For this super simple Halloween costume, all you need is a pair of your child's jeans, a dress shirt, some cowboy boots, a cowboy hat, and a handkerchief. The items are the same whether you'll be creating a costume for a cowboy or a cowgirl. A belt with a huge buckle can add to the look. For a girl, you may also want to add an extra handkerchief to cut up for hair ties. You'll see a few options for that shortly.
The first item to put on is the dress shirt. It should be one with a button-up style. One with metal buttons can sometimes have even more effect, as can one made with corduroy or blue jean material. Next are the blue jeans. The blue jeans can be any style. However, those with more slender legs work best. Tuck the dress shirt into the blue jeans and pull out the shirt slightly on the sides, still leaving it tucked in. Once the jeans and shirt are on correctly, pull on the boots. The jeans should be tucked into the cowboy or cowgirl boots. After tucking in the boots, it is time to add the accessories for your last minute cowboy or cowgirl Halloween costume. Tie the handkerchief around the child's neck and allow the child to put on the belt, securing the buckle in the front. The bigger, the better, as far as the cowboy or cowgirl belt buckle is concerned. If you are dressing up your little girl as a cowgirl, you may want to accessorize the hair somehow. You can use the handkerchief as a headband, securing it around the child's head and tucking it under the hair in back. Another hairstyle option could be to create two braids and cut pieces of the handkerchief to act as ties for the ends of the hair. One more hairstyle option for this Halloween costume is to make a single French braid in the back. Secure the end by tying a piece of a handkerchief to the bottom. The last step to creating a last minute cowboy or cowgirl Halloween costume is placing the cowboy hat atop your child's head. Some may prefer to also tie a handkerchief to the cowboy hat as a hat band. Great cowboy hats can often be found at thrift stores. Thrift store cowboy hats work well because they are often the real thing, versus a cheap Halloween accessory. The boots and belt buckles can also be found at thrift stores. Also, don't forget to ask friends and relatives about these items. If you don't have any of them on hand, chances are that someone you know might. If you and your child will be out at night, don't forget the glow sticks or flashlights. Have a safe and happy Halloween. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network
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by Lyn Lomasi, Staff Writer ![]() "Mama! Mama!" That was one of my little girls shouting from upstairs. I went up to see what all the fuss was about. It was the night before Halloween, and she was stressing over her store-bought princess costume. Tired of seeing - and wearing - the same old costume ideas every year? So was I, and so was my little girl. She wanted something unique that none of her friends were going to be wearing. She had just found out that a couple, at least, were going to be princesses - and they had bought their costumes at the same place. She decided she wanted her princess costume to instead be scary, but in a girlie sort of way. We all racked our brains and in the end she decided her costume would be a princess - not just any princess, mind you - an alien princess. Of course, it was my job to now come up with the costume design that would back her idea and be satisfactory enough for her to be seen around town in. We decided on a homemade alien princess Halloween costume for women and little girls. Materials
Homemade Alien Princess Halloween Costume The first thing you will need to do for this Halloween costume is search your house to see which of these items you already have. You might be surprised at what you find. Also, don't forget that even if you don't have an exact item, you may have something you could use to create the item or to act as a substitute for the item. Most women and girls have at least one frilly dress. In our case, we used an Easter dress that had only been worn by my little girl one time. Any dress with shiny, lace, or frilly fabrics will do the trick. The dress is the first step to creating the perfect homemade alien princess Halloween costume. The next item you'll need are some green pantyhose or tights. If you can't find any, dye some white ones green with RIT Dye. If you do not have time for that, simply go without the tights. They add effect, but are not necessary. If you are using the tights, use two pair. Cut the legs of the second pair so that you can slide those over the arms. The next part to the costume involves both the wig as well as the alien mask. Since this is not just any princess, but an alien princess, you'll want the hair to look exotic. Take a dreadlock or braided wig and put that on. Now, on the mask, cut a couple small holes in random areas where the hair would be. If the mask does not have an area that goes over the hair, skip the cutting part. Now, if you cut those holes, once you put the mask on, pull a few braids or dreadlocks through each of those holes. The end result should be pieces of hair randomly sticking out all over the head. Now slide on some dress shoes and you are almost finished with your homemade costume. The dress shoes should somewhat match the princess dress. You may also wish to add bracelets, necklaces, or other jewelry and accessories. The finishing touch includes the wand and the tiara. Both items can be bought from the Halloween store, craft store, toy store, dollar store, or even the neighborhood grocery store or Wal-Mart. If you cannot find these items, simply make your own out of construction paper. The design is up to you. For the best results, try to match the princess dress. There you have it: your very own homemade alien princess Halloween costume for women and little girls. By the way, my little girl won the Halloween costume contest at school for "uniqueness", "creativity", and "best look." Enjoy! Happy Halloween! *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network ![]() by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media Does your child need something fun to dress up as for Halloween - at the very last minute? Try a homemade baby costume. All you need are a few items from around the house to complete the look. You may not even need a trip to any store, which is good if you're in a rush. Gather the necessary materials. To make a homemade baby costume for kids you'll need a white sheet or piece of fabric, large safety pins, long johns or footie pajamas, slippers, red or pink makeup, and any baby accessories (baby bottle, pacifier, etc). Have your child put on long johns, footie pajamas, or sweatpants and a sweatshirt. To start the baby look, this outfit will be the first step. If your child has none of these, just try to find something similar. The goal is to find an outfit that covers them completely. If you have something skin tone color, that's even better. Make your child's face look like a baby's. Take some pink or red blush to accent your child's face. Create rosy baby cheeks by drawing circles around the cheeks and filing them in. Applying petroleum jelly to the face beforehand will help prevent itching and will also hold the makeup longer. Pink or red lipstick can add to the baby look. Next, fashion a diaper. Remember how to put on a cloth diaper? That's how you are going to attach the sheet to your child to create the baby diaper look. Don't remember? You can always watch this online video tutorial for folding a cloth baby diaper onto a baby. Be sure to pin in the proper places to hold the diaper in place long enough for Halloween festivities. You can't have the baby costume coming apart before the fun is over. Also, be sure that your child knows how to detach and reattach the pretend diaper for restroom purposes. Add accessories to your kid's homemade baby costume. You can use whatever you have lying around. Here are some ideas. Attach a baby pacifier to the front of your child's clothing. If you have a pacifier clip handy, that makes it easy. You can fasten a baby bottle to your child's wrist by tying it to a bracelet. This is easier for carrying purposes. This way, your child's free to have fun without worrying about holding the baby bottle. You can also pin on paper shapes of diaper pins, baby bottles, numbers, letters, and pacifiers. If your child has one of those baby bottle piggy banks, that doubles as an accessory and trick-or-treat candy container. ![]() Need a perfect Halloween costume for your perfect angel - at the last minute? Try an angel. You probably have all the materials at home and it can be made in just a few minutes. This is great for those times when you just need to throw something together and don't have much time or the store is wiped clean. Grab a white sheet or dress. Either a white sheet or a white dress will work as an angel dress. For the dress, you won't have to do much but have your child put it on. With the sheet, just cut a hole in the middle large enough for going over your child's head. Remember the ghost costume trick? This is just like that, except your child will be an angel, not a ghost, once the accessories are added. Grab a silver or gray scarf, belt, or fabric scrap. One of these items large enough to span your child's waist will do the trick. Put on the belt or tie the scarf or fabric scrap around your child's waist. This helps avoid the ghost look and get your child's homemade angel Halloween costume look more angelic. Grab three wire hangers and straighten them. Take the first one and fold one end over to the middle to make a circle. Twist the sections together. Now make a circle with the other end as well and fasten it in the same manner. Be sure there is a straight piece going up between the two and that one circle will securely fit atop your child's head. When it's placed there, the other circle should rise above his or her head like a halo. Set this aside. Take the other two hangers and connect them in the middle, making wing shapes out of each side. Set the wings aside. Grab some aluminum foil and elastic (or string). This will be the final touch to your kid's last-minute homemade angel Halloween costume. Wrap the foil around the wings, as well as the halo. Now put the halo on your child. Then, you are going to attach the wings. First cut a very lengthy piece of elastic or thick string (yarn and twine both work well). Tie the elastic or string to the middle portion of the wings,with a long piece extending from each end. Place the wings against your child's back and wrap each string end over the shoulder and around the arm on each side. Tie it again in the middle. This should secure the wings. Now the only thing left to do is send your child off to the costume party or take her trick-or-treating in her new homemade angel costume. Happy Halloween! *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network Halloween is a night filled with fun for children and adults alike. Part of that fun actually occurs before Halloween. Making your Halloween decorations can be almost as fun as the actual holiday events occurring on Halloween. One fun thing to make is a scary man to sit on your porch.
Your visitors will be enthralled with this particular one, as some might at first think it is a real person. That's part of what makes this one so fun. Below, learn to make your "Scary Man On the Porch" Halloween decoration. This is a no-sew project that most anyone can do. However, if you enjoy sewing, feel free to sew it up if you please. As you will learn below, your man does not always have to be on the porch. Learn some fun ways to use it once you read further. Also, remember that your "Scary Man On the Porch" does not have to be male. It can also be a woman, if you wish it to be. For easier instructions, it will be referred to as a man, but as stated, either gender is fine. Materials:
Instructions: First, you'll need to either rake enough leaves to fill a large trash bag or purchase their equivalent in Poly-Fil, which can be found at Hobby Lobby and other craft and fabric stores. Once you have your stuffing material, get together an old long-sleeved shirt, old gloves, old shoes, old socks, and an old pair of pants. Your first step is to fill the gloves with the leaves or Poly-Fil. Once they are full (leaving free space at the top), attach the gloves to the wrists of the shirt with one rubber bands (one for each side). Now take your grocery bag and fill it halfway, making a round shape and then securing it with a rubber band. Attach the grocery bag to the neck area of the shirt using another rubber band. Then stuff the shirt, including the sleeves, leaving a small amount that is not stuffed. Secure it closed with another rubber band. Next, stuff a pair of socks, secure them with a rubber band, and attach them to the bottom of the pant legs with a rubber band on each side. Then, stuff the pant legs, leaving the top area open. Stick the top half of your man (shirt, etc) into the opening of the top of the pants. Secure it with the belt. Put the shoes over the socks and also attach your mask, wig, and any other accessories you need to make your man look real. The best results come from either making the Scary MOP look like a family member or from making it look extremely scary. Fun Ways To Use Your "Scary Man On the Porch" There are many ways to use your "Scary Man On the Porch", or Scary MOP decoration. Below are a variety of ways to have some Halloween fun with this homemade man.
For even more fun, you could hide a small cd player inside the Scary MOP that plays ghoulish talking or laughing.When visitors walk past the Scary MOP, they'll think he is talking to them or mocking them. This can get pretty fun. Bonus Tip#2: To hold up your Scary MOP when you want him to stand, try using props that will go along with him and sticking them into the ground. For example, if your Scary MOP is a witch character, use a broomstick and stick the rounded end into the ground, using it to stabilize your Scary MOP, possibly by sticking it through the back of its belt. Tilt it to the side a bit to make it look like the Scary MOP is holding the broom instead of the other way around. *Disclaimer: Neither the author, nor the Write W.A.V.E. Media network is responsible for any events occurring as a result of anything contained in this article. It is up to the reader to use their discretion wisely with any event or action. **Note: The name "Scary Man On the Porch" or “Scary MOP” was given to this craft by the author. If it closely resembles any other similar entity, the author holds no responsibility. As far as the author is aware, at the time this content was created, no similar craft or item existed with this title. ***I originally published this content via Yahoo Contributor Network ![]() Before you send your teen out to brave the spooky world of Halloween, make sure to quiz them on vital safety tips. Trick-or-treating is fun most of the time. But it can also be dangerous. Remember, your teens will be out after dark and there are various safety rules that become more prevalent when night time falls. Be finished by nine. After nine o'clock on Halloween is not a time when you want your teens roaming the streets. Most areas have an unspoken rule or even laws not to trick or treat after this time. There are also curfew laws. Plus, that's when the crazy drunk drivers and other criminals are going to be the most active. Remember that while kids enjoy Halloween, so do adults. And not all of those adults - or other teens who may also be out - are going to be responsible. Safety first. Don't tease the little kids. "But, Ma, that's no fun!" Your teen can get into trouble teasing the younger kids or stealing their candy. It's harassment and it's also just mean. If they can't get any candy trick-or-treating, then perhaps they are too old. If they ask nicely, perhaps little brother or sister won't mind sharing. You could also buy them their own or let them hand out candy to the younger set. Wear reflective clothing or use flashlights. Black and other dark colors are popular on Halloween. Be sure the teens wear something reflective and/or carry flashlights on Halloween for their safety. Glow sticks and other light sources that can be worn are a great for this. Drivers can see the teens more easily if they are wearing something reflective or using a light source. Be sure that masks don't block vision. Some masks and other costume gear can block vision or lower it immensely. Make sure before teens go out that they can see from left to right without having to rotate. They also should be able to see in front of them. Give them a quick finger check test by holding up various fingers at different angles. They might roll their eyes at you and groan, but at least you'll know they're safe. Besides, your teens are likely secretly loving the fact that you care. Safety comes in numbers. Be sure that your teenager is not going to be trick-or-treating alone or with just one other person. They should be making it a group event. Anyone trying to act ill-willed toward someone is more likely to target those who are separate from the crowd. Talking to your teen about Halloween safety beforehand could help prevent the wrong kind of Halloween nightmares. Other safety tips may apply as well. However, utilizing these 5 vital Halloween safety tips with your teens is a great start toward avoiding danger on this spooky holiday. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network ![]() by Lyn Lomasi; Co-owner of Brand Shamans & Write W.A.V.E. Media Funny, spooky, or tacky Halloween's the one day Where fashion doesn't matter *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network You dress your toddler up all cute - and maybe a little spooky - and as soon as you get to the first house for trick-or-treating, she lets out a wail. Not a fun Halloween wail, a cranky, possibly scared, wail that frightens the other kids in a not-so-Halloween way. To prevent such a scenario, there are steps you can take before having some Halloween fun with your toddler. Here are five ways to prevent your toddler from getting cranky this Halloween.
Be sure your toddler takes a nap before Halloween events. Ensuring your toddler is rested well will be a big help in lessening the fussiness probability. Rested kids are usually happy kids. But kids who haven't had naps are probably going to whine and cry and complain. Better to have him take a nap first, so your child can have some fun. Have a snack ready to avoid crankiness about candy that hasn't been inspected. If you are taking your toddler trick-or-treating, let her have two bags. One bag should have safe snacks to eat while having fun. The other is for collecting the treats to save for later. This way, there isn't as much crankiness about candy she can't yet eat. Avoid itchy face makeup. Face makeup can irritate a toddler's sensitive skin. Instead of using makeup to create that look, go for a soft mask or hat instead. Hoods are even better. That way, it can easily slip down if your toddler is uncomfortable. Toddlers may rub and scratch at makeup and pull off hats or masks. Make sure the costume is weather-friendly. If it's 80 degrees outside and you put a thick teddy bear costume on your toddler, you better be prepared for some crankiness. Look for fabrics that will fit the weather. When it comes to toddlers, comfort is much more important than style. Wouldn't you rather have a happy, excited toddler than a cranky, hot , and uncomfortable one? Thick costumes are best if it's cold. Otherwise, go for thinner flexible fabrics. Make the event about the toddler, not yourself. If it's obvious your toddler hates trick-or-treating, then stop. There's no reason for dragging him around house to house if he's upset. The same thing goes for costumes. Let him be what he wants to. It's about him and his self-expression, not about bragging to your friends about your latest trendy creation. When your toddler feels good about what he's wearing, he is less likely to be cranky. Toddlers often get cranky during unfamiliar or particularly eventful activities. This is especially true if these goings-on last longer than their routine activities. Halloween doesn’t have to be a stressful event. By taking charge with extra prevention and following your toddler’s cues, you can help make this Halloween more fun than stressful. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network ![]() Unprepared for an unplanned, last minute Halloween party? Maybe your budget cannot fit in a costume this year. Perhaps you waited too long and there are no good Halloween costumes left in the stores. Maybe your kids changed their minds - again. Whatever your reason, this quick and easy last minute clown costume could be your answer. So stop your worrying and stressing and get to it - quick - before you run out of time. Most of the items for this costume may already be in your house. If not, many could easily be borrowed from a friend or found in a thrift store. Materials Needed for a Last Minute Clown Halloween Costume
How to Make a Quick, Easy, Last Minute Halloween Clown Costume A clown costume is possibly one of the easiest Halloween costumes to make on a time or budget constraint. Just gather a few common materials from your house - or possibly your friends - and voila - a quick and easy clown costume for Halloween. There's only a small amount of preparation for this one. The rest is as simple as getting dressed. To make your clown costume for Halloween, simply gather up the materials from above. As far as the dress up clothing goes, the funnier looking an item is, the better. Remember, this is a clown costume, so funny-looking is good this time. Just remember not to wear this on your next date unless you're headed to a Halloween party. Go ahead and put on the shirt, overalls (or pants with suspenders), socks, and shoes. If you don't have overalls or pants with suspenders, you can create mock suspenders with four safety pins and a couple old belts or scarves. Simply safety pin the belts or scarves to the back of the pants and over the shoulders in a criss-cross pattern and then safety pin them to the front of the pants to keep them on. With the shoes, go for the biggest and brightest pair you can find. If they're your big brother's or sister's and they're too big for you, that's even better. A clown Halloween costume should be funny-looking and not too organized. Remember to get permission though, so their angry voice won't be haunting you later. To get them to stay on, just stuff some cloth or tissue in the toe so they won't fall off. As for the hat, you may need to decorate that just a touch. If the hat is already decorated with some sort of funny or scary design, just leave it as is. If it isn't, you can make a quick Halloween clown hat by attaching a flower made from construction paper and glue. To make a simple clown flower, cut out a 5-petal flower shape from your color choice of construction paper. Now cut out a dot in another color that will fit in the center of your flower shape. Next, cut out a stem shape and leaves each in another color. Glue the pieces together with white glue and allow them to dry for a few minutes. Safety pin the flower to your Halloween clown hat. There are several choices to create your clown costume hairstyle. If you have thick, curly hair, you could create an afro. If you have time, look up a Kool-Aid dye recipe and dye your hair in multiple colors. If you don't have time, you can forgo the dye. The afro alone can still work. For shorter hair, worry less about your hairstyle and more about the hat and makeup. The main goal for a Halloween clown costume is to look a bit messy, as far as the hair and clothing. Another hairstyle choice is for hair that is shoulder-length or longer. This can work for males or females. Tease or back-comb the entire head of hair, creating a messy unorganized look. One more hairstyle option that can work for long hair is to put the hair in two braids on either side of the head. Tie bows at the ends. For the makeup, just use whatever you have on hand that will work, unless you can somehow find some Halloween makeup at the last minute. If you have no makeup and cannot find any Halloween makeup, try the regular makeup section in your local pharmacy, grocer, or retail chain and grab some red lipstick, as well as some white. Apply the white makeup first. That should go over the entire face. To help it stay on longer without smearing, try mixing it with Vaseline and baby powder before application. Now use the red lipstick or Halloween makeup for the lips, two dots on the cheek, a dot on the nose and circles around the eye area. Remember to also mix the red with Vaseline and baby powder if you can. Now you are ready to show off your homemade Halloween clown costume. Don't be surprised if yours actually has more effect than the store-bought ones. It may be the uniqueness. Sometimes homemade and last-minute can create the best costume because no one will have one like yours. *I originally published this via Yahoo Contributor Network |
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