After spending the last few years trick-or-treating as a dog, cat, giraffe and monkey, my 5-year-old daughter is finally breaking out of her animal costume rut. This year she’s making a bold statement by trying to scare candy from complete strangers dressed as a man-eating dinosaur (a.k.a. The tyrannical lizard king from the “Land of the Lost”).
Don’t let the padded claws fool you; she means business.
After looking at the price of the green fleece costume I did consider making my own, but then I remembered that I barely have time to brush my hair in the morning, so forking over money to Toys R Us was a no-brainer.
If you have the time (and the inclination) you can save a bundle by making your child’s Halloween costume from everyday household items.
Here are some ideas that will help make your daughter the belle of any Halloween ball:
Mother Nature: Use an old skirt, some tights, a turtleneck and a vest as the base of the costume. Attach silk flowers and silk leaves in a variety of shapes and colors to the skirt and vest. Then, collect some twigs from your yard to create a bird’s nest. Purchase a cheap foam bird from your local craft store and place him in the nest. Next, wire or hot glue gun the nest on your daughter’s turtleneck. Embellish the rest of the costume with peat moss, leaves, and flowers.
Japanese Doll: Pick up a kimono or other Asian print polyester dress at a swap meet, and then paint your daughter’s face white. Add rouge on her cheeks and dark red lipstick on her mouth. Place her hair in a bun and secure with chopsticks. Add a pair of slippers and she is ready for trick or treating.
Miss America: Use an old bridesmaid’s dress or other formal dress that you don’t mind parting with. Add a pair of gloves, a tiara, some sparkly jewelry, glitter nail polish and heels. For the banner use a piece of wide white ribbon, and write “Miss America” down the center with glitter glue.
Old Woman: Find an oversized dress and add a few holes to it. Attach some patches and hike up the hem to reveal droopy knee high stockings and fuzzy bedroom slippers. Add a large black purse and a messy wig to complete the look.
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