Last minute Halloween costume

At the beginning of October ago, Corinne told me she wanted to be a mummy for Halloween.  Of course, Nathan chose to be the same thing as his big sister.  I had planned to make a mummy costume following this tutorial.  We had many things going on in October with Stephanie’s wedding, a week long vacation planned, and a very busy work schedule for me this month.  I was planning on spending nights last week getting the mummy costume together.  It really didn’t seem HARD, just a bit time consuming, but also worth it for the great looking end product. 

Well, on the way back from Florida, 1 WEEK before Halloween, Nathan decided he wanted to be a pumpkin.  Corinne followed suit.  With 1 week to go, where was I going to find a pumpkin costume?  I was so thankful that my friend Sharon, who has 3 girls, had a pumpkin costume she could lend me for Corinne.  I went to Target looking for something for Nathan and I did not find anything.  I did not get a chance to look for one at any other stores – again a busy week at work that interrupted real life (1 more week of this thank goodness).  So, I began thinking how can I throw together a pumpkin costume for Nathan?  Hmmm, paint some cardboard and hang it on him somehow??? 

Then I remembered an orange shirt, donated to me from Stephanie, that was in the Goodwill pile BECAUSE, although it was a cute shirt, the color reminded me too much of a pumpkin.  Wouldn’t that be perfect?  I so wish I had a before picture…It is a lined knit shirt.  The outside knit had some flowers throughout the fabric, but it would not be very manly.  Luckily the shirt was lined with a solid orange.  I cut off the sleeves (which were sort of capped, again – too girly), made the shirt inside out, attached black shapes for the jack-o-lantern, and stuffed it with newspaper.  We zip-tied the sides to sort of plump up the pumpkin.  I think it came out really well!

I took a lot of pictures because I thought he looked so hilarious.  Even Corinne kept laughing at him.

   

All in all, I think it came out well.  He was happy to wear it, we had to put it on and off for the fittings, the trip in the car, a trip to the neighbors, etc., and each time he was ok to take it off and put it back on again.

I think we are going to keep it around…if I just put it down on the ground, it looks like a great Halloween decoration.  Maybe the head of a stuffed person next year for our front porch…lol.  The Great Pumpkin landing at our house.  Yes, Charlie Brown, he will be at OUR pumpkin patch next year!