Halloween How To: Part 1

I had to share this is awesome!

Sent to you via Google Reader

Halloween How To: Part 1

'Tis the season for make believe, harvest sales, and soup ... and we're loving it.

Last night, for no reason at all, Bella decided she needed to be a pirate. And so she was. Dressing her up in what we had around inspired me to share with y'all the neat little costumes we've put together over the years. I left out store-bought costumes (and there were several back-to-back years of Power Ranger and Spider-Man costumes).

I'll start with last year and work my way back in subsequent posts.

Pippi Longstocking

Bella dressed as Pippi last year (of course). Here's how we did it:

• Must have: Red yarn hair. (I used a wig for a clown costume.)
• A blue long-sleeved men's shirt you don't mind cutting up. (Found at a thrift store)
• An blue child's apron. (Found at the Dollar Store. The apron had a bee on it, so I just turned it backwards.)
• A sheet of yellow felt
• A sheet of blue felt
• 1 pair of funky-patterned tights
• 1 long sock (To create the look of mis-matched leggings)
• 1 pair of boots
• Old flannel material for making patches
• Embroidery thread of any color

Optional accessories:

• A treat bag made from an old pillow case
• Monkey to be Mr. Nilsson
• Gold coins for "dubloons"
• Harmonica or mini-accordion
• Scope (like I made for Bella's birthday party if you don't have a real one)

To create the costume:

• Cut a P out of the yellow felt (for Pippi, obviously). Use a few rough, large stitches to attach the P to the apron with blue embroidery. Because the bee was still obvious from the back, I attached a flannel patch first, and then the P on top.
• Cut pockets from the blue felt. I cut the sheet in half, then layered it and cut the pockets at the same time. I used yellow embroidery thread to attach the pockets.
• Cut the sleeves at mid-arm from the shirt and use the scissors to fray the edges. Then fold up each sleeve and use a stitch to hold the fold in place.
• Add a few "patches" to the shirt and apron. Use yellow embroidery thread to make rough stitches holding the patches in place. Make sure you add a patch to the back of the shirt, too.
• For the hair: Divide the red yarn wig into ponytails. Secure them with a clear band. Braid the ponytails and use another clear band at each end. Find a wire hanger and thread it through the wig. Then shape the wire to your child's head.
• For the pillow case: Cut a f...

Sent from Monica L. Hawkins iPhone