Some of my favorite Halloween memories are of trick or treating in costumes my mother had sewn for us. I became a Geisha Girl, Turn-of-the-Century bathing beauty and even Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (I was in my 30's for that one). I'm not a seamstress, but when my kids were growing up I still liked the idea of homemade costumes, rather than the cheapo-looking ones you got at Kmart, so I improvised. One of the favorite costumes I "made" was The Joker (original Jack Nicholson version) for my son Brad. I got a cheap cotton jacket and long sleeved shirt at Goodwill and dyed them purple (jacket) and orange (shirt) with Rit dye. A chiffon aqua scarf I wore for my sister's wedding was tied into a bow, and some gloves, a large felt hat and walking stick, rounded out the outfit. Of course, the Joker's make-up was essential to make the costume complete. He looked great and I think it was one of his favorite costumes. Goodwill is a great source for cheap costumes and Party City has a lot of accessories to complete your outfits. As long as you get the main items right, people will get the idea of your costume- it doesn't have to be Martha Stewart perfect. I keep a costume box that I pull out for inspiration for new costumes. With the fake pearls, long white gloves, a cigarette holder and a tiara I have, a young girl can become Audrey Hepburn at Breakfast at Tiffany's (just add a black dress). Another alternative is exchanging costumes with a friend who has a child the same age, or shopping at the consignment store. As for my stepdaughters, one is re-using her Whoopee Cushion costume, one is going to be a cowgirl (we bought a hat and gun) with a flannel shirt and jeans she already has and the third, of course, is undecided. Family Fun's website has good ideas for homemade, no-sew costumes and I'm sure there are other ideas on the Internet. Although people seem to spend a fortune these days on Halloween costumes, my point is, you don't need to. It's more fun and rewarding to be creative.
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