I am no Martha Stewart by any means, but there is that small little part of me that likes going the homemade route on certain things … like birthday cakes and Halloween costumes. Maybe it’s the side of me that wants things to be just perfect and sometimes the store-bought version just doesn’t stack up! Plus, often it can be a lot cheaper!!
Two years ago my son wanted to be Mickey Mouse for Halloween. I was amazed how hard it was to find an authentic looking Mickey costume. And the ones I did find were just BAD! So, the crafty side of me thought “how hard can it be to just make one”? We had certainly seen enough episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse that I could picture him in my sleep! Turns out – it was not hard at all, and I must admit, I was pretty dag-gone proud of how it turned out (see picture)! All I needed was a black turtleneck (Wal-Mart, $3), some old khaki shorts that I died red (Rit die, $1.50), a hot glue gun and white felt “buttons”, a pair of black tights (Wal-Mart again), and a pair of oversized slippers that I got on sale at Old Navy and spray painted yellow. Then I found some white kid gloves (costume store, $5) and some Mickey ears (that was the tricky part – I actually had a friend that was going to Disney that week! Got lucky there!!) And there you have it – authentic Mickey Mouse!
The next year, Jake wanted to be a Pirate. Again, every store-bought pirate costume I came across was just cheap-looking, cheesy, or the Pirates of the Caribbean version where he would have looked like every other kid on the block. So, off to Wal-Mart I went again. This time I came home with some black pants, shiny black shoes, a big clunky woman’s belt that I trimmed down, a pirate bandana, and the best was the vest … I found a crinkly red sleeveless shirt on sale in the women’s department for next to nothing. So I bought an extra small and trimmed off the collar and glued down the top (like a hem around the neck), took off the buttons and cut off the bottom to fit him better. Add a pirate hat, hook and sword; pin a fake parrot to his shoulder – and Voila! Pirate Jacob!
This year, he wants to be Superman, complete with fake abs and everything. Not sure I am THAT crafty, so we are going store-bought this time around. Which I actually think it will be hysterical to see my skinny little guy decked out in a muscle shirt! Now I just need to figure out how to make a cute little ladybug costume for my 4-month old. (I‘m thinking black onesie, black tights and attach a couple of red wings with black felt dots …)
With the big day only a week away, I’m sure most of you have already squared away your costumes for this year. If you’re still pondering what you’re little ones will be, or can’t seem to find that perfect must-have costume, don’t be afraid to make your own! I am not typically a Wal-Mart girl, but I’m telling you – that is the place to go for good deals and all kinds of things to get creative with! Plus, it’s never too early to start thinking about next year – Share your super smarty tips on how you came up with your own creative creations. Happy Halloween!
3 comments
If you are looking for some cute butterfly or ladybug wings the dollar store has several colors. They have several other “dress up” items as well.
Those are awesome! I love making costumes too, but this year my 6 year old wanted to go, “made in china”, so we bought a Boba Fett one piece deal from Party City. I’m still going to make one for my 19 month old though–either a crayon or fairy!
You could also make her some cute antenna using a baby head band, pipe cleaner and felt dots. It would be great if you could find a red onesie and add red dots! Good luck and post a pic!