There are three things in life that I have promised my mommy self that I will always do for my children: 1) breastfeed as long as I am able and as long as they want; 2) make their birthday cakes myself; 3) give them homemade Halloween costumes.
While I’ve been extremely successful with the breastfeeding promise, I can’t say my cakes have been as wonderful. But the costume thing hasn’t been too shabby!
Just because I am committed to homemade Halloween costumes, though, doesn’t mean I slave away for weeks beforehand, pulling all nighters to get everything just right. While some go for the full-on, true to life, extravagant, over the top costume (like my own amazing mommy who created glorious Halloween costumes year after year for my sister and me), I prefer to go more “abstract”. I like to get the essence of the costume without consuming my children in fluff and fur.
Not only has my method created some super, super cute holiday creations but it’s a lot easier and takes a lot less time. I focus on one main piece and then fill around with regular clothes and/or accessories.
Honeybun’s first Halloween I took her to a costume party at the dance studio where I was teaching. I decided to make her a bumble bee and myself a flower. My mommy helped make a little yellow bubble dress which we adorned with black rick-rack trim. I made wings out of a circle of net that I scrunched in the middle and a headband out of elastic and black pipecleaners.
Sugarplum’s first Halloween, Honeybun wore the bunny costume my mommy had made for my sister that I wore as well as all my cousins. I decided to go with a theme and make Sugarplum a flower. I constructed a sort of upside down tutu with green tulle and leaves underneath a purple bubble top. I put her in matching leggings and onesie and made a flower for her tiny bit of hair.
Doodle’s first Halloween (last year) we went with a bug theme and he was the spider. I got him a brown and white striped sleep-n-play and also bought the matching receiving blanket. I cut the blanket and made tubes for the extra legs and attached all 8 legs together with ribbon so when he flailed all the legs danced around.
Honeybun’s second Halloween she was only 15 months old and being a late talker only had a few words which included “mum-mum,” “daaaad,” and “mooooo!” So naturally, she was a cow. I made her a jumper out of cow print and my sister (of JJ’s Custom Crochet Critters) made the hat for her. Sugarplum also wore the cow for her second Halloween though she required a white shirt layered underneath (the Dublin climate versus Florida!)
Our first Halloween back in Florida, Honeybun decided she wanted to be a ballerina. I had made her a tutu (tutu instructions here) the year before when she was a funny dancing bunny (using the same bunny costume she wore when Sugarplum was a flower). So I used the same tutu, and embellished her a cheap-o leotard, then added her ballet tights and a play tiara.
That same year, Sugarplum was an “escargot!” since she had latched onto the French word while Honeybun was in French school in Dublin and we all thought it was just tooooo cute! For the shell, I made a tube out of the fabric which I stuffed with fluff then rolled up and attached to a simple vest. Paired with a coordinating shirt and leggings plus a few pigtails and she was the sweetest little snail ever!
Last year produced my most favorite costume EVER: Sugarplum’s lady bug. I made her a simple black tutu (gathered net onto black bloomers) and a polka-dot peplum (from a princess dress pattern). She wore it with a simple black leotard and craft store antennae and she still wants to prance around in it!
