Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Homemade Halloween



(Pocohontas and a gameboy)

This year in the USA alone
2.6 billion will be spent on Halloween costumes 
330 million will be spent on pet costumes


unicorn

When I think of the medical research 
that money would provide for, 
or the head start programs
that could be funded,
or benefits to disabled veterans...
(especially 330 mil for pet costumes...)
I feel a little sad and perplexed
at our priorities.


50's gal

We handmade our costumes at oldgreymare


tiger and a marionette


Dorothy and an I Mac


The sewing machine and glue guns would be in use for days


very little money spent,
lots of love invested
great memories

21 comments:

Razmataz said...

It is ridiculous. Second hand stores should be full of them. Its hard for low income families to get costumes. My son's friend runs a used clothing program for new immigrants and she collects Halloween costumes for the kids. Personally I don't like Halloween. Think of all the money on pumpkins too....$5.00 each tossed in the trash the next day.

Karen thisoldhouse2.com said...

Oh, the memories... all of these are terrific!

Jill said...

Fabulous costumes!! I loved making costumes too. I had so many with the older kids but the younger ones have been able to wear a lot of the ones I had in storage. One time I bought two store made ones from a garage sale (gasp!) but the little gals needed something and I had no time. Yours are just really neat.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

I always made my kids costumes also! That is so much money for so little in costumes!!

Claus said...

I've also been a fan of home made costumes. It does put your mind to work!, and creativity. It makes the costume all the more special and unique.

Curtains in My Tree said...

WEll us see if I can remember that far back to what my 3 kids wore for Halloween costumes LOL

I think we just came up with old clothing maybe a mask but never a store bought costume

Halloween is to scary for me these days

Debbie said...

That was part of the fun...making our own costumes for the girls.
These photos are precious!
xo

Anonymous said...

Just found your blog & love your costumes. We always had homemade costumes. That was the fun the kids coming up with ideas& me trying to make it happen. We had a lot of fun & lots of great costumes. I had 4 kids so it added up to a lot of costumes. Goodwill, thrift stores etc were great. We always had a " dress up box" of thrift finds to use too. Love your site. I tried to sign up for email subscribing & got a message that it was not enabled on the site. I'd like to subscribe if I can. Hopefully it's just a glitch.

Tanya said...

My kids never had a store bought costume...these photos are so great - and holy crap! Who was inside the Dumbo costume? :-)

jffollies said...

We are having a large haunting in the woods that is an collaborative effort. Garage sale for $45.00 yielded enough stuff to alter and decorate 1/4 mile of trail. Lots of handmade oil lanterns and Swedish chimneys will light the way. Handmade costumes are in order. Still loving your blog.

Nella Miller said...

Dear Suz, I have tears in my eyes looking at these adorable photos this morning...so much like you..I made all my boys outfits, every year...it took me weeks and I loved every minute of it..I see the consumerism, pop up Halloween stores, giant stores and money spent every year...saddens me really...N.xo

Kathy Simpson said...

Growing up we always used what we had on hand since we couldn't spend the money on extras. But I have bought and I have made costumes for my kids in the past. Both cost an arm and a leg to do. Supplies are not cheap. Put it under entertainment and enjoy seeing the kids have fun. If we looked at everything as how it could help others we would never go out to eat or to the movies either. How sad. Those are some great costumes you have made.

Claudia said...

I agree. Such a waste of money when something homemade and heartfelt would be so much less expensive and so much more satisfying.

I'm constantly talking to Don about this or that amount of money that I perceive as frivolous spending and how it could be used for something much needed for the good of all.

xo
Claudia

time worn interiors said...

I always made my kids costumes, as a single mother I couldn't afford to buy them. Wish I knew where my photos were.
tot

Tracey Broome said...

Yep, here come the candy holidays. I can barely walk in to a retail store this time of year, the Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas things are all piled on top of each other in the aisles, I just hate it!
We made costumes here too or I got them from the theaters costume dept. even now Wesley is planning her costume, I brought her small tree branches yesterday, she is planning a Bambi outfit haha!

Cindy said...

Hey! Remember me??? I have been out of the loop lately and catching up with my very favorite blog! Don't get me started on foolish crazy money spent on foolish crazy stuff..
Your children are very lucky to have such a creative, fun Mom to make them look super cute for Halloween! Good Job Mom!

xo

Rebecca said...

I can't comprehend that...
but it is like anything else. Who we hold up as icons and money spent on it...
I don't even want to go there
Blessings today
R

Jillayne said...

Yep, we are daft - so many things done without even thinking about them... My mom always made teh costumes for us four kids and I always made them for mine - it was great fun and we all loved it...
A few years back, in the local drugstore, there was a sign that stipulated there were no returns on Hallowe'en costumes after the 20th of October - my daughter explained to me that so many people try to return after they have used them that stores have had to limits refunds - I couldn't believe people would do that!?!

June said...

Can you imagine it Z??? It's hard to even grasp that so much money is spent on Halloween. And to think I only bought a new broom.
My favorite photos are the ones of my children's crazy homemade costumes. Most of the time they hadn't decided what they would be until the night before.

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend Z. It's always a heartbreaking thing to lose those close to us. It seems to always take the wind out of my sails for awhile. I hope you can feel my hugs tonight sweetpea.
much love...

erin's art and gardens said...

love, love, LOVE all the handmade costumes!! so cute and you are a gal after my own heart...i always tried to make the kids outfits too. can we talk about all the money spent!! especially on pet costumes. what the heck?!

the old white house said...

You know it! My hot glue gun is on full time a few days before... this year Hannah made her own, including doing her make up. I felt a bit left out but was so proud of her! I thought about the fun the families are missing out on when I went to Max's school for the Halloween parade and saw that store bought costumes out number the homemade ones by crazy amounts once again. All of your points about where the money could go are so right! t.xoxo