by Jessika Hepburn, O Happy Day Handmade
Who doesn’t love getting dressed up, eating candy, saving the planet and winning stuff? Making your own Halloween costumes instead of buying them gives you an opportunity to upcycle and recycle unloved stuff in your home and can also win you a prize! Inhabitots is offering a Green Halloween Contest . Enter the contest by November 1st for a chance to win great prizes and share your handmade genius with the world. Just click on the picture below to head over to the contest page and make your wining entry.
Here is Oh My! Handmade’s top ten list of handmade Halloween costumes, along with a number of tutorials ranging from “labor of love” projects for the hopelessly crafty, to more “down to the last minute” costumes for throwing together at midnight before the big day. What’s your style-planner or panicker? (I admit to a little bit of both)
1/2: How could these Matryoska/Nesting Doll and Kokeshi Doll costumes from the Small Magazine blog, not take 1st and 2nd place? The beautiful photo styling aside, I love the simple creativity of these costumes and am now rapidly trying to change my daughter’s mind about going as a fairy princess this year.
3. I have daydreamed about this suit since I first saw the tutorial on Etsy last September, the pattern is from the book Wacky Baby Knits by Alison Jenkins, if only I could knit!
4. I found these adorable handmade, Tin Man and Glinda the Good witch, Wizard of Oz costumes on the very lovely BeanPaste blog.
5. No crafty costume top ten could be complete without a little Martha Stewart, she really has brilliant designers, these Woodland Creatures costumes for the whole family are amazing! A perfect last minute DIY that will look like you spent months in the planning.
6. Dress up your toddler in a snuggly Little Lamb suit or Crazy Caterpillar costume with these tutorials from Parents.com
7. I found this little Skunk costume tutorial on the Readers Digest website. Perfect for a woodland creature to go along with costume #5.
8. Up, up and away with a Hot Air Balloon costume and tutorial from Country Living. Wouldn’t an UP themed costume like this be super fun?
9. The Oeuf Halloween collection is perfect for those who have no time or interest in crafting, pair their mask/tail sets with the knit leggings or rompers for a cozy outfit that can be worn all year round.
10. Last but certainly not least is a Daisy costume tutorial from the ever incredible Purl Bee. I need to make one of these for our dress up box!
What are your handmade costume ideas for this year?
In the past I have made a scarecrow, astronaut, one-eyed one-horned flying purple people eater, super hero, house fairy, witch and cat. Not sure what’s happening this year! Kicking myself that Halloween is fast approaching and I haven’t made the promised ‘Bender’ costume for my husband!
Love the Wizard of Oz costume ideas! That’s a great opportunity for a parent to dress up as the Wicked Witch. One year when I was the Wicked Witch there was a little girl who arrived dressed as Dorothy — it was classic!
These are fabulous. The Skunk and Tin Man top the list for me! I have always kept comfort and coverage in mind as I live in cold climate. Several sets of stuffed tights ringing the body have always been my go to style (after I got over the first child sew-perfect years!) Open the crotch seam and they can become Octopus, Spider, or Lobster(add red oven mitts) depending upon the color and number of limbs you use, the base color turtleneck and trousers, and the face paint. Enjoy.
Thanks Joanne and Fiona-these are great ideas!
Love the Hot Air Balloon and Kokeshi Doll costumes. So very cute and creative. Thanks!
Well, my kiddo was a fireman for Halloween. But the coolest costume I designed this year was the dragon wings I made for my son’s birthday party! I have a tutorial and pictures on my blog. These are adorable. My son keeps talking about Halloween, so I’m curious what he’ll want to be next year.