| "body"> | | | | pair of pantyhose and artificial flowers. |
| Let's face it, not everyone can afford to spend a lot of | | | | And from this kitchen table costume, another one was |
| money on elaborate Halloween costumes, especially if | | | | born--the jack-in-the-box. It uses the same 'box' |
| you're living on a fixed income. Likewise, not everyone | | | | concept and originality. I simply took a box, decorated it, |
| can afford to spend a lot of time making them either, | | | | and attached it to my son with suspenders (can use |
| especially those without sewing abilities. Wouldn't it be | | | | elastic as well). On one side of the box I fashioned a |
| nice if you could create your own costumes with little | | | | handle. He wore dark sweatpants and a regular |
| time or money invested? Well you can. In fact, there | | | | long-sleeved shirt that I attached ruffles to. I painted his |
| are numerous costume ideas that can be created | | | | face to mimic that of a joker. |
| yourself for next to nothing. Better still, there's little or | | | | A few years back, my kids decided that they wanted |
| no sewing involved. All you need is a little imagination | | | | their costumes to match. We looked around the house |
| and some creativity, something most of us already | | | | and soon enough found ourselves with a cowboy and |
| have tucked away somewhere inside us. And if for | | | | an Indian. For the cowboy, my son donned a cowboy |
| some reason you don't have it, I'm sure the kids do. | | | | hat and boots, a western shirt, blue jeans and a denim |
| An interesting way to come up with ideas for | | | | jacket. All of which we already had. To accessorize |
| costumes is to keep a trunk or box somewhere | | | | the look, I tied (loosely) a red bandana around his neck |
| handy and fill it with miscellaneous items. This can help | | | | and fastened the holster (complete with toy guns) |
| spark the imagination. For instance, load it up with old | | | | around his waist. Once again, these were items that |
| clothing, fabric of varying lengths, pantyhose, fashion | | | | we already had on hand. |
| accessories, artificial flowers, pipe cleaners and other | | | | My daughter, of course, was the Indian. Her costume |
| craft supplies, aluminum foil, yarn, old sheets or curtains, | | | | was also something we had just lying around. I took an |
| etc. Nearly anything can be used. Instead of traditional | | | | old brown pillowcase and cut a v-neck hole in the |
| Halloween bags for candy, use other items related to | | | | bottom that was large enough for my daughter's head |
| your costume and store them in the 'imagination box.' | | | | to fit through. I then cut two more holes in either side |
| For example, you can implement items such as old | | | | for her arms. I hand-stitched designs around both the |
| pocketbooks, pillowcases, garbage bags, baskets, | | | | neck line and bottom of the 'dress' and with a pair of |
| doctor's bags, small backpacks, or even diaper bags. | | | | scissors, I carefully cut slits along the edges to give it a |
| Ever since my kids were old enough to participate in | | | | frilly look. If you don't sew, that's ok; you can easily use |
| trick-or-treating activities, I have made their costumes. | | | | fabric paint to decorate the dress instead. To set off |
| Once Halloween approaches, I begin asking them what | | | | the dress, my daughter wore braided pigtails with a |
| they would like to be. Then I scour the house and our | | | | feathered headband around her forehead. The only |
| box of goodies to find whatever I might already have | | | | item I purchased for this was a pair of moccasin |
| on hand, making a list of the items with which I need. | | | | slippers from the dollar store. To hold all their candy, |
| Generally, these few items can be purchased at the | | | | my son carried a pillowcase 'loot bag' while my |
| local thrift shop or dollar store so there usually isn't too | | | | daughter used an old harvest basket lined with an |
| much money invested in the project. | | | | orange towel. |
| For safety reasons, I prefer to use make-up or face | | | | Ever had the option of dressing up for work with the |
| paint as opposed to masks. You can easily make your | | | | most original taking first prize? This one worked for |
| own out of food coloring and corn starch. This is not | | | | me. Once again, I borrowed the idea from my mother, |
| only safer than using masks, but it's also cheaper, | | | | giving it my own twist--a tomato plant. For this |
| easier to apply, and comes off just as easily with mild | | | | costume, I wore a dark green leotard with green hose |
| soap and water. A simple cream can be made with | | | | and slippers. I found a dark green table skirt and simply |
| one part corn starch and two parts food coloring to | | | | cut out holes to allow me to both slip it over my head |
| create the desired shade for your costume. Apply to | | | | and run my arms through. I pinned some green artificial |
| the face with your fingers just like foundation. And with | | | | leaves onto the leotard and table skirt along with little |
| a few drops of red food coloring and a little corn | | | | tomatoes made from Styrofoam balls that were |
| syrup, you have home-made blood for those ghoulish | | | | painted red and topped off with green stems (you can |
| costumes. | | | | also use tomato pin cushions found in craft stores). I |
| One year my daughter went as a witch. It isn't as | | | | finished it off with a green beret full of leaves. By the |
| difficult as you might think to come up with creative | | | | way, I took the prize. |
| ways of putting this outfit together. In fact, they can be | | | | I have found balloons to be quite useful for costumes; |
| as easy or difficult as you can handle. For the witch | | | | however, they should only be applied to those of older |
| ensemble, I simply used a tattered black dress and a | | | | children or adults. Once again, safety is important and |
| witch's hat my daughter already had. I mixed up some | | | | balloons tend to pop easily and small children can |
| green face paint and added a wart with an eyeliner | | | | accidentally try to eat the balloon pieces. Balloons are |
| pencil. For her hair, I used some fiery, red-orange yarn | | | | inexpensive and come in a wide variety of shapes, |
| that I attached to the hat with Velcro. Add a small | | | | colors, and sizes. You can create one-of-a-kind |
| broom and there you go. | | | | costumes with hardly any work involved. Imagine a |
| Another year, she was a butterfly. The butterfly was | | | | bunch of grapes (like that from Fruit-of-the-Loom). |
| fashioned together by cutting a pair of wings out of | | | | Choose a purple sweat suit or leotard and attach |
| some cardboard, which I decorated with multi-colored | | | | purple balloons carefully with small safety pins. Add |
| pieces of felt (you can also use aluminum foil and | | | | some ivy vines and top it off with a matching hat full |
| decorate with sequins, glitter, etc.). The body of the | | | | of ivy leaves. This could also be used for other berries |
| butterfly consisted of nothing more than a black sweat | | | | as well with appropriate colored sweats and balloons. |
| suit; however, a dark-colored leotard should work just | | | | For instance, you could try raspberries, strawberries, or |
| as well. Wings can be attached in whatever way is | | | | blackberries. |
| easiest for you. They can be sewn onto the back of | | | | Then again, why not go out as Mr. Bubble? Wear |
| the sweatshirt or fastened with elastic bands fitted | | | | white and use some white balloons to instantaneously |
| around the child's arms. You could also try using Velcro | | | | become soap suds. Accessorize with a scrub brush |
| for felt-covered wings. This not only sticks to the felt | | | | and a hat or bag made up of bath materials such as |
| but to the shirt as well. Add an antennae headband | | | | sponges and empty shampoo, bubble bath, or soap |
| and, if desired, some face paint. The headband can | | | | containers. When you apply balloons to any costume, |
| either be purchased from the dollar store for a couple | | | | however, try not to put any on the backside. This could |
| bucks or put together yourself using an ordinary black | | | | make it difficult to sit down. |
| headband with black pipe cleaners attached. | | | | Other interesting costume ideas might include a |
| I transformed my son into a lively jack-in-the-box one | | | | scarecrow using denim bib overalls, a plaid or flannel |
| year. This idea came about through my own childhood | | | | shirt, rope or twine for belt, a straw hat, gloves and |
| memories. My mother also made a lot of our | | | | boots. Stuff all the pockets with straw. Turn an old |
| costumes growing up. Aluminum foil would incredibly | | | | sheet into a ghost. Create a hobo from some old |
| become a tiara, a wand, or antennas. Lacy curtains | | | | clothes and add a hat. Paint the face with a five |
| would suddenly become flowing gowns. Her creativity | | | | o'clock shadow and fashion an old hankie to a stick. |
| was amazing, and one costume in particular stood out | | | | What's autumn without leaves? Use a dark-colored |
| above all others--a kitchen table. She had taken a | | | | sweat suit (with hood) and pin silk leaves all over it. |
| simple cardboard box, cut out a hole in the bottom, and | | | | Walk around carrying a rake and gather candy in a |
| slipped it right over my head. After draping a tablecloth | | | | leaf bag. |
| over the box, my protruding head became the | | | | Remember, a little imagination can go a long way; and |
| centerpiece with a carefully placed 'hat' made from a | | | | best of all, it's free to use. |