How to Dress Up As Santa Claus

Put on some bright red pants.

Wear black shiny boots. Tuck your trousers into your boots so you can show off the white fluffy trim on your boots. If you do not have a pair of black boots, some boot covers will do.

Add padding. If your belly does not quite wobble like a bowl full of jelly, you can bring it up to Santa's standard by adding some padding. Tie with a bow on both sides.

Add a jacket. Put on a red jacket to match the trousers. The furry borders around the sleeves and the hood keep Santa warm on a cold Christmas Eve. Of course, if Santa is doing the rounds of the Southern Hemisphere, make sure the jacket is lightweight so Santa does not overheat.

Belt up. Add a wide black leather belt with a gold buckle over your jacket. This should be quite tight so your belly slightly spills over it.

Make it realistic. If you are wearing long sleeves under your jacket, make sure they are completely hidden and tuck them up out of sight. You should also take off your watch if you are wearing one unless it is authentically in Santa's style.

Grow a beard or wear a fake one. You have the suit right, but you probably still look a little too young to be Santa. If you do not have a real beard already or the time to grow one, wear a fake white beard and moustache. The elastic should sit at the back of the head near your crown or around your ears. Fix your beard so you can see your mouth just below your mustache.

Add white hair. Wear a wig of wavy white hair to go with your beard. You should be starting to feel quite jolly around about now.

Wear glasses. Santa is a very old man, so his eyesight is not what it used to be. Wear some half moon spectacles at the end of your nose. Do not push them too high up your nose so that you can peer over them and look down at children who come to see you with bright, happy eyes.

Put on a hat. Put on a bright red hat with white fluffy trim. Hold the rim at the front and slide the back over your head. Let the pom pom dangle down at one side over your shoulder.

Add gloves. To complete the look, slip on some gloves to hide any signs that you are not the real Santa.

Practice the ho ho ho. Finally, put your hands on your belly or rest them on your belt buckle and let out your best "Ho ho ho!"