Oct. 28--There are two kinds of do-it-yourself costumes: those made with artistic intention and those made from 11th-hour desperation.
If you're in the second camp, never fear! With a few household items plus one trip to a grocery, hardware or costume store for an inexpensive accessory or two, your children can hit the sidewalks looking like their parents are Martha Stewart and Lou Manfredini.
Although Chicago-based custom costume designer Anna Glowacki works much further ahead, she insists that parents and kids can quickly come up with the bones of a costume by using common household materials. We tapped her (along with a few other experts) to compile this top 10 list of building blocks for a last-minute costume. Read on, then warm up that hot glue gun and let your child's interests be your guide.
1. Cardboard. "It's my absolute favorite material," Glowacki says. "There are so many things you can do with it -- astronaut, superheroes." Cardboard (and some paint) can create a Minecraft character. It can transform into superhero shields and swords, fairy or unicorn wings. Glowacki used cardboard once to go as the Daley Plaza Picasso sculpture. Cut holes to turn your child into a car, firetruck or robot. For the latter, top off the head with a spaghetti strainer, suggests Fantasy Costumes manager Cathy Bunger.
2. An oversized hoodie. "It can go a long way, especially for little kids," Glowacki says. They're comfortable and cozy, and the beginnings of a hat are built in, she adds. You can use it as the baseline rabbits, unicorns and a menagerie of other species. For a green hoodie, craft spikes out of rolled paper, lightweight cardboard or stiff felt to create a dinosaur or lizard. (Hot-glue or pin on any appendages.) Pin a cottonball tail to the back of a white one for a rabbit. A snug yellow hoodie worn under denim overalls, plus a few pieces of felt to create a goggled eyeball and sprigs of hair, creates a "Despicable Me" Minion.
3. A mop head. It can be a beard for a Harry Potter wizard, a wig for a witch, and a mane for a lion. "If you do something silly like going as food, you can wear the mophead as noodles for spaghetti and meatballs, and carry a giant fork (made of cardboard)," says Glowacki. Rope is an alternative when you need more length for something like a Rapunzel braid.
4. Rippled coffee filters. Paint a bunch and glue them together to look like flowers for a garden fairy. Or color them black or white for dead flowers for a corpse bride. Fold them in half to look like seashells for a mermaid, Glowacki said. "If you iron one out, you can make a mask that's see-through. It may not be as sturdy as a paper plate, but filters are lightweight and breathable -- so you can craft a Spider-Man mask that he just might wear past the front door.
5. Duct tape. You had to see this one coming! Duct tape can be folded in half to make a Wonder Woman belt, boot covers and cuffs. Or use it to make pockets for any superhero's utility belt. "It's also great for making three-dimensional shapes like a bird beak," Glowacki said.
6. Foam pipe covers. You can find these in any hardware store's plumbing section. "I've used these for so many different things," including tentacles for an octopus, legs for a spider and anything with extensions, Glowacki says. She once used them as snakes for a Medusa headpiece. "I bought one wig that I wore and another that I cut up and wrapped and glued around the pipe covers. I stuck wire in a few of them to shape them."
7. Felt. "It's probably my No. 1 fave for last-minute fabric," Glowacki says. "It doesn't fray, it has a lot of structure, it glue-guns easily together." A baby can be turned into just about any form of fowl with felt-cut feathers glued to a onesie and infant cap. "And felt is great for someone scared of sewing," she adds.
8. Latex balloons. The classic purple bunch of grapes is just the beginning of what's possible with balloons and a good set of lungs. Abby Larson of Style Me Pretty uses clear and pearl white latex balloons to create a bubble-bath costume for one or two kids. (For instructions, see www.stylemepretty.com/living/2013/10/22/diy-halloween-costume-bubble-bath/.) An even simpler variation: a spa girl with a towel turban, bathrobe, flipflops and white face paint (or cold cream). For boys, add black balloons to the ends of a broom handle to start a Strong Man weightlifter costume.
9. Tutus. Any household previously or currently occupied by a preschool girl is likely to have a tutu or two, which, depending on the color, is a jumping-off point for the obvious ballerina, a fairy, an angel (white), a clown (red), a leprechaun (green), a cat (black) or a pumpkin (orange), according to the experts at BuyCostumes.com. A tutu can also be the crux of the look for Minnie Mouse, a Disney princess or a Monster High character.
10. A black eye pencil. Stitches and "seams" drawn with a black makeup pencil can launch a thousand costumes, including a classic ragdoll, a scarecrow, Frankenstein (or Frankie, his Monster High descendant). Spring for face paint to greatly expand your options (think green for a witch and red for anything grisly). With a few other colors, you can paint La Muerte, the Day of the Dead-inspired character from the just-released animated movie "The Book of Life."
