Make Halloween Holiday Work: Last-Minute Costume for Kids

How to Make an Emergency Last-Minute Costume
By Terri Mauro, About.com Guide


So your child decides at the last minute that he wants to go trick-or-treating after all. Or that her storebought costume is itchy and too uncomfortable to wear. Or that he forgot to tell you there's a pageant tomorrow, and he's in it. You have no time and no special materials to put together a costume, but a costume is quickly called for. Here's how to assemble something homemade, makeshift and slapdash that you can call a costume and that your child will tolerate. Now get going! Quickly!

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: As much or as little as you have
Here's How:

1.First, a mask. Print one out from sites like Jan Brett's, Terminix, or Star Wars, or use markers or crayons to turn a paper plate into a scary monster face. Cut out eye and nose holes as needed. You can punch holes in the sides of the mask, thread a string or rubber band through, and tie it around your child's head, but some kids don't like the feeling of mask against face, and it will probably just fall apart anyway. Try the options in the next step instead.

2.How to wear that mask? Here are three options: Glue or tape it to the front of a paper bag and put the paper bag over your child's head; dangle it by a piece of string from the front of a sweatshirt hood or a cap; or glue or tape it to a ruler or a long thin stick and let your child hold it in front of his face (glue or tape a paper mask to something stiffer first, like the front of a file folder or a piece cut from the side of a cereal box.)

3.If your child has clothing that can work with the mask to create a costume, you're done! Brown shirt and pants makes a bear, black makes a cat, grey makes a mouse or a robot or the Tin Man. Your child's not that color-coordinated? Then you'll need some sort of tunic. Go on to the next step to find out how to fake one.

4.Assuming you have no tunics lying around the house ready for service, try one of these: a garbage bag with holes cut out for head and arms; a pillow case with holes cut out for head and arms; a beach towel with a hole cut in the center for the head; even a long piece of butcher paper or sturdy gift wrap, with a hole cut in the center for the head and a scarf or piece of ribbon to tie it around your child's middle.

5.Finally, decorate the "tunic" with as much imagination and creativity as you have time for. Depending on what you're working with, you can glue construction paper on the tunic, draw on it with crayons or markers, or attach all manner of feathers and sequins and buttons and shoelaces and what-all.

6.Now, stand back and admire that costume. It may not win any prizes from judges or the judgmental, but it's homemade, it has sort of kind of a theme, and it was crafted with love. Take a picture. Then start strategizing for next year, because you know this is going to happen again.

What You Need:
•Paper or paper plate for making a mask
•Cardboard for gluing paper mask to, if needed
•Ruler or long thin stick for gluing mask to, if needed
•Crayons and markers, if needed
•Construction paper, feathers, sequins, shoelaces, other add-ons (optional)
•A "whatever works" attitude (essential)

MY THOUGHTS

come on! get going! there's still time.

Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas for Teens

Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
Sunday October 25, 2009
By Holly Ashworth, Teen Advice Guide

Halloween is just a couple of days away! If you still haven't come up with a costume yet, try one of these easy-peasy costumes that won't require you to shop much further than your own closet:
•Wear a bathing suit, shorts and flip flops, put a towel around your neck and sunblock on your nose, and go as a lifeguard.
•Wear your regular clothes, cover your face in grey makeup and spray your hair so it's all messed up, and go as a zombie version of yourself.
•Make a toga out of a bed sheet and go as an ancient Roman.
•If you've got a friend with totally different style than you, swap clothes and go as each other.
•Wear all black, paint a black nose and whiskers on your face and go as a black cat. You can make a simple cat ear headband out of construction paper.
•Wear your fanciest dress, make a sash out of a strip of white fabric, buy a cheap tiara and go as a beauty queen.
•Wear torn jeans and a t-shirt, tie a bandana to the end of a stick and go as a hobo.
•Wear a robe and fuzzy slippers, roll your hair in curlers and go as a housewife.
Got any other ideas, or just wanna share what you'll be going as? Leave a comment! .


MY THOUGHTS

go ahead and try any of these. then have fun.

make your own halloween costumes

Make Your Own Halloween Costumes
Free, Creative Costume Ideas and Patterns
By Sherri Osborn, About.com Guide


Costumes are a big part of most people's Halloween celebrations and Halloween will be here before you know it. Do you have any idea of what your Halloween costume will be?
If you have your Halloween costume picked out already, share your ideas with everyone using this form! If you are still trying to find Halloween costumes, give some of these creative ideas a try; find easy and inexpensive homemade costumes for everyone! Don't forget about the Family Crafts Halloween Costume Photo Gallery... You can submit photos of your costumes to be included by following these simple directions

First of all, if you waited until the last minute to figure out what costume you will wear, check out these ideas:


•Fast and Simple (Last-Minute) Costumes

You can make Halloween costumes out of a variety of items you may already have at home:


•Cardboard Box Costumes

•Sweatsuit Costumes

•Thrift Store or Recycled Costumes

You can also select a Halloween costume to make based on how it is made. I have two different listings:


•Costumes to Sew

•No-Sew Costumes

If you prefer to browse through all the costume ideas by theme:


•Animal and Creature Costumes

•Edible Items Costumes

•Inanimate Objects Costumes

•People Costumes

•Popular Characters Costumes

•Scary Characters Costumes

•Unique Halloween Costumes

•Costumes Based on Children’s Books (from Liz @ Children's Books)

If you need a costume for more than one person, consider some of these suggestions:


•Costumes for Couples (long list)

•Costumes for Couples (by category)

•Costumes for Groups (long list)

•Costumes for Groups (by category)
Finally, if you have your costume picked out, but a need to add a special finishing touch, try some of these:


•Make Your Own Costume Accessories

•Halloween Make-Up Ideas and Recipes

•Making Masks

•Make Your Own Trick-or-Treat Bag

MY THOUGHTS

can't imagine myself making these costumes. but i hope this helps those who need to make one. be creative.