Staging New Hampshire

Fall is my favorite season, and Halloween is my favorite holiday.   I really love making costumes, and the more creative, the better.  For the next couple of days I will be sharing some homemade costumes I've made in the past.  If you are looking for costume ideas this year, I hope my posts will inspire you!

Past Posts:  Part 1: Costumes For Kids

Part 2:  Think Out Of The Box 

One of my favorite costumes was this Rabbit In A Hat. 

The hat was created by first making the rim

from cardboard and covering it with fabric.  Then

I attached the fabric that formed the hat, using

a hula hoop sewed into the hem to weigh it down. 

The hat is actually hanging from my shoulders using

fishing line for straps.

What was convenient about this costume was the fact that I could simply remove the straps from my shoulders and drop the hat to the ground and step out of it whenever I needed to.  It transported really easily too.

After making the half girl/half boy costume for my daughter (see Part 1), I decided to give an adult version a try and made this half bride/half groom costume. 

 The following year, I added half bridesmaid/half groomsman costumes for my mother and my aunt and we were a "half and half" wedding party.

One of my more dramatic creations was a dead couple in their coffins.  

I made each coffin by covering a three-sided foam board presentation display with brown fabric, which hung to the floor. 

The coffins had straps on the inside which slipped over our shoulders, enabling us to walk around hands free, coffin and all.

My uncle, Jim, hand painted the skeleton bones onto my black body suit.  I purchased the mask and gloves.  It's great to have an artist in the family!

My husband was a decomposing corpse in the other coffin.

For his costume, I sliced up his shirt, pants and tie with a razor blade.  I soaked the shirt in strong tea to discolor it.  I attached spiders all over the clothing.  He wore rotted teeth and carried a dead lily. 

Decomposing Face:  See makeup recipe below

My skeleton costume was recycled by my daughter.

1.  Lose the coffin

2.  Add orange vest and hard hat

3.  Add boyfriend in construction barrel

and...voila:

you have a  Skeleton Crew. 

Here are two examples of Optical Illusion costumes:

Two of our more original ideas:

When in doubt...go in drag!

Recipe for Face Makeup  (enough to do  approx. 3 faces)

3 TBSP Cornstarch

1 TBSP Flour

3/4 C Karo light corn syrup

1/4 C water

Mix cornstarch and flour.  Gradually stir in corn syrup and water until smooth. 

Divide into 4 portions.  Leave one portion untinted, use as glue.  Use 1/4 tsp of food coloring of choice to color three remaining portions.

Decomposing face:

Separate facial tissues into single layer, and tear lengthwise into 2 inch wide strips.  Generously paint forehead with untinted mixture and place strip of tissue over area, pat firmly with fingertips.  Add more mixture to cover any dry spots of tissue.  Continue the rest of face, one section at a time.  Avoid eye area.  Let dry 15 mins.  You can use hair dryer to speed drying.  Build up multiple coats of tissue in some areas to look like the skin is falling off.

Use red tinted mixture for blood.  Make dark circles under the eyes using eye shadow.  Complete with very light face powder to appear really pale.