Halloween costumes can be a creative exercise
Published: 10/25/2012 1:30 PM
Last Modified: 10/25/2012 1:27 PM
A bat and a zombie girl get ready to go trick-or-treating.
Last year we had a Weeping Angel (don't blink!) and a valley girl.
Their choice for costumes can offer a great picture of where their heads are at that time. When they were little, the girls were drawn to animals and fairies, but as they grew they began to embrace the scarier aspects of the holiday.
My girls are encouraged to start thinking about their costumes by early October -- if not sooner. This year my 8-year-old knew what she wanted to be by summer. We saw "Brave" when it was released, and that's all she needed. I bought a wig for her Merida costume and put it away quickly because those curls could easily end up in a big tangled mess, just like the hair on most of her Barbie dolls.
My daughters have dressed up in a variety of costumes over the years, mostly handmade. My mother is a fantastic seamstress, and when we give her enough time, she can whip out some pretty creative outfits -- including Merida's green dress this year. The makeup is usually my department.
We've used sweatsuits as the basis for many different outfits, such as a bee (black stripes sewn on yellow sweatshirt and sweatpants with the cutest little stinger ever!), a dog (white hoodie with black patches and black ears sewn on), as well as a bat and spider (both of which started with black sweatshirts and sweatpants).
One of the advantages of sweatsuits is that they can keep trick-or-treaters warm in unpredictable Oklahoma weather.
The girls have also gone as a vampire (with a black cape that we've used a couple of times), a zombie (ripped up old clothes splattered with fake blood and a kit for making scars), a valley girl (complete with some of my '80s jewelry) and a Weeping Angel (yes, that is a "Dr. Who" reference -- we are big fans).
Making the costumes ourselves allows us steer the girls away from inappropriate looks. Sexy monsters? No thank you.
Some of my favorite costumes as a kid were the bride of Dracula (a black cape over my First Communion dress) and a gypsy. One year in college I dressed up in a black business suit, borrowed a fedora and stuck a "PRESS" card in the hat band.
What are some your favorite Halloween costumes? Did you buy them off the rack or did you make them?
Written by
Colleen Almeida Smith
Staff Writer
