playing dress up

Halloween approaches.

Are you making a costume this year?

I’ve  suffered through long nights of taping and sewing and painting and hot-glue-burning-my-fingers and cursing (and drinking!) and hunting through the junk drawer at three a.m. because darn it, that doo dad would be perfect, and it’s around here somewhere….

And I’ve bought costumes off the rack. The problem is that as cute as the ones may be that you can pick up at Zellers, after all the sweat, blood and tears you put into making one, you can feel pretty cheesy not making one.

So hunt up a few websites, sit and think for awhile, and GO FOR IT – you may be surprised at what you can do!

Most kid costumes are adaptable to adults, so I’m going to talk about kids’.

First, what materials do you have on hand? Balloons? Tape? Aluminum foil? A hot glue gun? Boxes, packing material, plastic cups or paper plates? Markers, paint, garbage bags, newspapers? Buttons and ribbon? Almost anything can be used to help make a costume, so scour the pantry and the craft drawer before you buy anything.

Caught for a last minute idea? Try one of these:

Quick ideas – Dress your kid in a sweatshirt and tights or sweatpants. Blow up small balloons and tape to shirt and pants. If you use all green or purple balloons, LOOK! It’s a BUNCH OF GRAPES! Make a small hat out of paper or use a stocking cap and attach a few paper grape leaves and a small brown paper bag, twisted into a ‘stem’.

On that same vein, try brown pants and a green top, add a few red balloons scattered over the top, make the same hat without the leaves and just the stem and have your child hold the biggest, reddest apple you can find –LOOK! It’s an APPLE TREE!

Green pants, green shirt? Cut petals out of craft foam, glue to a headband and the collar of the shirt. Look! A DAISY!

Does your young’un have a set of matching sweats? Give them a set of ears (headband, bandanna, or a simple string around the head that ties under the chin tarted up with construction paper) and a tail in the same colour, and turn them into almost any animal. Paint the child’s face with face paint and add a few props, and voila!

Or use a black shirt/pants set and use colored electrical tape to make a road down the fronts. Glue on a few broken dinky cars and make a STOP sign for your little one to hold and HEY! That kid is a HIGHWAY!

And don’t forget the value of your closet and the tickle trunk for ideas. Pirate? Motorcycle man? Doctor? Clown? Fairy/Princess? Cowboy? Hippie? Hobo? Skier? Swimmer? Butcher, baker, candlestick maker?

Anything you build with boxes is going to take awhile. I’ve fought with boxes myself (pause for a minute while I have a flashback about the truck my son wanted to be a few years back) and all I can say is…it will take longer than you think. Always.

But the results? Can be magical. And the grins on their faces? So worth it.

Whatever you decide, it’s wonderful to see your creations on Halloween night.

Have fun!

Now, I'm off to go survey my stock of boxes and duct tape - Cass has decided he wants to be a Transformer this year, and I'm in for some long nights! Coffee and Kahlua, anyone??

After all, they shouldn't have all the fun, right?

Comments

[Mouse]

I enjoy making some or all of the costumes, for myself when I was teaching and now for my son. But last year and now this year, he wants to wear the astronaut suit we got him for dress-up play. And as busy as I've been, I'm ok with the break.

(And I totally did the flower idea when I was teaching. I wore a green dress, brown tights and shoes, used crepe paper to make a big yellow flower with a bee attached, wore green tissue paper leaves around my neck. It was easy and allowed me to get in and out of costume easily.)

[Sarcasta-Mom]

My parents ALWAYS made our costumes, and I'm pretty ashamed that I've always bought my kid's costumes off the rack. This year, I'm going to try to give it my best crafty effort and actually MAKE costumes this year. Wish me luck!

[kerry]

Some of my best memories are of my mum making our costumes every year...Once I was a daisy and my little brother a bee. I'm hoping to be that creative/insane/motivated once my little one is ready for his first!
Great post!

[Karen]

Oh, please. As soon as my daughter told me what she wanted to be this year (Lava Girl), I went online and found someone else to make the costume. Best money ever spent!

[Athena]

I would like to do this but feel my efforts might look amateur. But then again, so many store bought costumes look cheap and tacky.

[Woman in a window]

Never mind the doo-dads, I've been searching round here for a child that will cooperate. Now, I know I saw one last year. Now where did I leave that cooperative kid?