costumes 2014

Still don't know what to be for Halloween this year?  Classic, silly, or valiant, take your pick.

Carmen and Isabela are both little red riding hoods this year.  Isabela chose this because of a favorite series of hers, called Ever After High.  Cerise Hood, with her short skirt and tall boots, is little cooler than the classic little red riding hood.

Chosing for Carmen was harder...she's only one once.  I actually bought supplies to make her into one of those cute scarecrows with organza dresses on pinterest, but she loved trying on Isabela's hood as I was making her cape.  There were enough scraps left over to make a tiny cape, so why not?

Let's see how long that hood stays up.

So far so good.

 I'm most proud of Diego's costume this year.  And it only cost me a grand total of $3.00.

The helmet is made out of cereal boxes hot glued and spray painted with some silver I just happened to have on hand.  I made up the design based on this cute helmet.  The chainmail is a dishcloth I happened upon at the dollar store!  I bought two and JP sewed a little strap across the shoulders so Diego could just slip it on over his head.

The shoulder armor is made of cardboard along with the shield.  I used a fun technique to add detail to the cardboard....just squirt elmer's glue in swirly designs and let it dry.  When it is spray painted, the designs show up!  

The last dollar was spent on tinfoil cooking pans for his leg armor.

But about that sword.  Diego and I found that buried in our yard a year ago...we were traipsing through the forest and something caught my eye.  "Hey, what's this?"  And we started digging.... a few minutes later, Diego pulled out this amazing sword just like King Arthur's sword, Excalibur.  And it still lights up and makes clanking armor noises!

He takes his costume roles very seriously.

And then there's Joaquin.

He is a lover of anything with a big head.  (Hmmm?)  He decided to be a bobble head of his favorite soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo.  And I think his costume only cost $4.00...some poster board and craft foam for a giant number one finger.

We made a base out of cardboard for the school costume contest.  It was cut down the middle so he was able to shuffle along as they paraded around the gym.  But, as the saying goes...all good things must come to an end.  There were no trophies this year.  And I, for one, am relieved.  The only thing bad about winning each year is this:  there's only one place left to go after you win...down.  I felt this crazy pressure to win.  Even though I love being creative, I don't like being judged on my creativity.  Now that we've lost, I breath a sigh of relief.  I even said out loud, "Poor Carmen...she's never going to know the feeling of wearing some goofy homemade costume that her mom made from cardboard and hot glue...store-bought from here on out."

I'm sure I'll be taking that back next year.