Do what you can!

I have done a few of my own homemade costumes for my kids. Most of them I was inspired by an idea and put my own spin on them. Here are some that I have done. And they were pretty easy too.

2008

My son was almost 3 months and my daughter was 2.

He was a bee, she was a pumpkin.

His costume consisted of

2 pieces of black felt

1 piece of yellow felt, cut into strips

4 strips black ribbon

Screen material

glitter glue or puff paint

Fabric glue

I cut the black felt into what looked like a vest piece, glued on yellow strips. Cut the screen material into wings, painted it with puff paint to make it a little sturdy, placed ribbon on the sides and over the shoulders. and I think that is all. Oh, and I sewed a cone shape out of black felt as well and hand sewed it to the back to look like a stinger. It was really easy.

While trick-or-treating, I just safety pinned the back to the sling.

Simple as that.

The lumpy pumpkin was pretty easy too.

2 shirts, one orange, one what ever color you want

one piece of black felt

stuffing

green felt or fabric

1 or 2 green pipe cleaners

Fabric Glue

I removed the sleeves from the shirts, and saved them. I made them into the hat. (I can't remember how exactly i did that, but I did)

Cut your fabric felt into the shapes for the face. (I let her decide the shapes.)

Sew the shirts together keeping the orange one on the front. Leave an opening for the stuffing. Oh, the shirts do not have to be the same size either. As long as the inner one is smaller. I used an old shirt for the inside.

Glue or sew on the face.

Cut green triangles out of the green fabric and sew or glue them around the collar of the shirt.

Stuff with the stuffing and sew the opening shut.

Figure out how to make a hat out of the selves if desired

Add pipe cleaner to the top for a little curly top.

Wah la, a lumpy pumpkin! Halloween 2009

He was a Caterpillar, She was a Butterfly.

I bought her wings, but made her hat.

I made his costume.

Yeah, this costume was all of maybe a dollar. He needed PJ's and I had socks. I think all I bought was the hat. (Not Pictured)

One sleeper
Lots of pairs of socks
stuffing (I had left over from the previous year)
Ribbon (If I did this again I would use thick ribbon. All I had was the skinny stuff.)
Cheep one dollar bennie hat from Walmart
two pipe cleaners
two pom-poms


For the hat poke pipe cleaners through the top of the hat. Hot glue them so they stay. Hot glue the pom pom on top of the pipe cleaner. Instant antennae hat.


For the body
Stuff socks with stuffing.
Had sew the socks up the side of the sleeper
put boy in
stuff with stuffing
zip
tie up with ribbon to look a little rolley
Instant Caterpillar.
Easy Peasy!

Seriously all it take is some imagination and for me practicality. With the Caterpillar I took off the socks and my son still wore them and unstuffed the PJ's and he could still wear those as well. And the other day my kids were wearing there hats. Cheep, easy, and practical. You can do it!