Dad Wins Halloween by Building 7-Foot-Tall Groot Costume to Make His Daughter Happy

Tim Burket's daughter is obsessed with Guardians of the Galaxy, so when it came time to plan for Halloween, he didn't just buy a costume — he built one. Specifically, he built a seven-foot-tall Groot costume. He'll accompany his three-year-old daughter Amelia Grace (who's dressing as Rocket Raccoon, naturally) for trick-or-treating, along with his wife, who's dressing as Gamora. We're not sure if we've seen a more adorable family costume!

Let's talk more about that impressive Groot costume — how did he even make it happen? With a ton of handy work, for starters. It took Tim about 302 hours to build the seven-foot, eight-inch Groot costume using materials he already had. To make himself taller, he wore stilts, and to make the costume more breathable, he installed a fan inside. Oh, and he didn't procrastinate — he started months ago. Tim told ABC News, "We started in July. After I'd get off work and we put her to bed, I would go back out to the garage shop in the backyard and I'd be out there from 8 p.m. to 11 or midnight." Now that's dedication!

On Oct. 13, Tim posted a "home stretch" photo taken at hour 300 of the project as he began putting the finishing touches on the face. As for deciding which Guardians characters to be for Halloween, there was no question for Amelia Grace. "She really likes Rocket, so she kept telling us, starting in June, 'I'm going to be Rocket for Halloween," Tim told ABC News. Although he contemplated channeling his inner Chris Pratt and dressing as Star Lord, Tim's daughter said, "'No Daddy, you gotta be Groot. That's Rocket's best friend.'"