Conjure up a costume for Halloween
By Kathy English
In the hierarchy of favourite holidays, Halloween is high on the lists of many children. Indeed, what’s not to love about a day when sweet treats and the magic of make-believe reign?
Still, for parents of young trick-or-treaters, that sweet magic can mean both work and worry. After all, it’s us who vex over coming up with a creative, innovative and inexpensive Halloween costume. Then, come Halloween night, when our costumed cuties are roaming the streets for sacks full of candy, it’s us who worry about their safety.
But Halloween can be a treat for parents, too. With your connected computer you can easily find solutions to ensure the only Halloween horrors you experience are the pretend ones.
Find creative costume ideas
Sure you can head to the nearest department store and plunk down your hard-earned dollars for someone else’s idea of a Halloween costume, but it’s so much more creative — and far less expensive — to devise your own.
“As your kids drag you through aisles full of ghosts and goblins, the scariest thing about Halloween is threatening to leave bite marks in your pocketbook,” writes Tawra Jean Kellam, a Wichita, Kan., mother of three and author of Halloween on a Dime: Frighteningly Frugal Fun. “It can be much less expensive, and a lot more fun, to devise your own chilling creations.”
Kellam, who shares some of her frugal Halloween ideas on her web site, Living on a Dime, suggests heading to the Internet for creative costume ideas. Here are some sites we recommend.
The Halloween Forum: A good site for discussing ideas for turning everyday garments into memorable costumes. For example, one woman wonders what to do with a used green bridesmaid dress. Several users respond with innovative, fun suggestions such as turning the gown into a schlock horror outfit, à la Prom Night 2.
Halloween Association: A huge archive of links to activities, decorations, food and costume how-tos.
The Halloween Network: Offers links to more than 30 Halloween sites. Though many are commercial ones geared to selling you stuff, there are some links for do-it-yourselfers.
Kids Domain: Fun ideas for school-aged kids. Check out the directions for dressing up as a box of popcorn, an idea that won first place in a community costume contest.
Baby Center: Ideas for no-sew Halloween costumes for babies and toddlers that can be made from pajamas and other clothing staples. Don’t miss the Elvis costume that calls for white footie pajamas and lots of hair gel.
In the 80s: For the nostalgia-minded. This site provides ideas for creating 1980s classics, such as a glam band groupie Alf or Axl Rose.
Teach your kids to stay safe
Though Halloween horror stories about the dangers to children belong more in the category of urban myth than reality, Halloween provides an opportunity to review basic street safety guidelines with children, says Ethel Archard of the Canada Safety Council. “You can use Halloween to teach your children some very important things — how to walk on the roads after dark, how to stay visible using reflective materials and how to avoid traffic.”
The Safety Council posts tips for Halloween safety on its web site and suggests all families discuss Halloween safety before children head for the streets.
To make this discussion fun for your family, check out Halloween Magazine’s online Halloween safety game, an interactive activity that simulates actual experiences your child might encounter on the streets come the evening of October 31.
