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Monday, September 26, 2011

Green Your Halloween–Repurposing Costumes





Halloween 2009                                       Halloween 2010
Family Pictures - 11-09 208IMG_1843
Halloween is coming up soon, my kids are already thinking about it and making plans.  For us it involves more than just Trick or Treating. There is a Fall Carnival at school, where students are encouraged to dress up in costume, we try to hit the local Halloween Parade/Trick of Treating in the big town on the Saturday before Halloween and then of course there is the big candy night.  Follow all that up with a get together with other Catholic Families to celebrate All Saints Day and we have a busy week. For my kids that often means a change of costumes as well. They like to have their options.  This is only compounded by the fact that we often go from 80 degrees during that week to 40. Necessitating different options for clothes. 
What is any sane, rational mom of three kids who like to dress up in costumes to do? We have many routes we take here at the Granola Catholic Home
Today I would like to talk to you about repurposing costumes and clothes you already have.
In the above photos, Peanut is wearing parts of a Pavada, a traditional Indian outfit  for the Bollywood Look  Pumpkin is dressed as High King Peter , his “tunic” is actually an old dress up skirt that I made for the girls a long time ago. We paired it with a pair of sister’s leggings and a body armor undershirt. Accessories from the dollar store or the dress up trunk. Pi is a pirate. She is wearing a velvet cape, that is in actuality an old velvet skirt of mine that was no longer flattering.  The tunic is homemade not by me. I purchased it at a thrift shop for $6.99 we finished out the outfit with another pair of leggings.  Last year Pi wanted to repurpose the tunic and  create a different outfit, but she grew about 4 inches. So Peanut got her chance. She choose to be a fairy with the same basic piece. We added wings fro the dollar store and a homemade wand. A “new” costume for just $1.  I just love repurposing clothes and costumes from home to create something new. And that is a good thing, because my kids will change costumes right up to the moment the step out the door to go trick or treating.
National Costume Swap Day
Now I recognize that not everyone is crafty and creative, so how about checking out the National Costume Swap Day. This year, October 8th is national Costume Swap Day. Do you still have last year’s Halloween costumes? Are they in good shape? If you are not planning on repurposing them yourself you might want to find a Costume Swap event near you.

this post is linked up with It's a Keeper 

7 comments:

Dwija {House Unseen} said...

I've never heard of costume swap. Great idea!

Lisa - the Granola Catholic said...

The Great Costume Swap is coming up on Oct 8th. Check for a location near you.

Charise @ I Thought I Knew Mama said...

Very creative!

Thanks for linking up at Green & Natural Mamas Thursday every week!

Lisa - the Granola Catholic said...

Charise, in fact my two daughters were trying to figure out how to use that same costume again this year. Not bad for a $6 investment. I think they both have dibs on it for different events, one for a school dance another for a Halloween Run.

Anonymous said...

That's great! I'll have to check into that Costume Swap! :)
Hi! New follower from the FNF Blog Hop! I hope you'll stop by my blog and follow back! Thanks! :)
Through the Eyes of a Tiger

mythreewonders said...

I was so excited this year because each of my three wanted to be something that we already have! We were fortunate to be given a whole set of costumes and dress-up clothes about a year ago to add to our collection. From this, each was able to choose (all on their own) something that they wanted to be for Halloween. Otherwise, I would definitely be checking out the resale shops and the National Costume Swap Day!

Lisa - the Granola Catholic said...

I too keep a dress up bin. Nowadays it is in a vintage leather suitcase. Even my BIG kids still dress up from time to time. One year for Christmas I made some dress up clothes for my then little girls, I think we finally passed them on to a cousin last year. I just love having dress up clothes, and even my son enjoys them.

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