Halloween officially kicks off the holiday season. Once Halloween arrives, you know Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years are right around the corner. Which means time off to spend with family and friends, homes warmed by fires, melt-in-your-mouth recipes, decorating, holiday lights, plugging in the holiday lights for the first time, candles, Holiday music, everything pumpkin and peppermint flavored, and.. and... can you tell my co-workers refer to me as the holiday cheermeister? Now that Halloween is in the near future, the big question arises... What to wear? Halloween can be pretty expensive, especially if you have more than one child to dress. It can also be a game of coordination, which is always fun. Whether you are coordinating with your spouse, family, best friends, pet or maybe all of the above, there are always options. Keeping an eye on the weather may help you make your decision. Then again the weather, at least around here, is so unpredictable it could be anywhere from 60s - low 40s. Designing and completing a costume with your kids can be such a great experience, turning into a tradition. Allowing kids to have to freedom to pick the colors, and put their own spin on a costume is way more fun than picking one off a shelf at the store. I think the best part about it is having the freedom to think outside the box. I have put together a list of some of my favorite, and totally do-able, DIY Halloween costumes. You don't have to be a seamstress or an art professor to make these costumes, trust me!
1. Commercial fisherman
This costume is easily doable right out of your kids closet. My favorite part about this Halloween costume is the fishing pole because this is something you and the kids can do together. There are a couple ways to create this costume. There is the "on the boat fisherman" and an "on the shore fisherman". Really, the only difference is the yellow rain coat for the "on the boat" fisherman. For both costumes you will need:
- Khaki pants or shorts
- Tall rain boots/any type of dark boot.
- Suspenders
- Fishing pole. If you don't have a fishing pole, no worries! You could make your entire pole out of cardboard, string, and paper for the fish. By cutting the cardboard to the shape of a rod and reel, you can punch a hole at the end to attach your string that will tie to your paper fish. Whether they want to catch Nemo, or a great white, this is completely up to them.
- Rain jacket (optional)
2. Surfer dude
This one is by far my
favorite costume idea. Not only is it easy to make, but inexpensive and what kid doesn't want to be a surfer? All you need is:
- Zinc sunscreen on the nose and cheeks. (substitute: white makeup/paint)
- Rash guard (substitute: White plain t-shirt with surf designs drawn on them.)
- Board shorts (substitute: pair of inexpensive shorts you don't mind drawing on. All you need are fish, sharks, waves or just designs)
- Flip Flops (substitute: any shoes you know your kid won't mind walking around in)
- Surf board (substitute: card board or poster board, cut and design your own surf board, shark bite optional.)
Surfs up!3. Sebi, the Surfing Spoon
If you have eaten the best frozen yogurt on the beach, then you have been to Surfin Spoon in Nags Head. From the cutest front door, to the greeting you hear when entering, to all the money stuffed in the ceiling for Surfing for Autism, this is one heck of a place. What better role model than Sebi the Surfing Spoon for a Halloween costume idea? Here is what you need: - Coral long sleeve with a hood
- Coral long pants (Possibly Hanes brand from Walmart)
- Black felt for the eyebrows and eyes on the hood
- Surfboard (substitute: cardboard painted and cut in the shape os a surfboard)
- Black shoes
Sebi didn't have the ocean first growing up, so he learned to shred his way around town on his skateboard. No worries though, this can be a shredtastical walk around the town without a board too! 4. Sea Creatures of the Atlantic
We all love and look forward to swimming in the ocean once we arrive on the Outer Banks. Even though we all like to try to forget, there is a lot going on under the surface of our waters. Our ocean is home to many animals. What better way to remember family vacation than by being a family of sea creatures? There are plenty of animals out there but some of my favorites are dolphin, sea turtle, shark, and octopus! Here are the materials you will need:Sea Turtle
I know when I was a kid I always dreamed of surfing the EAC and waxing my shell. With Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movie just recently coming out, this might also be a hot topic this Halloween. All you need to add is a brown belt around the shell to hold the nunchucks and pick your ninja mask color, and you've got a Mutant Ninja Turtle! - Dark green long sleeve hooded shirt
- Dark green long pants
- Back pack - stuffed (solely using for the straps for the felt to wrap around)
- Light brown, light green, and dark green felt (all to make the shell surrounding the back pack) Light brown for the underside of shell and the light green and dark green to make the top of the shell design
- Brown or black shoes
- Eyes for gluing onto the hood.
I know when I was a little girl, pink was my favorite color and I had always dreamed of being a sea turtle... So a pink sea turtle is what I had my vision set on. By golly, I thought I was the cutest pink sea turtle to hit the streets! Dolphin
Everyone loves being on the beaches of the Outer Banks and spotting a family of dolphins swimming through. That is one occurrence that can make everyone stop right in their tracks, stretch their arm out as far as they can, to point and take in the sights of these graceful creatures for a moment. Everything you need is right here: - Grey hoodie
- Grey sweat pants
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Grey felt(or any other type of fabric) to make the fin and flippers
- Stuffing for the fin and flippers (Can always take an old pillow apart that isn't used anymore)
- White fleece to sew the front of the hoodie to make the white stomach of the dolphin.
- Eyes to glue onto the hood.
Shark
This is just as easy as the dolphin besides adding one major distinction between sharks and dolphins. Sharks are known as the vicious and scary creatures of the sea, so we can't forget the jaws and teeth that make them appear that way.Now the fins will be different shapes but the same idea applies: cut it, stuff it, sew it, add it. All the extra you will need for the shark vs. dolphin is: - White and red felt to make the jaws of the shark. Gluing this on the hood, circling the face, it will show the neighbors exactly what kind of creature is ringing their doorbell.
Octopus
I love this costume. Not to mention how easy it is to do, it's equally as adorable. This costume is completely open to your kid's imagination. Whether they want a blue, purple, red, or white body, it will be perfect! - Hooded sweatshirt any color they choose and a couple sizes bigger than normal.
- Long pants/ shorts any color they choose
- Any comfortable walking shoes preferably black, brown, or you can match the color of your kids octopus body.
- Any additional makeup you would like to add for all your creative moms and dads out there.
- Stuffing - whether from an old pillow, extra plastic grocery bags, all will do the trick.
- Limited sewing capabilities to sew legs together and later attach them to the belt.
- Fabric paint or feltfor designs on the shirt, pants, and legs. (optional)
In order to make the legs, leave the sleeves the way they are, but cut upwards from the bottom of the sweatshirt all the way around. You will sew them together in groups of twos to make the legs, so be sure to cut the right amount. You can make the suction spots out of felt or fabric paint.5. Pirates
Arrrgh, we all have heard the stories of how the pirates used to run these waters surrounding the Outer Banks. From Blackbeard to Jack Sparrow himself, pirates are one of the coolest costumes out there. These are always fun! Maybe you can practice your pirate voice while making it. Here are a couple items you will need: - Red/maroon pants. Cut the bottoms to make the costume as rugged as you choose.
- Black knee high socks
- White long sleeve shirt
- At least 2 belts. One belt to hold each sword. Of course you need more than one sword, c'mon it's Halloween!
- Sash
- Eye patch
- Swords!! Grab some cardboard or poster board, markers, paint and carve the sword of all swords to guard all of your treasures!
These are just a handful of my favorite, optional do-it-yourself, costumes. I picked these because I know, if given the challenge, I could create them. I'm no seamstress that's for sure, so if I can do them, you can too. Halloween begins the holiday season and usually the general consensus around the holidays is to take a step back and enjoy the loved ones around you. What better way to get that started than by making a costume together? We hope to see you around town this holiday season!
