Happy Halloween

My computer has been in the repair shop and I can't tell you how relieved I am to have it back! I probably need to replace it, but hopefully it will last until after the holidays. Honestly, I felt as though I'd lost one of my arms when it was away. 

I'm not a fan of Halloween in the UK. I think they should stick with Guy Fawkes Night. Bonfires are outlawed now for safety reasons and so it has become Fireworks night. They set off fireworks over here with the least of excuses, and of course have to practice/use surpluses for weeks before and after. I'm just glad I don't have a nervous dog around like some of my neighbours.

Anyhow, I do like to remember some of my frugal / creative successes of the past, even if I'm happy not to remember most of the other stuff back then. This is my first frugal Halloween costume. I started with 'What do I have already' and 'What would Johnny like?'. I had a room full of stuff to consider and the film Captain Hook had just come out. Can't say I ever saw it, but it was the 'thing' just then.

What I had:

A not-very-old beautiful red coat that the moths had got to. I couldn't bear to throw it away, but it wasn't really wearable either. Couldn't afford to have it fixed.

Mom's sewing boxes full of gold and silver rick-rack trim

An old white blouse of Mom's with a 'secretary bow'

My workout pants (black lycra)

An old black belt

The hook from a hanging shower gel bottle

Liquid eyeliner

Aluminum foil

Black felt




What I bought: 

A black wig for a witch and I cut out the white streaks and cut it off to a blunt shoulder length cut ($1)

A plastic sword ($1)



A library book showed how to make a tri-corn hat with a wire clothes hanger and black felt and boot covers from black felt. Living in Salt Lake City / Mormon country where they have large families has loads of advantages and this was one.

I heated a large needle and poked holes around the shower gel hook covered with aluminum foil and stitched it to the end of the left sleeve of the red wool jacket.

The jacket was loose and slipped over his head. I covered the front, neckline and sleeve ends with a bunch of rick-rack and other bling. This was also put on the hat and the tops of the 'boots'.

The blouse was silky and I cut it down just so it would act as a liner between him and the jacket. It would also keep him warm when out trick-or-treating.

I painted him  a curly mustache with eyeliner.

He wore my work out pants, black trainers and the shoe-cover boots.

And of course he got to flourish the plastic sword and his 'hook-hand' so he loved it.

I loved that it cost $2 instead of the $60 I spent the previous year for a Mutant Ninja Turtle costume. And feeling that I'd finally used some sort of creative process that I always wished I'd inherited from my Mom. I felt she would have been proud of me.

I have to say that from then on I thought Halloween was probably the most fun about step-parenting I could possibly have.