Half Way to Halloween Party

[Pumpkin_Man]

I use to make my own costumes all the time. I did not sew, but I was pretty god at improvising. I made a robot costume out of some old dryer hoses and card board boxes once. Another year a bed sheat and a dog chain became a ghost costume. Making those costumes was as much fun as wearing them for "Trick or Treat."

Mike

[Spookymufu]

I told my son I was going to make him one of these costumes for Halloween, if your a Star Wars fan you'll know what this is...

[Andybev01]

Looks like they started with 2 Rubbermaid storage tubs. Brilliant.

[Spookymufu]

yup, exactly, there are 3 pieces of rubbermaid on there and assorted doo-dads and battery LED lights....wouldnt take much to do it at all, some dryer hose for the legs, I think the feet would be the hardest part

[sueluvshalloween]

Sue that sounds like a good time!! Do you make the costumes?

My daughter has become quite skilled at pulling together costumes, even in a short amount of time. Sometimes if she becomes stuck on how to make a part of a costume, I'll throw suggestions at her. Or if she's really strapped for time, I'll help her. When she was making the collar for the Red Queen, she decided to take large sheets of white paper, fold them into a fan, then reinforce it with white duck tape. So there I sat, taping strips of tape to the paper.

[sueluvshalloween]

I use to make my own costumes all the time. I did not sew, but I was pretty god at improvising. I made a robot costume out of some old dryer hoses and card board boxes once. Another year a bed sheat and a dog chain became a ghost costume. Making those costumes was as much fun as wearing them for "Trick or Treat."

Mike

If you don't have a sewing machine, sewing costumes can be a very time-consuming process. When I made my Daphne costume a few years ago, I took double-stick sewing tape to apply the light purple strips of fabric to the dress. The stuff works great! There's one type that you iron onto the fabric and the other you don't have to, which is what I used. I don't know if you have to re-apply it after washing, since I've never washed the costume.

[Pumpkin_Man]

I know only the very basic techinque of sewing. I wouldn't know the first thing to do with a sewing machine, and since I'm not really into sewing, it would be a waist of money. I can sew my pockets together, ro a seem back together using a thead and neadle in a pinch, but sewing, knitting, or croshceting are not my bailywick. My sisters, on the other hand, live for their 'handy crafts.' But for me, a Halloween costume doesn't require that I become a professional trailor. All I need are a few unsuspecting lengths of dryer hose, a couple of rubbermaid containers or card board boxes, some flash light bulbs or LEDs and I can whip up a pretty awesome costume.

Evan a paper grocery bag can become a Halloween mask IMHO.

Mike

[MacPhantom]

I'm nowhere near good enough on my sewing machine to make a part of my own costume, but it really comes in handy when it comes to stitching up cloaks and robes and what-nots for my yard props. Five bucks' worth of black material and a few zips through the machine and BAM! Instant Reaper Robe.

[sueluvshalloween]

I have no idea how to use a sewing machine. When I was in elementary school, my mother was not working then. I have one sister, and my mom sewed all our dresses.

As far as costume making goes, you can also buy part of it and then just add stuff. That's how I went about making my Daphne costume. I was in Wal-Mart one day and saw this short purple skirt and then found a long-sleeved purple shirt. It wasn't even a matching a set, but I lucked out because they happened to be the same fabric and shade of purple. After I finished attaching the light-purple trim (the stuff they trim baby blankets with) to the sleeves, the hip area, and the bottom of the skirt, it looked like a dress.

[Spookymufu]

when I was in Jr High, in the class next to our woodshop they taught home economics, sewing and cooking were part of the class.......do they do that anymore?

[sueluvshalloween]

They still do, Spooky. My daughter took it for a semester in ninth grade last year. She made these cute pajama shorts out of a dog-print material. They turned out great!

[Andybev01]

Mac likes puppies, I bet he would love a pair.

At my high school they called it 'domestic engineering', I kid you not.

[MacPhantom]

When I was in Middle School (what y'all call "Junior High") everybody took wood shop and two different home economics ("home ec") classes; one taught basic sewing skills, and the other basic cooking and food prep skills. The boys would groan about the home ec classes, and the girls would whine about the wood shop stuff, but I loved all of those classes, and came away with wood working and sewing skills I use in my graveyard, and it got me into cooking, which is good, because you need food to keep up your strength over the long month of October! That was back in the very early nineties, and I'd imagine that's probably still the way they do it.

And I don't wear pj's, but I would love a pair of dog-print lounge pants!

[Andybev01]

Gee, all the way back in the very early nineties?

You're starting to show your age, old man.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Hey watch it. I resemble tha remark. I went to Junior High in 1973, and graduated from High School in 1979. I was done with college by 1983.

I will have half a century under my belt by the 24th of the month. By the way, Home Eck was actualy a required course for girls when I ws in high school. All girls were required to take home eck in order to graduate.

Mike