Homemade Halloween Fun

Warning: Lots of pictures!

For some strange reason that I am still not entirely sure of, I decided to make Halloween costumes this year. That's right, make them. It was never my intention to do so. In fact, I intended to buy them all. It started in mid September when I overheard one of my friends talking about what they were going to be for Halloween. Then I got to thinking that we should do a family theme, started looking up ideas on the computer and finally let the kids decide. And the decision was......Toy Story 3! (Okay, is it even possible to take a picture with everyone looking normal?--This was the best I could do.) I started looking up prices for costumes and realized that Bo Peep was outrageously expensive, so I decided to make that one. All along I was just going to buy Woody and Jessie, and even did buy Woody, but after seeing the Target jumpsuit next to Bo Peep I decided I could do better and took Woody back.

And a Toy Story 3 themed family would not be complete without...
...Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. Yes, I made those too, without a pattern.

Let me just say that these dang costumes have taken over my life the last three weeks. Remember all those projects I had to do for school? How they filled up my dining room, made a huge mess and consumed my life? Well I certainly haven't forgotten. Somehow I imagined that my life would be different once I graduated, but I find myself in the same project-focused state of mind more often than I would have thought. No all-nighters anymore, thank goodness. Is that just part of my personality or something? Do I need to be creating something to have fulfillment in life? To a certain extent, yes. Sure, I could have read the book club book instead, or painted the garage, or made better dinners for my family, but no, I just had to make 6 (six!) Halloween costumes.

I will admit that I've always had it in the back of my mind that in order to be a good mom I had to make my kids' Halloween costumes. Totally not true, but I had to attempt it anyway--and while my kids were still young enough to like the things I made. My kids would have probably been just as happy wearing a pillow case. All the way through the process I kept wondering why I was doing this and that this would be the first and last time. The jury is still out about whether I actually like to sew or not. I think a few people were amazed that I even knew how to sew (i.e. Erin and Jared). Just because I haven't sewed anything in years doesn't mean I can't. I am grateful to my mom for teaching me how when I was a kid. Thanks Mom!

Connor as Buzz Lightyear
The only one that I bought was Buzz Lightyear and now I wish I had made his too. What am I saying? It was soooo much work! But everything came out so cute that I just wish his had been homemade too. It wouldn't have been that hard either. I thought his would be the one that I wouldn't have to worry about, but that actually didn't happen. I ordered a 0-6 month size online because he is within that range, but when I tried it on it was way too small! I almost injured him getting his shoulders in and trying to snap it up around his chunky chest was comical. His thunder thighs barely squeezed in that thing. I don't know if you can't tell from the picture, but it was two weeks before Halloween and at the rate this child grows, I knew it wouldn't work. 'Suck in Connor!'I ended up buying him a 12-18 month at it fits him great. I even added my own little touch on the foot. Here he is all tuckered out from the ward Trunk-or-Treat.Marissa as Bo Peep
Like I said, any Bo Peep costume was super expensive and now I understand why. I would say that it was definitely cheaper to make it, but it was probably the most expensive one because of all the lace, ribbon, zipper and material. There were a lot of pieces to make (hat, bloomers, dress and apron) but I got started early so it wasn't so bad. I never saw a sheep staff anywhere (and believe me, I checked) so Jared took a blow torch to some PVC pipe we had lying around and bent it. The fumes were cancerous, I am sure, but she got her hook. I had some blue spray paint so it was perfect. Everyone loved her costume, including her, though I don't think I got any of her really smiling.This is her at a bean bag throw with her best friend Sam. She carried the staff around with her for the whole party.Every event that we went to she fell asleep in the car on the way there. We had to wake her up half way through the Trunk-or-Treat and half way through another party that we went to when they broke out the pinata. I knew she would be sad if she slept through anything involving candy.

Asleep...
Asleep again...
Pinata fun after waking up (using her sheep staff).

Alex as Woody
For Woody I got a pattern for a vest (I used the chaps of the same pattern for Jessie) and got some cow print material 40% off. His shirt was a turtleneck I found at Good Will that I altered to make a collar, painted with fabric paint and glued on some fabric "buttons". The hat and bandanna were each a dollar from the dollar store, the belt and badge were leftover material from the potato heads that I painted with glitter fabric paint and I finally broke down and bought some boots at Walmart. I think he looks just like Woody and is so cute!
We had a little get together at the park the other day and found that his friend who is the same age as him was also Woody. By the way, Halloween costumes were not meant for Florida weather. It was way hot at the park and the Trunk-or-Treat. I felt so bad for those kids in long sleeves!
The cookie he decorated.


Erin as Jessie
I ended up making an extra costume for Erin's friend Clara because they wanted to be twins (the real reason being that I wanted Erin to like her costume and knew she wouldn't if her friend had the Jessie jumpsuit and she didn't). So hers is pretty much the same as Woody: Walmart boots, homemade belt and chaps, thrift store shirt that I added yellow to and painted with fabric paint and a dollar store hat that I sewed a yarn braided wig to. I had a few issues with wet paint and a certain cat (er..), but with my handy patch job you can't even tell (don't look too close!).
Look at this cute model!Hitting the pinata.

Jared and Laura as Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head
I don't think making all the costumes would have been so overwhelming if I'd just kept it to the kids'. These took way longer to make than I intended due to all the pieces, the velcro and some hand sewing. Anyway, I made the pieces interchangeable. We ended up winning first place at a costume party for these babies! I guess all the effort paid off.Jared is such a good sport for wearing this ridiculous costume with me! (Sorry Jared, I think you have some candy in your mouth.)
All right, be honest. Does this make my hips look too wide?