Halloween is here again. That means it’s time to pull out the credit card for candy, cotton cobwebs and that $50 Catwoman costume, right? Not necessarily. With a little creativity and a trip to the craft store, you and your kids can put together some simple yet snazzy get-ups that will have the neighbors oohing and aahing come trick-or-treat time.
Ladybug and butterfly costumes
For each costume:
1 large piece felt (red for the ladybug, black for the butterfly)
1 safety pin
Smaller pieces of felt for the spots (black for the ladybug, orange, yellow and red for the butterfly)
1 plastic headband
1 package pipe cleaners
2 black pompom balls
1 black shirt or sweatshirt
1 pair black pants
tacky glue
To make the cape, cut the large piece of felt into a circle. The size will depend on how big your child is. If you want the cape to hang down 2 feet on each side, cut the circle to about 4 feet in diameter. Cut a straight line from the edge to the center and cut out a smaller circle in the middle (big enough to go around your child’s neck). Using the smaller pieces of felt, cut the spots and attach them to the cape with tacky glue.
For the antenna, wrap one end of a pipe cleaner around a headband. Twist the remaining part into a loose coil and attach the pompom balls to the end with more tacky glue.
When the glue is dry, put the cape on over black pants and a black shirt and secure the cape loosely at the neck with a safety pin. Slide the headband antenna on, flap your wings and be on your merry way.