Author: Christine

Categories
General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Refashioning Shoes

Refashioning Shoes Into Spectator Shoes

 

My daughter is going to be Cruella de Vil for Halloween this year.  She found some cool shoes at  Savers, one of my favorite local thrift stores.  She is young, but loves to wear high heels, so this chunky heel is a bit easier to walk in for her.   I refashioned these 30s style oxfords into the spectator shoes she has always wanted! So simple and easy, you just need hot glue, fabric, and trim. This is a fun way to add a pattern or color into your Halloween costume and even some bling, depending on the trim you choose.  Cruella de Vil needs dalmatian print, right?

Cruellashoes

1.  Position the edge of the fabric 1/4″ away from the opening of the shoe ( I knew I would be adding trim, so I needed just a bit of allowance), and then down to past the bottom of the shoe on the side.  It’s fine to be too long on the side because will trim it later. Start on one side of the shoe with a bit of hot glue, then move across the toe of the shoe adding hot glue along the top edge, under the fabric to secure it, until you get to the other side of the shoe at the bottom edge.  Cut around the bottom edge to trim away the excess fabric, being careful to leave some allowance.  You can trim any additional extra away as you get ready to secure the bottom edge.

photo 2

2. Unfortunately, I didn’t take pics for the next few steps.  Sorry!  After I cut away most of the excess fabric,

Continue reading “Refashioning Shoes Into Spectator Shoes”
Categories
Boy Costumes Cosplay General Group costume

Minecraft is Going to Be Hot for Boys Halloween Costumes

minecraft head
Click on image to purchase from Amazon

I have all girls, so my mind isn’t geared to think of costumes for boys as much, so I am always looking out for good boy costume ideas.   I was at my daughter’s karate studio for their Halloween party today and saw a boy in this green hoodie, holding the sword, and wearing Minecraft Creeper mask.  He looked like a cool cube.  You can try to make the mask and sword from cardboard and a careful paint job, but you know how kids are– sometimes you just gotta splurge to get the real thing.  Check the shipping date on Amazon or sign up for 2-day shipping with Amazon Prime.

My costuming philosophy is all about being able to reuse something you purchase as part of the Halloween costume. You know these items will be worn and played with long after Halloween, so it is a worthwhile investment in a Halloween costume!

minecraft hoodie
Click on image to purchase from Amazon
Continue reading “Minecraft is Going to Be Hot for Boys Halloween Costumes”
Categories
Couples costume General Halloween Costumes Halloween Costumes for Men Halloween Costumes for Women

10 Couples Halloween Costume Ideas That are Classy and Cool #CollegeAge

These are classy, clean, and creative costumes that you are going to want to take a look at.  I was trolling around Pinterest checking out Halloween costumes for couples and ran across this very cool post for “10 Vintage Inspired Couples Costumes.”   Most are for male/female couples, but there’s also an idea for 2 girl friends.  You could easily compose many of these costumes from clothing in your own closet and a trip to the thrift store or your grandma’s closet.  I totally see college age kids pulling these looks off and looking good doing it.

Categories
Boy Costumes Couples costume Ethnic costumes Family Costumes General Girl costumes Group costume Hair Halloween Costumes Halloween Costumes for Men Makeup Theater Tutorials

How to Make a Toga Using a Bed Sheet or Curtains: A Quick Homemade Halloween Costume for Couples

A friend messaged me asking for some ideas on a toga costume for her and her new fiance. (Congrats Lauren!)

Yes, you can make a toga using a bed sheet or curtains, if they aren’t too thick. It needs to be a fabric that is lightweight like sheets, and will drape nicely. Start with a twin sheet to see how it fits, but it depends on your size and height.  You may need to experiment with the sheet size for the best results.  Fold it in half if necessary. Use safety pins to secure.  The three videos below show different methods for tying the toga, both for men and women.

Clothing: Consider what you will wear underneath the toga in case of a wardrobe malfunction or if you simply want a little more coverage.  Items that fit snug like a tank top, tube top, layering tee, bike shorts or spankies work the best so that the toga isn’t disturbed by bulky or baggy fabric underneath.

Accessories: Find gold trim or ribbon at Walmart or a craft & fabric store to form a belt for the toga. It gives a better shape to the toga by pulling it in a bit at the waist for both men and women.  Sandals or flip flops complement this look along with gold jewelry.  And don’t forget something for the hair such as gold trim wrapped around the head as the first video shows, a golden floral wreath shown in the second video, or a green leaf wreath worn by the male in the last video.

Makeup: If you really want to look like you didn’t just throw on a sheet at the last minute, then follow the second video for some tips on a makeup design to go with the toga.  This will really finish off the look and your costume will look  intentional and stylized.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4hWqIW–rQ

Continue reading “How to Make a Toga Using a Bed Sheet or Curtains: A Quick Homemade Halloween Costume for Couples”
Categories
Animal costumes Boy Costumes Ethnic costumes General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Resources

Chasing Fireflies: My Favorite Halloween Costume Resource

 

I discovered this company (chasing-fireflies.com) a few years ago when my mom passed along their print catalog she had received in the mail.  My girls loved to look through the pages at all the fanciful and interesting costumes.  I was relieved that I could trust my girls with this company’s catalog of modest costumes because so many costume resources display the cutesy “adult” costumes right alongside the costumes for kids.

Wow–was I hooked! Chasing Fireflies’ costumes look incredible.  They have a 75 page catalog showing a large assortment of family friendly, age appropriate boutique costumes.  Prices range from $29.50 for an infant pirate costume to a wickedly gorgeous evil queen costume that goes from a girl’s size 6 ($98.50) up to a women’s size 24/26 for $148.50.  This may seem like an investment, but that’s exactly what it is.  These costumes are built to last well past the first Halloween party and depending on the costume, many include 2 to 6 pieces, such as a mask, cape, belt or leg warmers so you get big bang for your buck.

Though I have not purchased a costume from Chasing Fireflies it seems that they are much higher quality costumes because of the attention to detail and design.  They have trims, embellishments, and fabrics that are not available on most costumes from typical retailers.  The hems look properly folded over and finished which keeps them from shredding and running. Many of the girl costume hems are even finished off with feathers, lace, or sequin trim.  Some costumes such as the police office, knight, and firefighter include personalization.  Multiple accessories available including shoes, jewelry, or treat bags really take the costume over the top!

I ran across the following two Chasing Fireflies Videos on YouTube and though they are from a few seasons ago, it shows a sampling of their product in action.  I love the behind-the-scenes look at things, so it’s kind of fun to sneak into their photo shoots…

My Top 5 Costumes From Chasing Fireflies (though I have many favorites)

Continue reading “Chasing Fireflies: My Favorite Halloween Costume Resource”
Categories
General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Refashioning Resources

Girl Frankenstein Halloween Costume Ideas

A friend recently asked on my Facebook page if I had any ideas for a Frankenstein Halloween costume for girls.  I immediately went to Chasing Fireflies, one of my favorite costume resources for inspiration. They have amazing looking costumes, though they may seem a bit pricey. However, they are very detailed and often come with numerous pieces. This “Green Monster Girl” costume retails for $89.50, but you get the purple top, the textured green shrug, tiered skirt, the furry boot covers, and the SO fun Frankenstein hat & headband.  If you are running out of time to put it together yourself or don’t feel crafty, Chasing Fireflies is a good online resource for boutique costumes and they have really unique costume accessories that I haven’t seen at other retailers. It’s getting close to Halloween so if you want a costume from Chasing Fireflies, you will need to get right on it and pay attention to the delivery date in case you need rush shipping.

If you love this girl Frankenstein, but would like to recreate your own version, this is how I break it down:

Frankenstein girl costume
Photo courtesy Chasing Fireflies
Categories
Boy Costumes General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes

No Sew Super Hero Halloween Costumes for Boys or Girls

I ran across this colorful post yesterday on creating super hero costumes including the top, eye mask, and gauntlets.  Have your child wear all black underneath to look super sleek and they are set!  Girls can add a tutu out of black or a coordinating color scheme. These are made from felt, so it is an easy fabric to work with, inexpensive, and needs no hemming.  This costume idea is so much better than the thin “costume-in-a-bag” that starts to shred soon after they put it on, and they will be super comfortable in black sweats or jeans and a tee instead of an awkward 1 piece costume.

Categories
Animal costumes Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Resources

Girls Halloween Costume Ideas at H & M

Retail stores abound with Halloween costume ideas! Think “outside the box”, or outside of the Halloween section. These ideas aren’t the typical “costume-in-a-bag”, but the really awesome thing is that you have clothing that is wearable afterwards, trendy, and not relegated to the dress-up box.  These photos are meant to inspire you as a starting off point, so rev up your creativity engine…

photo-5

Categories
Boy Costumes Cosplay Couples costume Disney Costumes General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Halloween Costumes for Kids Halloween Costumes for Men Makeup Movies Refashioning Tutorials

Sully Halloween Costume Idea: Monsters University

I just had lunch with a friend who said her son wanted to be Sully, but she was having trouble finding the costume in his size, so she was going to make one. Here are some other options for Sully that are simple and no-sew. Top it off with the Sully hat or mask shown.

Easy Sully for a boy or girl:

Continue reading “Sully Halloween Costume Idea: Monsters University”

Categories
Cosplay Family Costumes General Girl costumes Halloween Costumes Refashioning

Tips for Restyling an Adult Halloween Costume into a Modest Halloween Costume

I thought it was just me, but I am starting to notice more chatter online about all the costumes that show waaaaay too much skin–it’s becoming accepted now as “normal”, even for teens. Crazy how some people use Halloween to push the boundaries. Not only does it seem that many of those costumes are inappropriate for public use, but isn’t it freezing in many locations by Halloween time? Wouldn’t you want to be a bit more covered up? And frankly, they aren’t very flattering to most every-day body types.

This site is a safe place where the costumes are appropriate and I do my best to promote modest and family friendly costumes for all occasions.

There are many ways to tone down those “adult” costumes into something a bit more appropriate.

Continue reading “Tips for Restyling an Adult Halloween Costume into a Modest Halloween Costume”