Pumpkin
This year I will be 38 weeks pregnant for a close friend’s wedding social. I will paint my belly like a pumpkin, and dress the rest of my body in black!!
Brandi Kohut, Winnipeg
Eggplant
I was approximately seven months pregnant, so I dressed all in purple with black hat and called myself an aubergine (eggplant). Got many laughs from it!
Jane Randazzo, Delta, B.C.
Rock Star
My son (4 1/2 yrs) is a drummer and loves rock’n’roll. My guess is that this year we will rock out on Halloween. We have all the instruments we could possibly need as props and a trip to Value Village will give us everything we need. Makeup is only an option if he decides to go as one of the KISS. He will probably even give a concert for those lucky enough to open the door.
Sheila Rogerson, Sarnia, Ont.
The Big Bad Wolf
I took a pair of coveralls, some Velcro and I purchased a brown shaggy bath mat for $7 (cut out tail ears hand and feet covers). I Velcroed the tail to the coveralls, the ears to a hat, hand cover to a pair of gloves and feet covers to the boots. There you have the BIG BAD WOLF COSTUME for under $10.
Amie Lewis, Elsmdale
A bag of Jelly Beans
Take a clear plastic garbage bag, fill it with assorted filled coloured balloons and wear it over a neutral coloured outfit. Presto you are a human jelly bean bag!
Michelle Mason, Calgary
Static Cling
Tease your hair and stick a bounce sheet or two on your body, a sock, face cloth/towel and even a clean pair of panties/boxers.
Junny Shim, Aurora
Disney's Cars
I made Lightning McQueen, Mater and Doc Hudson for next to nothing. I used old cardboard boxes, wrapping paper and other things I found around the house or at the dollar store. They turned out great! I got a lot of compliments.
Lisa Coles, Hamilton
Fairy Princess
I love putting a girl in a fancy dress and then making wings out of two bent coat hangers covered in sparkly pantyhose to create a fairy costume. It's easy, fun, and little girls love it!
Kathryn Lavallee, Lumsden
Old Woman
One year I bought a old lady's face mask. I dressed up like if I was older, and I went to work that way. All colleagues asked if they could help me not recognizing me. I had a great time.
Esther Allard, Coquitlam, B.C.
80's Theme
It's so fun to back-comb hair, put on crazy blue eye-shadow and tons of funky jewelry. The kids are clueless but still love it!
Julie Sesula, Saskatoon
Lady Bug
Wear a pair of black sweat pants, black sweat shirt and black shoes. From a large piece of red poster board or cardboard, cut out a large oval. Cover it with black spots. Staple black elastic pieces (in a loop) onto the board to make arm loops. For the antenna attach craft pipe cleaners with black pom poms to the ends to a headband.
Tanya Buksa, Thornhill, Ont.
Headless Man
Wear a man's old big shirt up above your head with slits for your eyes. Make a fake head to hold under your arm. Old man's pants with a rope belt and big boots complete the costume. My daughter won a prize in that costume.
Susan Spidle, Rose Bay
Little Red Riding Hood
Wear a white blouse, red skirt, red cape (very easy, quick and cheap to make, already done), and carry a wicker basket to collect treats.
Deanna Tousignant, Windsor, Ontario
A Tube of Toothpaste
Take a white garbage bag, or sheet, etc. Wear it over your head with your arms sticking out. Put a pleated lampshade on your head for the cap and use colourful paper or paint to write the brand of toothpaste on it.
Alana Starkie, Cehmainus, B.C.
Super Mario
I used a red sweatshirt and created suspenders over it with black strips of felt and yellow craft foam buttons. I bought white gloves from the dollar store, and used a red baseball hat to put the big “M” on a with a piece of craft foam. Last touch, a painted on black mustache and thick eyebrows. It was a simple costume that looked great and he received a lot of comments on it!
Jo-Anne Jessup, Stouffville
Route 66
Last year my son went as Route 66 from the Cars movie. We used a black jogging suit and yellow duct tape. I made a “highway” up both legs out of duct tape and a race track on his chest. We then took sticky Velcro and stuck his car movie cars on the highway. It was great because he could move the cars anywhere he wanted. I then drew out the piston cup and painted it gold and stuck that to his back. I also made a Route 66 sign for his head.
Lisa Moroko, Errington
Cleopatra
One white bed sheet and some white thread, a lot of gold glitter, a head band and some foilage from plastic flowers. It was the best Cleopatra costume ever and it won 2nd place. Very inexpensive but looked awesome.
Seanna Opas, Enfield
Pillsbury Doughboy
For a baby use a white sleeper, tie on a blue or white ribbon around neck. Make the hat out of cardboard and white pillowcase. Pinch the material around the cardboard as you staple it around. Stuff the hat with stuffing, shape and create a bakers hat. Cut out a blue circle from cardboard and color it if you need to and right “Pillsbury” and glue it onto the centre of the rim of the hat. I did this with my four-month-old and it is adorable because they are already ‘chubby'.
Sandra, Sault Ste. Marie
Bag of Jelly Beans
So simple and cost effective – and your child can wear something warm underneath. No sewing!!! Dress child in a single colour (pink, white, black). Use a large clear dry cleaners bag or clear recycle/lawn bag and cut two holes in the bottom where their leg
