The squeaky green aliens from the claw machine are one of my favourite characters to sew, because the whole design is a handful of shapes that anyone can cut from felt. Lime green skin, three eyes, pointed ears, one curled antenna on top, a royal blue uniform, a purple collar and a space emblem on the chest. Get those right and nobody cares whether the base is a dress, a jumpsuit, a hoodie or a thrifted sweatshirt. That's also why they suit groups so well: the character is literally a crowd of identical little aliens. The thirty versions below go from classic to glam, cosy and last-minute, for adults, kids, babies, couples and big groups, and most of them need nothing more than coloured clothes, felt and one handmade headpiece.
A Three-Eyed Headpiece That Stands Up All Night
The headpiece is the costume. A blue shirt is just a blue shirt until the eyes, ears and antenna go on, so this is the one piece worth an evening of work. Here's how I build the version most of the ideas below use.
- Choose the base first. A snug beanie or fleece hat is the most stable, a cap works for older kids and adults, and a plain headband is the fussiest because it has to carry all the weight on two narrow points.
- Cut three eye circles from white craft foam, or felt for small children. I make the middle eye slightly larger and higher, the way the characters have it, so the face looks right from the front.
- Glue a smaller black felt circle on each for the pupil, offset a little toward the centre so the eyes look in the same direction.
- Fix the eyes on a short strip of stiff felt, not straight onto the hat, then stitch that strip to the base along its bottom edge. One stitched strip holds far better than three separately glued eyes.
- Cut the ears as long triangles of green felt with a pipe cleaner glued along the inside edge, so you can bend them out to the sides.
- Make the antenna from a pipe cleaner twisted round a pencil for the curl, with a small felt or pom-pom ball on the tip, and anchor its end through the base with a few stitches.
Before anyone wears it out, have them shake their head hard and bend over. If something flops, it needs a stitch, not more glue.
1. Classic Toy Story Alien Costume
This is the version to make if you only make one. A royal blue jumpsuit carries the space-pizza patch on the chest, with a wide purple collar and a matching purple belt. The headpiece is a lime green beanie with three foam eyes, pointed green ears and a pipe-cleaner antenna. A beanie grips the head far better than a headband does, which matters when there are three eyes stacked on top. Brush light green face paint or green eyeshadow over the temples rather than painting the whole face. Green gloves, lime tights or leggings and royal blue sneakers finish it, and a light cardboard claw is the prop. It holds up through a party, trick-or-treating or a school event.
2. DIY Toy Story Alien T-Shirt Costume
An oversized royal blue tee is all the sewing base you need, and you don't actually have to sew it. Build the pizza-and-planet emblem from yellow, red, blue and orange felt, wear the tee over bright green leggings, tie a purple ribbon at the waist and run a row of purple felt circles round the neckline. The headpiece starts as a green baseball cap with three white foam eyes, felt ears and a curled antenna; the brim also shades your eyes outdoors. Keep makeup to green eyeshadow, rosy cheeks and a little smile, and add green gloves and blue canvas sneakers. One warning from experience: hot glue peels off a cotton tee in the wash, so use iron-on adhesive or a few stitches if you want to keep the shirt afterwards.
3. Toy Story Alien Dress Costume
A royal blue skater dress makes a cute alien with room to walk and dance. Attach a removable space-pizza patch to the bodice and wrap a purple sash round the waist. For the collar, glue purple felt circles along a length of ribbon and tie it loosely at the neck so it sits flat rather than pulling. Opaque lime tights under the dress, blue Mary Janes or flats, and a green headband with three raised eyes, pointed ears and a springy antenna complete the shape. Soft green eye makeup with a bright pink lip looks finished without full paint. Add green wrist-length gloves and a small silver claw. Choose a dress with some cotton in it; pure polyester skater dresses cling to tights and ride up.
4. Toy Story Alien Tutu Costume
A tutu turns the uniform into a party shape. Start with a fitted royal blue top with a handmade planet emblem, a royal blue tulle skirt over lime green leggings, a wide purple waistband and a purple pom-pom collar. Make the three-eye headband from lightweight foam, with green felt ears and the curled antenna sitting between the eyes. Use green shimmer eyeshadow, black liner and pink blush, then green gloves and blue sneakers with purple laces. A small cardboard flying saucer is the prop. I use three or four layers of tulle, cut so the bottom layer is longest; a single layer collapses, and too many layers make it a ballet tutu instead of an alien. It's a good one for dance parties and costume parades.
5. Toy Story Alien Hoodie Costume
On a cold October night a hoodie is the smart base, because the hood becomes the alien head. Pick a royal blue hoodie, pin or stitch a removable space patch to the front and sew purple felt circles around the hood opening for the collar. Then mount three large foam eyes, pointed lime ears and a bendy antenna directly on the hood, so you don't need a headband at all. Stuff the eyes lightly with fibrefill and stitch them at the base, or they'll flop forward the first time the hood goes down. Wear green joggers or leggings with green knit gloves. When the hood is down, a little green eyeshadow and three dots above the brows keep the idea going. Blue high-tops, purple socks and a silver crossbody bag finish it.
6. Toy Story Alien Onesie Costume
For a long night, a movie night or a party where you'll be sprawled on a sofa, a onesie wins. Find a royal blue hooded jumpsuit or footless sleep onesie and add a purple felt collar, a matching belt and the space-restaurant patch on the chest. Three padded eyes, lime ears and a spiral antenna go straight onto the hood. Wear a green long-sleeve shirt under it so your wrists flash green when the sleeves ride up. Green face makeup is optional; a little shadow round the eyes is enough. Lime gloves and cushioned blue slippers or sneakers, plus a plush flying saucer rather than anything rigid. Fleece onesies get warm fast, so take the thinnest one you can find for an indoor party.
7. Toy Story Alien Overalls Costume
Royal blue overalls over a lime long-sleeve shirt give you a relaxed alien that's mostly real clothing. Attach a round space-pizza patch to the bib, tie a purple bandanna loosely at the neck as the collar, and roll the cuffs to show purple socks over green or blue sneakers. A lime beanie with three felt eyes, pointed ears and an antenna does the head. Keep the face mostly bare, with green eyeshadow and a small painted third eye in the centre of the forehead. Fingerless green gloves make it easy to hold treats and a phone, and a small metal bucket with a generic space symbol is the prop. Safety-pin the patch through the bib from behind and the overalls go back in the wardrobe with no marks.
8. Toy Story Alien Skirt Costume
This is the dressier alien, made from separates that look neat at an office party. A royal blue fitted sweater tucked into a matching pleated midi skirt, a felt pizza-planet emblem on the sweater and a wide purple belt at the waist. Lime tights carry the alien skin, and blue ankle boots keep the line clean. The headband should be structured: three light eyes, symmetrical pointed ears and one curled antenna. Graphic green liner, silver shadow and a soft pink lip are enough makeup. Purple bangles, green gloves and a round saucer-shaped handbag finish it. Match the sweater and skirt blue in daylight before you commit; two royal blues from different shops can be a full shade apart.
9. Toy Story Alien Jogger Costume
For a day on your feet, start from a matching royal blue sweatshirt and jogger set. Add a fabric planet patch to the sweatshirt and fix a purple felt collar round the neckline with sew-on snaps so it comes off for washing. A lime fitted layer underneath shows green at the wrists and neck. The headpiece is a green athletic cap with three foam eyes, felt ears and a short antenna; keep that antenna short, or it bounces with every step and starts to annoy you. Water-resistant green eye makeup holds up in the drizzle. Green gloves, purple socks, supportive blue running shoes and a silver drawstring backpack with claw shapes complete it. It's my pick for the adult on trick-or-treat duty.
10. Toy Story Alien Pajama Costume
Pyjamas make a sleepover alien in about ten minutes. A royal blue button-front pyjama set, a removable purple collar over the neckline and a space-pizza emblem pinned to the pocket. Lime socks, soft gloves and blue slippers with nonslip soles take care of the rest of the body. The head is a sleep-mask-style headband topped with three plush eyes, little ears and a short curled antenna. Skip face paint entirely, since it ends up on the pillowcase; green under-eye patches or a wash of pastel green shadow does the job. A silver saucer-shaped pillow or a claw-machine capsule cushion is the prop. It's made for a family movie night or a pyjama-themed party.
11. Glam Toy Story Alien Costume
Sequins and metal turn the cartoon uniform into a party look. Start with a royal blue sequin jumpsuit or long-sleeve mini dress, a purple satin belt and a collar of oversized purple gems or fabric circles. Lime tights and glossy blue platforms with a stable heel come next. For the headpiece, three crystal-trimmed eyes, slim pointed ears and a silver-wrapped antenna on a green headband. Blend emerald and lime shadow across the lids and paint a decorative third eye above the brows, then add green gloves and a metallic saucer clutch. Keep the chest emblem small and stitch it on by hand between the sequins; glue doesn't grip sequin fabric, and a big patch fights with all that sparkle.
12. Retro Toy Story Alien Costume
A royal blue fit-and-flare dress gives the alien a cheerful 1950s shape. Add a purple belt, circular purple collar accents and a handmade space-pizza patch near the shoulder. Let a lime green petticoat peek out below the skirt, matching green tights and wrist-length gloves. Wear the hair in a smooth ponytail or a short curled green wig, with a three-eye headband on top, small pointed ears and a spiral antenna. Winged green liner and pink blush suit the era. Blue low-heeled pumps or Mary Janes keep it walkable, and a silver round bag doubles as a flying saucer. If you're sewing the dress, a full circle skirt in a medium-weight cotton holds that retro swing better than a thin costume fabric.
13. Y2K Toy Story Alien Costume
The Y2K version mixes the alien palette with early-2000s shapes. A cropped royal blue zip jacket over a fitted lime tank, blue cargo pants and a purple utility belt, with a removable planet-and-pizza patch on the jacket. Space buns or a bright green bob wig sit under a narrow headband with three glossy eyes, pointed ears and a metallic antenna. Silver eyeshadow, green liner and glossy pink lips are the makeup. Finish with purple-tinted glasses, green fingerless gloves, chunky blue sneakers and a small metallic shoulder bag with stars. Space buns are actually the best hairstyle for an alien headband, since the band sits in the dip between them and stops sliding back.
14. Plus Size Toy Story Alien Costume
Plus size bodies deserve an alien that isn't a tight bodysuit. I'd start with a royal blue swing dress or relaxed jumpsuit with room to move, a purple stretch belt and a detachable felt space-pizza emblem. Lime leggings or tights and supportive royal blue ankle boots carry the colour down. The headband should be light, with three padded eyes, felt ears and a pipe-cleaner antenna, so it adds height without pressing at the temples. Use green shadow across the lids and temples with a small decorative third eye above the brows. Green gloves and a purple crossbody bag hold your essentials. Choose breathable fabric and secure decorations with stitching or fabric tape, since a stretch belt shifts and drags on anything stuck on with glue.
15. Maternity Toy Story Alien Costume
A maternity alien keeps everything off the waist. Choose a soft royal blue empire-waist dress or maternity jumpsuit and put a lightweight space-pizza patch above the bump. Put the purple at the collar instead of a belt. Lime maternity leggings give warmth and match green sleeves or gloves, and supportive blue sneakers or cushioned flats beat any heel. For the head, a wide green fabric band is much kinder than a hard plastic headband, with three soft foam eyes, small ears and a short flexible antenna. Gentle green shadow and rosy blush are plenty, and skip anything heavy if your skin is more sensitive than usual right now. Carry a little silver tote instead of a prop you'd have to manage.
16. Men’s Toy Story Alien Costume
Men usually do best with the plain workwear version. A royal blue coverall with the space-pizza emblem over the chest pocket, a wide purple fabric collar and matching belt, and a lime long-sleeve shirt underneath so green shows at the neck and wrists. A fitted green beanie holds three foam eyes, pointed ears and a coiled antenna. Paint the forehead and cheeks green, or take the lazier route with green sunglasses. Green gloves and blue work boots or sneakers finish it, with a cardboard claw or metal bucket as the prop. Coveralls are easy to find secondhand, and I'd buy a size up so a sweater fits underneath on a cold night.
17. Teen Toy Story Alien Costume
Teenagers want to look like themselves, just in alien colours. A royal blue varsity jacket over a lime tee, with a pleated skirt, relaxed jeans or cargo pants, and a purple belt or neck scarf. Put the space-pizza patch on with safety pins from the inside so the jacket survives for normal wear afterwards. Keep the headband low and small: three little eyes, green ears and a short antenna. Graphic green liner and one stick-on gem as the third eye do the face. Green crew socks, blue sneakers, a metallic mini backpack and a foam claw keychain round it off. It works for spirit week, a teen party or group photos, and it doesn't feel like a costume they were made to wear.
18. Kids’ Toy Story Alien Costume
Kids need to move, climb and get to the bathroom on their own, so I skip the one-piece suit entirely. A royal blue long-sleeve shirt and elastic-waist pants, a soft purple felt collar and a fabric space-pizza patch sewn on firmly. A green fleece hat carries three plush eyes, padded ears and a short antenna, with nothing hard or sharp anywhere near the face. Makeup is optional; green cheek colour or face-safe stickers are enough. Green mittens, bright blue nonslip sneakers and a silver candy bucket with claw shapes finish it, and the bucket is both prop and loot bag. Before you leave, have the child look up, down and sideways; if the hat's eyes block the view, push it further back.
19. Toddler Toy Story Alien Costume
With toddlers, everything should be soft and nothing should come off in their hands. Use a royal blue sweatshirt and pull-on pants over a lime cotton shirt, with a soft planet emblem stitched on, never glued, and a flat purple felt collar. The hat or hood gets embroidered or felt eyes rather than plastic ones, padded ears and a bendy fabric antenna. Skip full makeup; a dab of green face-safe colour on the cheeks is enough, if they'll let you. Green socks and blue hook-and-loop sneakers make dressing quicker. A plush flying saucer can be carried or clipped on. Toddlers tug at whatever is itchy, so I line the inside of the collar with soft cotton jersey.
20. Baby Toy Story Alien Costume
Babies are the easiest alien of all. Start with a comfortable blue romper or footed sleeper, a flat, firmly sewn space patch on the front and a soft purple collar that lies well away from the face. A lime cotton cap with three embroidered eyes, tiny padded ears and a short stuffed antenna gives you the whole character. No beads, no wire, no loose foam and nothing removable. Green mitt-style cuffs suggest the hands and blue booties finish the outfit. You don't need any makeup; the cap carries all the features. A plush saucer can sit nearby for supervised photos, but take it, and the cap, out of the crib before sleep.
21. Sibling Toy Story Alien Costume
Sibling aliens look better coordinated than identical. Put both children in royal blue tops with space-pizza patches and green leggings or pants, then let them differ: one in a blue tutu and purple belt, the other in blue overalls and a purple neck scarf. Each gets a green headpiece with three eyes, pointed ears and a curled antenna, and I vary the eye sizes or antenna curls so each alien has its own face. Simple green cheek makeup and blue sneakers for both. Matching silver candy buckets keep the claw theme going. Write each child's name inside their headpiece; they will be swapped, dropped and argued over.
22. Trio Toy Story Alien Costume
Three identical aliens is the look the films made famous. Give everyone the same royal blue base, whether that's jumpsuits, dresses or shirts and pants, with matching purple collars and belts and the space-pizza patch on every chest. Green tights or base layers, green gloves and blue shoes for all three. Make the three headpieces from one pattern, then adjust the fit for each head. Coordinated green eye makeup ties the faces together. Give each alien a different prop, one with the silver claw, one with a saucer bag and one with a metallic capsule. If you can, cut all three emblems in one sitting from the same felt so the colours match exactly.
23. Alien Friend Group Costume
A big friend group can turn into a whole crowd of aliens waiting under the claw. Ask everyone to wear royal blue with lime leggings, shirts or gloves; silhouettes can vary between jumpsuits, dresses, jogger sets and overalls, as long as every person has the matching purple collar and chest emblem. Everyone needs a three-eye headband or green alien hat with ears and an antenna. Agree on one green eyeshadow for the whole group and blue sneakers for walking together. Several friends carry silver capsule bags, and one holds a big light cardboard claw over everyone for photos. Then all say the line together. It's an inclusive theme, since nobody has to squeeze into a particular body shape to join in.
24. Couple Toy Story Alien Costume
A couple of aliens doesn't need two different characters. One person wears a royal blue dress with a purple belt, the other a blue jumpsuit with a purple collar, and both get the colourful space-pizza emblem, lime tights or base layers and green gloves. Make the two three-eye headpieces together, with pointed ears and antennas, and curl one antenna left and the other right so they mirror when you stand side by side. Similar green eye makeup and comfortable blue shoes for both. Carry matching metallic capsule bags or share one big silver claw. I like how this lets each person choose their own shape while still clearly belonging to a pair.
25. Alien And Claw Couple Costume
The claw-machine couple is the funniest pairing here. The alien wears a royal blue jumpsuit or dress with a purple collar, lime tights, green gloves, blue shoes, three raised eyes, pointed ears, an antenna and soft green makeup. The partner becomes the machine: a silver outfit under a light cardboard frame decorated with coloured capsules, and a padded three-pronged claw held above the frame. Keep the claw flexible and well clear of the face, and build the frame from corrugated card with the flutes running vertically so it stays rigid when you lift it. Silver sneakers and metallic makeup finish the machine. For photos, the claw stands behind the alien with the prop raised overhead.
26. Family Toy Story Alien Costume
A family of aliens works from adults down to a baby, as long as everyone shares the same core pieces: a royal blue base, purple collar, lime accents and the space emblem on the chest. Adults can wear jumpsuits or dresses, children shirts and pull-on pants, and a baby a soft romper. Each person gets a green headpiece suited to their age, with three eyes, ears and an antenna; foam for the adults, stitched felt for the little ones. Adults can wear green eye makeup and young children can skip it. Blue sneakers, soft booties or flats, metallic treat bags for parents and plush saucers for kids. I make the emblems for the whole family from one felt template in a range of sizes, which is the cheapest way to make it look planned.
27. Alien And Space Restaurant Group Costume
Mix the aliens with space-restaurant staff and the group gets more variety. The aliens wear royal blue uniforms, lime base layers, purple collars, three-eye headpieces and blue shoes. The rest wear red-and-white space-delivery shirts, matching caps, dark pants and sneakers. A generic planet-and-pizza emblem on both sides connects the two halves of the group. Aliens get green eye makeup, while staff need only their everyday face. Props can be empty pizza boxes, silver trays, metal capsules and one soft cardboard claw. Leave real food out if you'll be on the move for hours. This is the theme I'd suggest when half the group wants a full costume and the other half wants to wear a T-shirt and a cap.
28. Inflatable Toy Story Alien Costume
A mascot-sized alien is made for a parade or a big outdoor party. Pick a lightweight inflatable or padded lime green body with a royal blue uniform printed or attached over it, a purple collar, a large space-pizza emblem and roomy blue shoe covers. The head needs three clear eyes, pointed ears, a friendly smile and one curled antenna. If it's a separate helmet-style head, make sure there's a wide, clear viewing panel, because the view out of most of these is poor. Wear moisture-wicking clothes and supportive sneakers underneath, and skip makeup since no one will see it. Leave props behind if they affect your balance. Keep this one for open, well-lit spaces with a friend nearby to steer you through doorways.
29. Last-Minute Toy Story Alien Costume
When you have an hour, work with what's in the drawers. A royal blue tee or sweatshirt with blue jeans, joggers or leggings, a space-pizza emblem cut from coloured paper or felt and stuck on with removable fashion tape, and a purple scarf tied at the neck or waist. The head is a green paper headband with three white eyes, pointed ears and a pipe-cleaner antenna; staple the paper band to fit before you add the eyes, since that's the step people get backwards. Green eyeshadow, a small third eye drawn above the brows with face-safe makeup, and green gloves if you have them. Blue or white sneakers, and a kitchen colander wrapped in silver paper makes a flying saucer. It's quick and cheap, and it still reads well at an unexpected party.
30. Cold Weather Toy Story Alien Costume
For cold-night trick-or-treating, layer the uniform without burying the details. Start with a lime thermal top and leggings, then a royal blue insulated jacket and snow pants, a weather-resistant space-pizza patch on the jacket and a wide purple scarf at the neck. A green knit hat holds three fabric eyes, felt ears and a bendy antenna, and green mittens keep hands warm while carrying the colour. Keep eye makeup minimal so it doesn't rub off onto the scarf. Royal blue winter boots or waterproof hiking shoes coordinate from head to toe, and a silver reflective treat bag shaped like a capsule helps drivers see you. Felt eyes on a knit hat stay put in the cold, unlike hot glue, which goes brittle and lets go in low temperatures.
Making Eight Aliens Look Like One Batch
The joke of these characters is that they're all the same, so the bigger the group, the more the small mismatches show. A few habits keep a whole crowd looking as if it came out of one toy box.
Cut everything from one set of templates
One person traces the eye, ear and emblem shapes onto card and passes those templates round. Freehand eyes are always different sizes, and side by side the difference is obvious.
Buy all the felt and paint at once
Purple and lime felt vary a lot between batches. Buy enough for the whole group in one trip and hand it out, rather than letting everyone shop for their own.
Let the bases differ, never the details
People can wear a dress, a jumpsuit or a hoodie, whatever they're comfortable in. What has to match is the collar, the emblem and the headpiece, at the same height on everyone, since that's where the eye goes in a group photo.
The Claw Chooses, but You Choose the Base
Every version above, from babies to big groups, cosy layers to sequins, keeps the same short list of details: a royal blue base, lime green accents, a purple collar, three eyes, pointed ears and one curled antenna. Hold onto those and the rest is up to you and the people you're dressing. Hoodies and last-minute tees are as convincing as glam jumpsuits, as long as the headpiece is good. Use soft felt, light foam, stitched patches and shoes you can walk in, and pick the variation that suits the event. A costume you can move freely in is the one you'll still be enjoying at the end of the night.
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