When I was a kid, my father made the most amazing Bullwinkle Moose mask out of paper mâché and chicken wire. It was easily 4 feet wide, and I loved every second I spent staring out one eye hole or the other. And he made my brother this awesome robot costume with dryer tubing for arms and enough room that reed could crouch down to low and then spring up like the robot had come to life.
And now that I have my own pair of kiddos, I love making those high-impact kind of costumes for them. And Halloween is really the perfect excuse to jump into a costume project with both feet and my whole being.
So between now and the week of Halloween, I’m going to bring you 4 amazing costumes that I’m making, each in their own post and each with super simple to follow instructions so you can make your own. There’s the Hot Air Balloon Pilot, the Jellyfish, a classic Ghost with a twist, and Wonder Woman. I want your kiddos (or you!) to feel that kind of sheer joy that comes with dressing up so perfectly.
This year, Julia’s costume is that kind of perfect! It’s girl power meets fantasy, explorer meets The Wizard of Oz, and we made it together, so double bonus.
Supplies are easily found. There are no trips to the Party Store for oversized balloons that can pop or stress over how to cut the bottom out of a wicker basket without the rest of the basket falling apart. This really is the high-impact, simple version of that costume.
Click over to Bon Bon Break right now to read my tutorial of how to make your very own hot air balloon for Halloween (or anytime).
And if you want to see the costumes in action, I’m taking them to Lowcountry Live on Monday, October 26, for a kid-sized Halloween Fashion show. I’ll be sharing clips and all the fun on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. So come one and follow along!
Click here to see Max’s Light Up Jellyfish!
Or an amazing, spooky Tulle Ghost Costume