I don’t know when it happened but I think I finally love Halloween time because it is my chance to show off how powerful I am with a glue gun.
Yup.
Glue Gun.
My little family and I have been pulling out some pretty neat stops over the past few years with our homemade Halloween costumes. And thankfully I am a fantastic thrift store shopper and old clothes visionary! (This article may contain bragging btw ;))
Several years ago we decided to dress as characters from Peter Pan. I had a very specific idea for creating the perfect Captain Hook get up for my husband… wanting his outfit to be more like Hook (Dustin Hoffman) as opposed to the cartoon-y Captain. I started looking for costume pieces in early September. I remember getting frustrated after weeks of searching for a long red men’s coat, not an easy thing to come by. Then one afternoon my sister and I took Adelynn out antique shopping in Ballston Spa NY and had a nice lunch. We went into the last shop of the day, Daisy Dry Goods, full of old clothing and collectables. Then I found it… a long red women’s jacket for $18.00. The best part of it, the clothing designer was J. Hook. I laughed at the Universe’s sense of humor and bought the jacket. I used my trusty hot glue gun and created an elaborate – but awesome – Captain Hook Costume for Jeramie.
My mom is talented in the sewing department, and with her skills she sewed my daughter’s Tinkerbell dress and Jeramie’s white dress shirt.
We’ve reused those costumes several times over the past few years because they’re pretty awesome 🙂
So now we’re 600 miles from the nearest family member with awesome sewing skills and I’m ready to create 4 no-sew, glue gun/thrift store find – costumes! This years theme is from the new Beauty and the Beast.
I have to admit… I bought a Target costume this year.
I know… terrible.
Adelynn was so excited when she saw the Belle costume in Target and she assigned Felicity to the role of Chip (the costumes were matching in the store). So I broke down and bought her a Belle dress. But man oh man… they are soooo chincy! So I decided I would upgrade her costume a bit and fix some of the seams, add some depth and a few more gold ruffles to the gown.
I have my standards you know??
Thankfully though it was her insistence of being Belle that got my creative juices flowing.
My husband is going as the Beast (appropriately so!)… and once again I bought him the perfect transformational women’s jacket! This time a bright blue knee length coat with good shoulder pads. 
I’m also going as Belle, only in the ‘blue dress’. As I was searching the racks at my thrift store for cute dresses for work, the perfect pale blue vintage dress found me, for only 3.99.
Sold.
Yesterday I raided all of my old gold ribbons and trims, and spent 45 minutes at WalMart in line for several yards of chiffon. I’m making Felicity a Chip themed tutu skirt and painting Chip’s tea-cup face on her little white shirt.
Quality costumes for a family of 4 – and a major creative high for me!
So what are you going to dress as this year?
Do yourself and your wallet a favor… go hit up your thrift store, and Pinterest…. and get creative! There’s nothing you can’t accomplish with a tack or glue gun and a good imagination.
And you’ll be getting costume compliments up and down the block…
Who doesn’t love that??
Natural Peace Living 