Oscar the Grouch Costume
Bring Sesame Street's favorite trash-dwelling grouch to life with this guide.
Oscar the Grouch is Sesame Street's famously cranky, trash-can-dwelling green monster. People love dressing up as Oscar because of his hilariously grumpy attitude and highly recognizable look. This costume features shaggy green fur, a metallic-looking trash can, and his signature unibrow.
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Time
- ~45 min
- Budget
- $40–120
Try it on
See yourself as Oscar the Grouch
One clear photo of yourself; we render you in this costume — face untouched, full body, about 20 seconds.
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What you need for a Oscar the Grouch costume
Short on time? Buy it ready-made
Spirit Halloween sells the complete Oscar the Grouch costume — one box instead of 6 pieces.
Green shaggy faux fur hoodie
A bright green, long-pile faux fur zip-up hoodie to mimic Oscar's messy fur.
DIY: Glue green tinsel or green yarn fringe onto a plain green sweatshirt.
Pop-up silver trash can
A collapsible fabric or lightweight plastic silver trash can with the bottom cut out.
DIY: Paint a large cardboard box silver, draw vertical ridges with a black marker, and add shoulder straps.
Thick brown unibrow
A large, bushy brown faux fur unibrow strip to capture his signature expression.
DIY: Cut a curved strip of brown faux fur or felt and attach it to a headband or directly to your forehead with spirit gum.
Large cartoon eyes
Two large white ping-pong balls or felt circles with black pupils.
DIY: Draw pupils on two halves of a plastic foam ball and glue them to the hood of your green jacket.
Scram! sign
A small cardboard sign that reads 'SCRAM!' in messy, hand-painted black letters.
DIY: Tear a piece of cardboard from a shipping box and write 'SCRAM!' on it with a thick black marker.
Green pants or leggings
Simple kelly green pants or leggings to match the green fur upper body.
DIY: Use any plain green sweatpants you already own.
Rather not assemble it? See ready-made Oscar the Grouch costumes at Spirit Halloween ↗
How to put it together
- 1
Put on the green pants and the green shaggy faux fur hoodie.
- 2
Step into the bottomless silver trash can and pull it up to your waist, securing it with suspenders or resting it on your hips.
- 3
Attach the large cartoon eyes to the top of the hoodie's hood so they sit just above your forehead when the hood is up.
- 4
Apply the bushy brown unibrow directly above your eyes using skin-safe adhesive, or attach it to the rim of the hood.
- 5
Carry the cardboard 'SCRAM!' sign in one hand to complete the grouchy persona.
- 6
Practice your best scowl and prepare to tell everyone to scram all night.
Makeup & hair
Keep your hair tucked under the hood. If any hair shows, spray it with temporary green hair color. No heavy makeup is needed, but you can add a touch of dark eyeshadow under your eyes to look extra tired and grumpy.
Oscar the Grouch for couples, groups, kids & more
- couples
- Pair up with someone dressed as Slimey the Worm, Big Bird, or Elmo.
- group
- Form a Sesame Street group with friends dressing as Bert, Ernie, Cookie Monster, and Abby Cadabby.
- kids
- Use a green fuzzy hooded jumpsuit and a soft, fabric-based silver bucket around the waist for safety.
- Plus size
- A loose-fitting green fleece poncho paired with a wide, flexible pop-up hamper painted silver works excellently.
- pet
- A green fuzzy dog sweater paired with a small, lightweight silver bucket hat.
More ways people search for this costume
The most-searched variations of “Oscar the Grouch costume”, and how this look adapts to each.
Diy oscar the grouch costume
- Skip the store: Glue green tinsel or green yarn fringe onto a plain green sweatshirt. Paint a large cardboard box silver, draw vertical ridges with a black marker, and add shoulder straps. Cut a curved strip of brown faux fur or felt and attach it to a headband or directly to your forehead with spirit gum.
Tips
- Make sure the trash can has comfortable shoulder straps so your hands remain free to hold drinks or candy.
- Keep the trash can flexible; a rigid metal can will bump into walls and make sitting down impossible.
- Wear comfortable walking shoes under the trash can, as it will hide your feet from view anyway.
- Stay in character by playfully telling people to 'Scram!' when they ask for photos.
Oscar the Grouch costume FAQ
- How do I make a cheap DIY Oscar the Grouch trash can?
- Use a pop-up mesh laundry hamper, wrap it in silver duct tape or spray-paint it metallic silver, and cut out the bottom so you can step through it.
- Was Oscar the Grouch always green?
- No, Oscar was actually orange in the first season of Sesame Street in 1969 before turning green in season two.
- How do I keep the trash can from falling down?
- Attach two gray or clear suspender straps to the inside rim of the trash can and wear them over your shoulders under the green hoodie.
Did you know? Jim Henson decided Oscar should be green after visiting a resort in Canada where the trash cans were painted a bright green color.