Halloween ideas.
August 30, 2010
I can’t believe we are starting to think about Halloween here. Well, maybe I feel like I should be thinking about Halloween with how long it takes me to get costumes done. I mean, every year I think valiant thoughts like, “This Halloween, I’m going to make my kid’s costumes!” And then I realize I have to start so far in advance to make sure that they get done. But, what to do about the last minute requests like, “Oh, I really don’t want to be a skeleton! I wanted to be a dragon!” And then my weeks of planning and sewing are in vain. Well, at least in my mind. I haven’t yet actually sewed one…I always end up procrastinating or thinking that my kids will keep changing their minds, and so we end up making last minute trips to the store. And I vow to not do that again!
So while I sit and stew over this dilemma that happens every year (do I make the costumes or let the children pick them out at the store), enjoy these cute pictures of Halloween past. Notice: no Sponge Bobs, Bloody Vampires or Hannah Montanas. Kinda wishing I could whip up something as wonderful as that European clown in a cone hat. Kinda darling.
What do you do for Halloween? Hand sewn? Online purchase? Cardboard box and taped toiletpaper rolls? Do share. I’m a bit terrified of procrastinating again!
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I make my girls’ costumes. I can’t bring myself to buy when I know that I can make something that means more and most of the time looks better and is less expensive than what you get off the rack!
We’ve done everything from hand/machine-sewn to putting together things in their dress-up corner, but we haven’t used recyclables yet, but this year we will and my youngest has the paper bag all picked out already, lol!
Oh thank you! I love that you’ve made all your own! I’m really more motivated to try this year…
One year I had honestly forgotten about Halloween (gasp!) and told my kids (ages 10 and 6) to figure out their own and they did an awesome job! The 10 year old created his own superhero buy wearing all red (Crimson Kid) and making a crown out of foil, and the six year old found an old soccer shirt and sweatband and decided he was a professional soccer player! It was great. Kids are so creative, let them decide and do it themselves so that if they change their minds they have to figure something else out!
Oh I love that! Nothing like the pressure of “Make do, or do without!”
Typically, I would agree with you. When my kids were younger I always made their costumes, but as they get older they tend to get pickier. I bought my daughter an Indian girl costume this year. Maybe I’ll have one more year of making my sons.
I loved that last picture. I ordered an old, old book last year from Ebay of Halloween costumes that look a lot like those and realized they were all made from crepe paper! Pretty cool I thought.
I usually whip something up but my girls are still too young to really have much of an opinion…we’ll see in the future!
Too fun!! I absolutely LOVE Halloween! It’s so fun to draw for Halloween, isn’t it? If only we could draw our kids’ costumes on paper and then tape them on?
My son changes his mind a lot too so I have to wait until the last minute to whip something up. Last year he was a “leaf elf” and the year before he was a chocolate chip cookie. This year so far he either wants to be a robot or an oreo cookie. Going to have to get him to decide if I’m going to make anything.
When my kids were little I usually came up with something either sewing it or putting together things we already had. One year I cut leg holes in a dry cleaning bag, blew up balloons and stuffed them inside and loosely gathered it around the neck (sounds dangerous, but my son was old enough to make sure it wasn’t tight) and he was a bag of jelly beans. I made a scarecrow outfit that my son wore one year and my daughter the next out of overalls and a flannel shirt. I cut felt to look like hay and glued it to the sleeves and collar, painted their face, and topped them off with a straw hat and felt crow. I miss the dilemma of preparinging a costume for them.
I let the lovely folks at etsy do the sewing for me! That way it’s the look of a hand- made garment , but the workmanship is far lovelier than anything I could create!
My wonderful Mom has made my children’s costumes for the past eight years! This year she is going out of town for a few weeks in Oct. so she requested that we choose so she could get them ready! She already has them finished! My daughter is going to be Laura Ingalls Wilder and my son is Willy Wonka! Fortunately, my children love that their Grandma makes their costumes but I don’t think it matters whether it’s homemade or store bought as long as the children LOVE it!