Costumes from Halloweens Past

On the first Halloween after our marriage, we began a tradition of costumes. We choose a theme together, and our costumes are home-made (or home-assembled) and done on a budget. We love making silly poses and mugging for the camera on Halloween, and I enjoy making the costumes for us in the days leading up to it. I'm very excited about our costumes this year, which are about 75% finished, but for now I'd like to share our costumes from Halloweens past.

2013
Wreck-It Ralph: Ralph and Vanellope

I enjoy movies involving lots of candy even more than horror films around Halloween, but Wreck-It Ralph is one of our favorites any time of year. These costumes were great fun to put together. A few pieces were thrifted, and some we already had - like the orange t-shirt and shorts. I used Rit color-remover and dye to color my formerly navy leggings teal, and I also dyed the green plaid insert on Ralph's costume. We couldn't find inexpensive overalls, so I pinned an overall bib I made from scrap fabric to a pair of my husband's shorts. He really wanted the cookie award to be part of  his costume, so I constructed it from polymer clay, which I also used for my hair candy. The stripes on my legs were white duct tape. My hair was colored dark brown at the time, which worked for the costume, but we used some temporary hair color spray to cover my husband's blonde.

Favorite part: hair candy and Ralph's award

If I did it again: bake more of the hair candy pieces directly on to the bobby pins instead of trying to attach them with beading wire (too clumsy, and snags your hair)!

2013

Syberia: Kate Walker and Oscar

I was rather proud of these last-minute Syberia costumes I assembled from things around our house. This was a few days before Halloween, also last year. Nothing was purchased for these costumes. (I already owned a pair of steampunk goggles, haha). These costumes were based on how the characters appear in the 2004 game, Syberia II, which was perfect for wearing outdoors in the brisk weather. 

Favorite part: cutting the fingers off a pair of damaged leather gloves and turning them inside out to get the effect I was looking for. Also, drawing a metallic mustache on my husband's face with silver eye-liner.

If I did it again: I'd love to create accurate versions of these costumes someday, though - paying special attention the automaton costume.

2012

Lackadaisy: Rocky and Ivy

This was our first Halloween together, and these costumes were somewhat last-minute (we were married earlier that month)! I'm a big fan of Tracy J. Butler's comic, Lackadaisy. Cats, prohibition, St. Louis, pancakes and so much more. That's all I'm going to say about it. It must be read. Our costumes were inspired by human versions of two of our favorite characters. My husband's trousers, suspenders and tie were thrifted, and I purchased some yellow Rit dye to color my dress and fabric for the scarf and hat embellishment. Everything else we found in our own closets.

Favorite part: flirting with the Roaring '20s.

If I did it again: make the little club pins (which the characters in the comic wear) from polymer clay.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any photos of your past Halloween costumes, please feel free to link to them in the comments - I'd love to see them!

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