I really miss those days of fretting and stressing over putting together a semi-decent looking costume for the kids.   Yea…right!

Some moms are so creative and crafty they can throw together a costume in a matter of hours with things they already have around the house.  That just wasn’t my forte’.  I would spend hours and hours at the fabric stores, craft stores and my sewing machine in a valid attempt to create the perfect dinosaur or the most beautiful princess.

Usually my efforts were rewarded with lots of  “it’s okay” or “I don’t want to be a princess” .  Whew!  Those days are now behind me, but I still love seeing all the creative costumes parents come up with every year.

For those of you who are still looking for that easy to make costume, that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg…here’s one I wanted to share. This one came from “Martha”.  Yes, it’s a Martha Stewart idea and when I got this in my mailbox I just had to share it with those who are still stressing over throwing together something quick/easy/and inexpensive.

It’s the “Grocery Store” costume.  We’re in the midst of a huge October snow storm here in Colorado, so the grocery bags might not hold up to the weather in our area, but it may be the saving grace for those of you in warmer/less wet climates.  I thought this was really clever, and something even I could throw together on the fly. Again, give the credit to Martha and her viewers…here it is:

grocery_store_halloween_costume

grocery_store_halloween_costume

Cowboy
Howdy, pardner. To turn your kid into a charismatic cowboy, just rustle up some brown-paper grocery and trash-compactor bags. When you get home, snip and punch them into a fringed vest and chaps, then add paper-fastener studs and candy-cup conchos. A mop-maned horse is ready to accompany this rider on a hunt for candy.

Tools and Materials
1 pack trash-compactor bags
1 box brass paper fasteners
1 paper grocery bag
1 pack foil candy cups
1 aluminum loaf pan
1 rope-style mop head
1 pair shoelaces

Chaps How-To
1. Using our templates as a guide, draw chaps onto an upside-down trash-compactor bag. Fold up open end for cuffs. Cut out chaps.

2. Stud each leg along outer edge using a hole punch and brass paper fasteners; push fasteners through top fold of gusset only so bag will still expand.

3. Decorate some fasteners with flattened foil candy cups and thin strips of brown paper; fringe edge of each leg.

4. Punch holes through each leg at inside of knee, upper thigh, and waist; use shoelaces to tie chaps over jeans.

Vest How-To
1. Cut away sides of a medium size paper grocery bag; think of bag’s bottom as the shoulders. Draw bottom portion of the vest pattern onto front of bag, and the top portion onto bag’s bottom.

2. Cut front and top of bag along tracing (back of bag remains intact). Fringe bottom edge.

3. Punch holes in front and back of vest, as indicated, and insert brass fasteners.

4. Loop rubber bands between fasteners at sides and at front to hold vest closed.

Hat How-To
1. For crown of hat, punch hole in center of each long side of an aluminum loaf pan, and crease down the middle.

2. For brim, use our brim template to draw hat brim onto kraft paper. Cut out along outer edge, and cut out center.

3. Cut tabs along inside edge; tape to inside of pan. Thread shoelaces through holes in pan and knot on outside.

4. For the belt buckle: Draw an oval onto cardboard. Cut out.

5. Cover in foil, and stud with brass fasteners. Use duct tape to fasten buckle to a strip of corrugated cardboard cut across the grain, long enough to wrap around the waist.

Here’s a link to Martha Stewart’s site for more of these easy to make last minute Halloween costumes.

Enjoy…and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!