Some non-scary costume ideas to create besides the traditional ghosts, pumpkins, witches and pirates:
Many easy to make costumes use a hooded sweatshirt as a foundation for the costume:
Rainbow-like Pony – Sew many long, long strands of multi-colored yarns or strips of fleece down the center of the hood of a child’s white hooded sweatshirt. Add felt pony ears.
Emoji Faces – Cut out many yellow felt circles to glue or sew all over a black sweatshirt.
Glue black felt emotive facial expressions onto the circles.
Pink Flamingo – Cut out many feather shapes from pink felt to sew or glue all over a pink sweatshirt. Add pink tights to complete the outfit.
Simple to make brief costumes can also start with a baseball cap:
Lion Hat – Sew a new cotton string mop to the top of a baseball cap, add felt ears.
Woodland Nymph – Glue onto a brown or green baseball cap many felt leaf shapes in shades of greens and browns or fall colors. Glue a few real acorns in various places on the felt leaves.
Spider Web – On a black cap, using white puffy paint (dimensional fabric paint), draw a spider’s web that encircles the entire cap. Add to the brim a purchased Halloween glittery spider or make a simple one of black felt circles sewn together, stuffed with poly fill, glue on googly eyes and add fuzzy black chenille legs.
For the adventurous with additional time to sew:
Rey (Star Wars) - Sew a simple sleeveless tunic in grey or light brown knit fabric, add a long scarf crisscrossed over the body and belted. Add coordinating tights and suede-like boots for a charming look-alike.
Mermaid Tail – Sew a slim pencil skirt using a shiny metallic blue/green fabric.
Attach layers of gathered tulle to the bottom.
Wild West Girl – Out of a suede-like fabric, sew a fringed vest and circle skirt.
Add a prairie blouse, cowgirl boots and western hat.
These are just a few of the many ideas for simple costuming that Halloween time brings. Imagination and creativity when thinking up this year’s costumes for little ones give to sewers a great fun boost. Hang handmade cheesecloth ghosts to sway from tree branches, sew replicas of black cats and bats to peek out from carved jack- o’-lanterns smiling or scowling, and be sure to have on hand the candy Trick or Treat visitors will surely ask for on Halloween night.
Sew happy, sew inspired.