Kids' Halloween Costumes
My son wanted to be a scary ghost. As a single parent, I am on a tight budget and needed to keep the cost down but also wanted something fun and memorable. He is 5 so this is the first Halloween that he will really remember. The idea came to me when I was picturing how he would look walking around at night. He wanted the sheet over his head with holes cut out for his eyes and mouth, I wanted him to be safe without something covering his face. I also wanted it to be something he could wear again if he wanted
How We Did It
I took a twin size sheet and cut off the top 4 inches off. I then folded it lengthwise in 1/2 and sewed a seam 4in from the folded edge to make 2 layers of sheet that hung from my son's neck to his ankles. I made cutouts for arm holes in the under layer, but not the outer layer. I also took the piece of sheet I had cut off and made a sash to tie the sheet at the neck. I then made small cuts about 1 1/2 - 2 inches wide all the way across both layers of sheet. I ripped them to make the fluttery looking shreds. I trimmed them to be different lengths giving the 2 layers more depth and also made sure he wouldn't trip on them. I took some of the scraps and sewed those together and tied them around his wrists. He wore black jeans, shoes and mittens and a white turtleneck. We bought black and white theater makeup from K-mart ($2) and white hair spray dye from Walmart also ($2). We bought 8ft of chain from Home Depot for $5 and safety pinned that to the costume at the neckline, under arm, and his elbows. My son helped make the decisions on which chain when we tested them for sound. It took 2 1/2 hours to do his hair and make-up and he was so careful about not smudging it.
Lessons Learned
- My son LOVED the costume. The first time he looked at himself in the mirror when I got done with his make-up he screamed...then looked at me and said, "Mom, I forgot what I look like" He supplied 100% of the ghost character and attitude. He would walk around and say "BOO!!" to the other trick-or-treaters on the street and also after getting a treat from the person at the door. Most of the time they would act scared and jump... it was so cute to watch. One person even took his picture to send to her daughter in Australia. Next year he wants to be a skeleton, I'm not sure yet how we will do that one...
