When 10-year-old Andrea McLeod of London, Ont., saw a mushroom costume while shopping, she knew it was exactly what she wanted to dress up as for Halloween this year.
There was just one problem: The only costume at the store was toddler-sized.
That’s when McLeod decided to make the costume herself.
“I bought fabric and instructions, then my sewing teacher helped me do it and sew it together,” she said. “The hat part is filled up with foam and the bottom is a hoodie-ish thing.”
It took McLeod about five hours to sew together her red and beige mushroom costume, which she plans to show off to her friends on Friday.
“When I tried it on, it looked cool … They’re going to think it’s cute or something,” McLeod said.
McLeod and others are trading in store-bought costumes for do-it-yourself options this year.
“I really encourage parents to let their children have a hand in it. They want to encourage the family fun and creativity of putting it together,” said Lindy Creswick, owner of Lindy Cosplay Supplies in Chatham, Ont.
Creswick has worked in the costume industry and now runs cosplay repair booths at Comic-Con festivals across the province.
She said she made many of her son’s Halloween costumes when he was growing up.
As he got older, Creswick and her son began making costumes together and both still enjoy dressing up as adults — so much so that Creswick’s son is getting married on Halloween day and is encouraging costumes at the reception.
“It doesn’t usually take much effort to encourage the kids. Normally they’re excited about the idea [of making costumes],” Creswick said, adding that parents should let children take the lead on their Halloween outfits.
“It’s good for parents to let them do it their way because the way they see it and perceive it is going to be different than what adults might see. That’s an important approach for the kids, especially if you’re doing it together.”
Plan ahead, glue often
Planning is the first step when it comes to making a costume, according to Riley Papp, co-owner of Sew It Goes sewing studio in London, where McLeod made her outfit.
“You really have to know exactly what you want to make, gather the materials and try not to make so many stops back to the craft stores,” Papp said.
Papp uses Pinterest and Google to find inspiration for many sewing projects — that allows her to go shopping with a specific list.
Some of the things she would put on a beginner’s shopping list include hot glue, fabric glue, hemming tape, a sewing needle, thread and a seam ripper.
While Papp said costume materials can come from a fabric store, you can also make costumes from dollar-store crafting felt and old clothing items from home or a thrift store.
“When it comes to making a costume, you don’t have to be perfect with it. It can be really crafty. You can use a lot of glue,” Papp said. She advises having a couple of safety pins on hand on Halloween night in case there are any costume mishaps.
For costumes that require more shape and building, Creswick recommends using cardboard and other recycled containers.
“Don’t discount the little boxes and cartons that things come in … and if you need something to be more sturdy, just stuff it with bags, mesh or something that you have around the house.”
Creskwick said she also looks around her house for items that can add more pizazz to her costumes, like feathers, beads, scrap fabric and even curtain drapes.
To give her pieces fine details, Creswick said she’s used some out-of-the-box techniques, such as when she needed to dirty her clothes for an old crone costume.
“I left a skirt and top that I had put together out in the driveway and told my husband, ‘Don’t move it. Just keep driving over it.’ It looked really wretched in the week,” she said.
Last-minute costume ideas
Creswick said she likes simple funny Halloween costumes.
“Just let your mind wander. Don’t think by any means that it has to be perfect.”
Some of Creswick’s easy last-minute costume ideas include:
- Gum on a shoe: Wear all pink and strap a shoe to the top of your head.
- “Cereal” killer: Cut out several cereal boxes and glue them to your clothes. Carry a plastic knife.
- French toast: Cut a piece of foam or cardboard into the shape of a slice of bread. Put straps on it so that it hangs over your shoulders. Wear a beret.
- Ghost: “Just throw a sheet over you,” said Creswick.
