There are lots of debates regarding whether or not kids should participate in Halloween. When it comes to witches, skeletons, and grown men with chainsaws, I get it.
However, I’ve always been a big fan of holidays, particularly those that give me the chance the dress up and act a fool.
I even participated when I was seven months pregnant . . . twice.
So you can imagine my excitement when I had kids that I got to drag into my shenanigans. It’s always a family affair. We’ve been farmers with a wee little chicken and Super Mom with Clark Kent.
Adding the second child really made me up my game when it came to coordinating costumes.
I imagine there will come a day when one of them wants to be a fireman while the other wants to dress up as a viking, but while they’re young, I get to take full advantage of the opportunity to dress them up any way I like. And I tend to like themes.
There are a ton of ideas out there for sibling costumes (thank you, Pinterest, for capitalizing on our creativity), most of which you can make on your own without spending a small fortune on vinyl costumes.
Last year, we had a couple of different events to attend, so I used up two fantastic ideas in one year. I won’t make that mistake again.
This year, I kept it super simple. Because I love literature and I love little boys, and I love that they aren’t begging me to be Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles yet . . . I went with the classic Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn.
These costumes didn’t involve any purchases whatsoever. We had everything we needed right in our closets. I will probably purchase a couple of unused paint cans when we trick-or-treat, and I may fashion a fishing pole out of a stick for the youngest, but I think they turned out pretty fantastic.
Here are a few simple guidelines for costumes.
Think Outside the Halloween Aisle
While the aisles of Target and Wal-Mart may provide inspiration, try to come up with costumes that reflect either individual personalities or at least something you’re interested in. Storybooks, movies, hobbies . . . . I even saw one fantastic brother/sister combo where the brother wore a box painted as a washing machine and the little sister was strapped into a laundry basket with dirty clothes. Think about things you’ve got around the house or accessories you can pick up at the lumber yard. Scour thrift stores and yard sales. You’d be surprised at the ideas that start forming when you’re looking at a spool of yarn and a tennis racket.
Spend Less on the Costume and More on the Outfit
My little Tom Sawyer is wearing overalls that he will be able to wear all season long; although he will most likely be wearing a shirt and some shoes as well. Huck Finn, on the other hand, might end up looking just like he does in this picture, because he’s not big on button-down shirts. Try to pick pieces that can be worn more than once or at least added to the dress up bin, or else you’re spending a good chunk of money on one day a year.
Safety Pins Are Your Friend
While I did stitch up the kids’ little trick-or-treat bags last year, I am not a seamstress. Safety pins not only save time (and embarrassment . . . lest your White Rabbit loses his stitched-in tail along the way), but they also allow items to be re-used. For example, I made the cheshire cat costume out of footed pajamas. I safety pinned the fur for the tail and and around his wrists, so that my son could sleep in his pajamas for the rest of the year.
Participate
Thing 1 and Thing 2 make great costumes, but they’re even better when Mom or Dad is dressed up as the Cat in the Hat. Have a little Mario and Luigi on your hands? Well, what fun is it if they don’t have a princess to save? Your kids are only young for a little while, and they might not always be as keen on having their parents tag along. Join the party while you can. They might roll their eyes at the pictures when they’re older, but at least they’ll know that you were as into it as you expected them to be.
Share pics of your themed, coordinating family costumes!
