Ever since I can remember, the question of "what to be for Halloween?" has always been a very important one. When I was growing up, I was lucky enough to have a mom that made all my costumes at home on her sewing machine. Back in the 80's, the store bought costumes just didn't cut it.. remember those pathetic plastic smocks with a cartoon logo on them with matching crappy thin plastic masks that went with them? I remember the highlight of September was going to the fabric shop, and looking through the huge pattern catalogs and picking out what costume my mom would make for me that year.
Now that I have my own kids, I still get excited to come up with their costumes. I usually, don't have to sit at my sewing machine and create something from scratch. Now the store bought costumes are pretty legit. Although, I try to encourage them to be something original, that can't be bought off a rack, to spark their creativity. We usually hit our local thrift store and fabric/craft stores to get the supplies to "make" our own costumes from "half-scratch."
When Shaylee was 4 she decided she wanted to be a "Fairy Butterfly Princess." So we found, some butterfly print thermal pjs, some off the rack butterfly wings, and I made her a tutu out of tulle from Hobby Lobby, also I found a little beaded, bendable butterfly that I fashioned a princess crown out of. She was so cute, and the only "Fairy Butterfly Princess" at her pre school's costume parade.
My kids' have had many costumes that we created like this one, but we've also bought some right off the the Target racks. This year to my dismay, my 4 year old son, Will, insists on being a Red Power Ranger, lucky for me I found a red ranger costume for very cheap at a kids consignment sale. Shaylee's costume will be much more fun to come up with though, this year she wants to be Kathy Beth Terry, Katy Perry's nerdy alter ego. My favorite costumes always have seemed to be the ones we've pieced together ourselves. What are some of your favorite Halloween costume memories?
My mom sewed me a "Princess of Power" costume. Kind of like She-Ra. I'm an eighties kid too, and my mom always made my costumes. Good memories, must be why Halloween is my favorite holiday as well!
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