Forgot to Buy Your Halloween Costume?
Now That’s Scary!
(ARA) - Halloween is around the corner. You run to your local Target or Big K to find a
Halloween Costume, but all the cute ones are gone. What do you do -- a ghost again? Not necessarily, says Jocelyn Leiser Herndon, an instructor in Fashion Design at The Art Institute of California – San Francisco.
“Two simple costume ideas that are great for both kids and adults are ‘The Cat in the Hat’
and
Witch costumes,” says Herndon. Several years ago, says Herndon, her brother came for a visit on
Halloween. Short on time, Herndon had him purchase a black shirt and pants. With red and white felt to make the hat and a small amount of black fabric to make a tail she built around a coat hanger, Herndon finished off the costume using a pair of
white gloves.
“For the
Witch, just about any black dress paired with striped socks or tights and black boots or shoes will do the trick,” she says. For the hat, Herndon suggests picking up an inexpensive
Straw Witch Hat (there are usually lots of these left, even after Halloween).
Another great costume for an adult is a cobweb. Pick up some cobweb printed fabric and make a poncho out of it by cutting a hole in the center for your head and wear with black clothes. For men, get a shirt that has spiders on it. For ladies, pick up a pair of spider covered tights (available at Halloween or specialty hosiery stores). For an added touch, buy a big furry spider from the decoration aisle and attach it to your head with hair pins or elastic as if it’s the spider in the web.
Spider Web Tablecover
Spider Decoration
For the minimalist, a
Scary Face
Mask is a simple way to go on Halloween. There are many good one-time-use inexpensive latex scarves available in all sorts of shapes and sizes these days, says Herndon. To enhance the “boo” factor, Herndon uses the following fake blood recipe (not suitable for eating, she cautions):
1 ounce red food coloring
1 tablespoon blue food coloring
2 ounces water
1 pint light corn syrup
Combine ingredients. Scare at will.
To learn more about The Art Institutes, visit www.artinstitutes.edu/nz.
The Art Institutes (www.artinstitutes.edu) is a system of more than 35 locations
located throughout North America providing an important
source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts
professionals.
Courtesy of ARAcontent
Halloween Costumes that You --
Yes, You -- Can Make in a Weekend
(
ARA)
- There’s something special about making a Halloween costume for your child.
Sure, you could head to the nearest big box retailer and pick up the latest superhero or
cartoon character outfit, but why not get creative this year and come up with a costume
that won’t get lost in a sea of look-alikes?
Halloween is the second largest sewing holiday, next to Christmas,
says Gayle Hillert, vice president, education and training for Bernina
of America. What could be more fun and creative than sewing a great
costume for your child -- you don’t have to worry about fit, you can use
all kinds of exciting fabrics, feet and machine stitches, and your kids
will be the talk of the neighborhood in their creative creations
lovingly sewn by Mom.
Making a Halloween costume doesn’t require professional sewing skills. If you can
stitch a straight line with your sewing machine, you’re in business. If you are a
more experienced sewer, you can get as intricate as you like. But even casual sewers can
achieve great results that you’ll be proud to include in the family photo album.
Here are a few costume-making tips from the experts at Bernina to get you started:
* Look for fast, simple patterns -- the fewer pieces, the better, especially if you
haven’t followed a pattern for a while.
* Use patterns that can multi-task -- for example, a cape pattern can be used for a
superhero or a witch. A princess, a fairy and a ballerina all dress alike with a few
changes (wings and magic wand for the fairy, pointy hat with netting for the princess,
etc.).
* Details make the difference -- don’t forget to include props and makeup in your
costume planning; they contribute to the illusion. A broomstick horse completes a cowboy
outfit; a cat needs eyeliner whiskers. Costume jewelry and scarves add pizzazz to a
pirate’s ensemble.
* Don’t sweat the small stuff -- costumes don’t have to be perfect. They are
usually for short-term use and are only worn one or two times. No one but you will know if
your hem isn’t blind-stitched or your seam allowances aren’t finished.
* Use what you have -- dig deep into your closet or visit local thrift stores for
costume pieces. A velour top and pants are the beginning of a great puppy or kitten
costume, for instance. One leg of an old pair of tights makes a great tail for those
outfits, or use several pairs to add extra arms and legs to an octopus or a spider.
* Check your presser feet and accessory collection -- the right tools will make the job
easier. Use a gathering foot for fast ruffles, a bias binder attachment or serger to
finish edges, elasticator to quickly apply elastic, bulky overlock foot to attach fringe,
coding and other trims.
* Use reflective fabrics and tapes -- this makes the costume safe for children to wear
at night. If you live in a cold climate, make sure the costume is big enough to be worn
over something warm.
* Get your kids involved in the process -- they’ll be proud to wear a costume
they’ve helped make.
Costume Idea Starters:
Turn an ordinary afternoon into something extraordinary!
Kids will love to play dress-up with imaginative costumes.
Make your party more memorable and get all guests involved with a costume contest! Reward the winners with tiaras & crowns.
Unlock fun with key chains as great party favors, prizes, and incentives.
Get a little wild with animal hats, spice things up with sombreros or have a western adventure with cowboy hats! Whether you're having a party, or a parade, top off your celebration with hats of all kinds.
Light up your night with glow jewelry!
Use as nighttime game gear for the sports fan, or as party favors for your evening events.
Bernina, a leading sewing machine manufacturer, recently introduced a new machine that helps make sewing easy. The bernette for Bernina is a user-friendly machine that features outstanding performance at an affordable price. Simple operation and variable stitch width ensure sewing satisfaction. Optional features like an automatic needle threader, LCD and slide speed control and a one-step buttonhole maker let even the occasional sewer create like a pro.
For more easy sewing tips, and to see the entire line of bernette for Bernina machines, visit www.berninausa.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
