Halloween 2018

Have you ever heard of the Rise of the Guardians?

William Joyce began it all with a few books and then a movie and all of a sudden, Newman children were fanatics.  Some more than others. cough, cough Corynn!

Basically, Jack Frost, Santa, the Toothfairy, the Sandman, the Easter bunny and the elves all have to save the world from the wicked Boogieman named Pitch Black.

Well, it just so happens we have enough characters in our family to cover the characters in the movie so this year was a family theme.  (My favorite!)

Ineke made a nice little elf, far cuter than the real deal.  But you just can't cover cuteness up, no matter how hard you might try.

I made her hat using this pattern and leftover stash yarn- which I ran out of and had to use the closest red yarn I had to finish it- which wasn't perfect but not disastrous, either.  You can totally tell....but I have a goal of using up a basket full of yarn and that wouldn't happen if I went out and bought more yarn for a perfect match!  And besides, I try to make the costuming as cheap as possible.

Ears were made from felt and Adele had a perfect jingle bell- all of which were only temporarily attached so that "little girl Ineke" can wear it all winter.  I did have to fanangle the neck to have button closures because her big 'ole head could barely squeeze through the neck opening.  After I finally finished the hat after weeks of working on it here and there, I barely squished it over her head and she said very matter-of-factly, "I don't like it Mama."

Fixing the neck to have buttons helped her change her mind but the jingle bell and ears sealed the deal.  She loved it after that.

I made her dress using this tutorial and some handmedown fabric.  I made it so it could be worn as a normal dress.  The original dress is made of stretchy fleece and this fabric was not stretchy so I had to add buttons to the back to get her head to go through.  (She has big brains.)

Total cost = about $.50 for a scrap of clearance ribbon and a buckle.

Adele' was Toothiana, the Toothfairy: 

The dress was serendipitously handed down just a week or two before Halloween.  Painted with paints we had on hand- from finger paints to acrylic.  Feathers we mostly had on hand (I did buy a small bag of hard straight primary color ones).  Tulle strips and felt feathers for tail.  Floral wire bent into wings and covered with shiny fabric (also on hand) and last years' genie makeup finished her up.

Total cost = about $2.00 for bag of feathers, tulle and felt

 Judah, Sandy the Sandman: 

Unfortunately, I hadn't stashed any golden handmedown fabric over the years.  Salvation Army and the church choir who was getting rid of all their choir robes, to the rescue!  I cut off the bottom and made a poofy neckline and added a golden scarf (also at Salvation Army).  I couldn't believe how wonderfully easy that costume was thanks to the choir robe!  A bit of tulle left over from Adele's costume for his dream dust and some golden hairspray and face glitter... Judah's favorite part of the costume was definitely the hair!

Total cost = a bit under $5.00 for $3.00 robe and a can of hairspray

Matt, the Bad Boy Santa Claus:

More handmedown fabric (It helps having friends who sew.  It helps, also, to be a bit of a hoarder.) made Matt's robe.  Stash yarn for the beard.  I used the Viking Beard pattern which will probably be revisited next year as Judah wants to be a Viking.  Amiable fellow with the twinkly eyes- one in a million.

Total cost: about $2.00 worth of black fuzzy fabric from Walmart for hat and robe trimming.

Andrew as Pitch Black, the Boogeyman:

Andrew made a perfect villian.  Try not to have him haunt your dreams!

Last years' Zorro costume already in the costume bin!  Wa-hoo!  Nightmare staff- a stick from the woods and some cardboard- free.  His costume costs were only hairspray and face paint- about $3.00

 Not having to cut the boys' hair for two months so they could do cool hairstyles on Halloween - pretty stinkin' awesome.

Corynn as Jack Frost:

(or as some neighbors guessed- the Grim Reaper?!?!?!?!)

You know what is so awesome about Corynn's costume?  I didn't do a single bit of it!  Corynn did it all!!  Frosts' hook- stick from woods, some wire and duct tape.  Hoodie with glitter and fabric paint.  Black pants.  Her biggest disappointment was the white hairspray.  She came in, desperate "I don't look like Jack Frost!  I look like a Granny!"  Another coat made it look a bit more frosty.  Jack Frost?  Frosty?  It worked.

We got her Hoodie and pants at Salvation Army and the hairspray at Walmart, total cost around $4.00

** If only this Guardian knew that the evil Pitch was overtaking a poor little elf right behind her!**

Mama as the Easter Bunny :

(NOT an alien- as my nephew David thought.)

 Mine was probably the most expensive costume.  Not a bit of fur in my stash anywhere so I had to purchase it.  I about had a heart attack when I saw that Joann's was selling some furs for $40.00 a yard!  Whaaaat?!?!  Do people spend that sort of money?!  I got the cheapest gray I could find, used a 40% off coupon and only got a 1/3 of a yard.  I also got gray boots and pants and Salvation Army. A scrap of faux leather for the egg grenade belt and the wristbands (also with a coupon). Easter eggs leftover from Easter.  (Am I the only one who saves them to reuse?!)  I stole some of Andrew and Corynn's makeup.  Ears made with floral wire and a headband which I also had to buy because the skinny headbands the girls have weren't rugged enough to support such.... extravagant ears.  Yeah, extravagant...that's a nice way to put it.  Let's just say, I had to duck to walk in doorways.

Total cost: about $8.00.  Not super impressive- though I got a pair of boots and jeans out of the deal.

All in all, had it not been for having to buy so many different color hairsprays and the fur, it would have been a super cheap year!

And here we all are:

Er...  Oooops.....  

I mean HERE we are all are:

Crafting and Yarning along with her and her... though now that I don't have costuming to do, I am not sure what project to pick up next!

Reading:  Frankenstein by Mary Shelley.