As Halloween creeps in on us, we are having the usual costume challenges at the Peterson home. Fortunately, the girls are all pretty even keeled, so there haven't been any hysterics or tears, but we've had to make some compromises. You see, unfortunately for my children, we are trying hard to stick to a budget which means homemade costumes. So all these great magazines with fun pictures of Superheroes, Princesses, and Action Figures are really nothing but torture devices for us. This whole situation is forcing me to be much more creative and crafty (making crafts, not being sneaky) than I've been in quite a while.
I am actually having fun planning these costumes, and I think we may be starting a new tradition. Crazy, right? I like to think it's crazy-creative! My girls will have unique costumes - how many Indian Archer Princesses or Roman Archery Princesses will there be marching around at school? Emily chose to be Katniss from the Hunger Games, so she will probably have company, but she will still have our own unique take on the outfit! They will get the fun of having creative input on their costumes as well as some hands-on experience. I can promise I'm not doing all the beading and fringing on Morgan's costume by myself!
This will be a great opportunity to teach my girls about being creative with a budget. They need to see that being on a budget doesn't mean you don't have fun - you just do it a little differently! They will also get to learn the enjoyment to be had in making something yourself as opposed to buying it off the shelf.
So, what does it take to create a do-it-yourself costume?
1. Try to have a picture of the costume in your head. The evil costume catalog has actually been a big help with this - Abby and Morgan pointed out what they wanted, and I set about figuring out how to make our own. I also got on the internet and did some research. There are several sites with excellent costume ideas and great pictures!
2. Raid their dress-up bins. You might be surprised at what can be re-purposed. We are re-using an Egyptian "base" dress from a costume used a few years ago for Abby's Roman princess. You can often find accessories to go with costumes, as well.
3. Raid your own closet (and your husbands)! Our Indian Princess dress is going to be one of Charles' brown Army t-shirts. It's the perfect size to be a dress on Morgan, and it will cost us nothing to fringe the edges and add some beads. Abby's shoulder drape will be one of my scarves.
4. Raid your kids' closets. Our kids can often use existing pieces of clothing as parts of their costumes. Emily is going to wear her own boots and black jacket to be Katniss. We will have to buy her a black t-shirt and some cargo pants to round out the costume. These are all things she will wear at other times, so the cost can easily be absorbed into a clothing budget. Last year, Morgan's Plum Pudding costume consisted of leggings and a purple shirt that she still wears today.
5. Have fun with it! Don't stress yourself out over it. Halloween is one night out of the year that really doesn't mean much in the scheme of things. The idea is to have fun with some dress-up and collect way too much candy. Don't let it get you down!
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