List #48: Ten Halloween Costumes

This week's Listicles topic is all about Hallowe'en. I've loved Hallowe'en since I was little & I still do, which is why I've already written a list (illustrated, of course) about all the things I've dressed up as over the years. In fact that was the list that started it all off for me. You can read it here, if you like.

So what to do with the topic? Sprout's only on his third Hallowe'en this year, so I can't talk about his costumes in a list of ten. Then I thought of why I like Hallowe'en in the first place: making the costumes. I find it sad how few kids wear homemade costumes these days--the trademark-character off-the-rack ones are just so... boring. Before you take offense, I know that many families just don't have time to make costumes, or lack the sewing/design skills to do it, but it still makes me sad that 90% of the boys I've seen in costume this year were superheroes & 90% of the girls were princesses. I can't even get into the gender stereotyping issue with that one, argh.

So I'll share with you a list of my ten favourite home-made costume ideas, including tutorials/videos if I can find them. I haven't necessarily done them all myself, but I may get to in the years to come if Sprout's willing. :)

Spider: a few pairs of black tights, possibly some colourful mini gloves on the ends of them, plus a black shirt & you're done! My sis did this when she was about 8 or 9.

From MarthaStewart.com: Homemade Halloween Costumes for Adult

Mummy: Threadbanger has some awesome & relatively simple costume how-tos. Here's my favourite:

Baby Skelly was Sprout's first Hallowe'en costume. I made a simple hooded sleeper out of one of his Papa's old t-shirts, then cut out all the bones from a sheet of adhesive felt & stuck them on.

Halloween 2010

Zombie: find some old clothes, rip 'em up a bit & splash on a reasonable facsimile of blood, maybe some dark eye makeup & voila: the walking dead.

My cousin-in-law & her husband on Vancouver's Zombie walk

Lego brick: you've probably all seen this making its way across the blogosphere, but I love the idea because I was such a Lego fan as a kid:

Monster: simple & a bit silly; I love the tentacles.

Jellyfish: umbrella + bubble wrap + white clothes

From MarthaStewart.com: Homemade Halloween Costumes for Adults

Witch is always easy, once you have the hat.

Vampire: I loves me a good vampire, I does.

From MarthaStewart.com: Homemade Halloween Costumes for Adults

Ghost with tulle--so simple.

From MarthaStewart.com: Homemade Halloween Costumes for Adults

As you can probably tell from this list, I'm a bit of a traditionalist--I like costumes that are creepy & classic themed.

What are your ten favourite Hallowe'en costumes?



Why Monday lists? Reading the lovely Chloe's blog, Tea Swamp Park, I found an idea I had to 'steal': a list of all her Halloween costumes, with quite a few photos. She got the idea from Hula Seventy's List Project. I've decided to do the weekly lists for a year that Hula Seventy is doing. 

Tea Swamp Park & Hula Seventy are not the only ones doing lists, however. Click on the Listicles badge to the left to check out NorthWestMommy's list & 'assignment' for next week.