Semi Homemade Halloween Costumes

A few years ago, I recall my mom at one point telling me that I was going to end up like Sandra Lee, a semi homemade cook. I’m pretty sure I took offense as Sandra Lee’s tablescapes creep me out and I aspire to be a cook like Ina Garten aka Barefoot Contessa (btw her new cookbook is amazing). I hate to admit it, but she was right. I have become more of a semi homemade type person in all aspects of my life. There just aren’t enough hours in the day! This semi homemade lifestyle, applies to Halloween costumes as well. I normally purchase items from a few different places and piece them together but this year I’ve taken things a bit further and I’m even attempting to sew! Read on for my TAKE on a semi homemade Halloween costume.

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PJ Masks Semi Homemade Halloween Costumes

My son George, has had his heart set on being Cat Boy from the Disney Jr animated series, PJ Masks since last spring. Lucy, my oldest is content enough dressing as Owlette so naturally, I thought we should dress Maggie as Gecko to complete the entire PJ Masks trio.

Due to the semi homemade nature of these costumes I have both bought and made (am still making) pieces of them with the help of our amazing nanny. In regards to the purchased items it’s really just the core of the costume aka the pajamas and masks. I’ve been shopping at Primary.com for the past year and have been really pleased with their products Anyways, because of their primary color offerings it was a no-brainer to purchase the long sleeve pj top and pants via their site for all the kids. The pj’s are made of pretty thick cotton but because Halloween weather is hit or miss in Chicago they are all going to wear their favorite Cuddl Duds base layers underneath for added warmth. Just this week Primary.com launched cozy mittens and I’m thinking I may need to snag these too!

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In order to make their pajama sets truly feel like PJ Mask pajama sets I did what any mother would do…I turned to Etsy.com. I quickly was able to find a shop that specialized in a variety of iron on transfer pieces both in glitter and and non-glitter versions. They even have vinyl decals for Romeo, Ninjalino and Luna Girl in case my husband and I decide to join in on the theme. Believe it or not this if my first time using any iron on decals but these were all well made and easy to apply. Plus, they truly elevate the status of these pajamas andI know my kids will want to wear these to bed for months to come.

In addition to the pajamas and the character themed decals I also purchased character masks. I found these masks on Amazon but I’ve also seen them at Target. The masks are made of plastic yet are comfortable enough to wear and include an adjustable strap. Maggie is a bit scared of hers but the older two have been wearing them non-stop!

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For the remaining aspects of the costumes which we are doing sans patterns, I’ve been focusing on cutting scales, feathers and stripes whereas, our nanny and her sewing machine have made a cape for Owlette and tails for Gecko and Cat Boy. There have been countless trips to Joann Fabrics where I discovered one of my favorite new products, HeatnBond. HeatnBond is an iron-on adhesive which has literally saved me and my non-proficient sewing skills hours of work. We’re nearly in the final stretch of this costume making adventure and I’ll be sure to share the final products via my Instagram account. At one point, I was even thinking of turning our Radio Flyer wagon into the Gecko Mobile for trick-or-treating but perhaps my need for sleep will overrule this lofty idea.

My husband has asked multiple times over the month whether or not I’ll try to make parts of their costumes again…and I won’t say never but it’s been time consuming and costly as I needed to bulk up my fabric/sewing supplies. So…I might take a year off. I mean, Pottery Barn Kids always has darling costumes but then again, I’m sure I will come up with some sort of crazy idea that I will want to execute on. Either way, homemade, semi homemade or store-bought Halloween costumes are just fun!

Happy Halloween!

Halloween Happenings

There is something about having littles around the house that makes decorating for the holidays especially exciting. Halloween is no exception. I try not to go crazy with decorations as storing said decorations can prove challenging in our city home but I wanted to share some of my tips and favorite Halloween decor.

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Kate's Tips

  • I wait until October 1st to start decorating
  • I select items for our front door/stoop area that can easily transition into November
  • I include the kids in the task of decorating (I mean it's an activity, right?)
  • I try to introduce one new decoration each year
  • I love to have coordinating Halloween costumes for the kids but my eldest is quite opinionated so this year I've opted for two costumes:
    • One coordinating sibling costume (it's all about the photo-op)
    • One costume that each child will wear Trick-or-Treating

Halloween Decor from Left to Right:

  1. Potted Yellow Mums 2. Pumpkin Door Hanger 3. Black Crows perched on Pumpkins 4. Novelty Pumpkins a la Trader Joe's 5.  Posable Black Bats 6. Black Spiders crawling down the fireplace          7. Trick or Treat Banner (similar styles found at Target) 8. My favorite Schleich Animals adorned with Meri Meri Witch Hats