smurfs, you want to paint them white with some spray paint and let them dry for a few days outside. After they still should be pliable enough to wear comfortably. Also, the gloves are too long for traditional smart gloves and instead of cutting them, I prefer to roll the cuff inside. This will make the cuff pop out much like the original cartoon.
If you’re not interested in painting the gloves, I’d suggest checking your local grocery store. Some of the better-made gloves will have a white interior. If you find a pair like this, you can turn them inside out and just wear them that way to avoid the need for painting.
All that being said, the gloves are optional. You can have a recognizable smurf outfit without the gloves as long as you have the hat, blue shirt, and white pants.
Conclusion
No matter how you choose to cosplay as a Smurf, we hope that our guide will help make your experience a fun and affordable one. We wish you the best of luck in creating your perfect Smurf costume, and we can’t wait to see all the amazing photos from this year’s conventions!
Remember cosplay conventions are about having fun. You don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars to enjoy your time there. With a little creativity, you can put together an amazing costume without breaking the bank.
We hope you enjoyed our guide on how to cosplay as a Smurf on a budget.
If you’re looking for more budget characters, we’ve dedicated an entire section of our website to cosplaying on a budget.
Finally, if you choose to dress as Smurf, we’d love to see your picture. Please send us a message on Twitter @FancyMasks or tag us in the photos. Each month, we pick some of our favorite cosplay outfits to highlight on our site.
