Depending on the age of your little ones, you may want to keep ideas for toddler Halloween costumes on the simple side. Since most of the very youngest trick or treaters are only going out to amuse the grandparents and immediate neighbors, it needn’t be terribly complicated to still bring a lot of smiles.

For infants, and those who get tired of walking, animal costumes work very well, can be done in minutes, and don’t require great sewing skills.

Turn your toddler into a cow, with a white hooded shirt, white sweat pants, black wool and some black felt. Cut cow-type “splotches” out of the felt, and either use double-sided tape or easily removed basting stitches to attach to the shirt and pants. Remember to keep two triangular pieces of felt to tack ears onto the hood. A dozen pieces of wool, cut to about 18″, can be braided to make a tail for pinning to the seat of their pants. If the toddler is slightly older, and not likely to “bust your balloon”, buy one disposable glove at the drug store, tie off the thumb so no air can get in it, then inflate the glove, tie it off at the wrist, and pin to the belly of their shirt.

Cats and dogs are equally as simple, using the same matching shirt and pants combo, with a few accessories. For the dog, you can buy rubber/vinyl noses, or you can create your own hound dog face with a little makeup to match the shirt, and then draw on a black nose, and a black ring around one eye. Use felt to make a couple of oval-shaped ears, cutting one round end off, and tacking them to the hood of the shirt. The tail can be as easy as a piece of rope or cord, or you can sew a tube of felt and stuff it with quilt batting or lint from the dryer! For the finishing touch, cut down an old belt to create a “collar” and glue on some rhinestones.

Black cats are not only easy, they are delightfully charming ideas for toddler Halloween costumes. Get a matching black sweat pant and hooded shirt, plus black felt for the ears. Make sure you have a little pink felt as well, to glue to the inside of the black ear, to make it more realistic. Use make-up to draw on the nose and whiskers, and give your toddler black mittens, and black socks to wear over their shoes. You’re at the end of the job when you make a matching tail out of black felt, or a length of black cord from the curtain shop. A narrow black dress belt with rhinestones glued on, and a tiny bell, makes your kitten, purrrrrfectly divine.

Filed under : Halloween Costumes, Halloween For Kids

0 Comment »

Halloween is a great opportunity for children to dress up as their favorite cartoon or movie character, but also look cute and adorable for their parents at the same time. Even children who are too young to enjoy trick-or-treating can still get dressed up and enjoy Halloween, especially since there is a huge selection of baby Halloween costumes that can be found at almost any department or Halloween store.

There are so many different cute infant and baby Halloween costumes, so dressing a baby up is no problem on this holiday. Some of the most popular costumes are Halloween related, such as pumpkins, devils, spiders, and even baby witch costumes. Some other popular costumes include peapods, carrots, and many other vegetables that just look so adorable on any baby.

Costumes with masks should be kept for children who are a little bit older, because keeping a mask on a baby is a whole different story. Most infant costumes that have hats or some type of headpiece will normally include a strap to keep it on, since most babies will try to play with and pull off items that they are not used to wearing.

Beginning at about toddler age and up, children have a large choice of Halloween costumes to choose from when they go look for their favorite. They can dress up as just about anyone they choose. Most stores will cater with abandon to this age group, so there is a lot of selection. If there’s a popular movie out, such as the Shrek series, you will find any character from that movie. The same holds true for any character from the Harry Potter movies. Of course, Disney classics like Snow White are always favorites forevermore.

Little girls love costume’s with wings! Try either a fairy, angel or butterfly outfit. Or perhaps a character from one of your favorite afternoon television shows? Dora the Explorer and Bratz are easily found toddler Halloween costumes. But maybe the little girl you’re shopping for really wants to get into the spirit of Halloween. More scary choices include witches, ghosts and pirates – Argh! Of course you will want to ask for ideas before making any Halloween costume purchase.

Boys, too, have a lot to choose from for Halloween. Whatever their ages, they can be their favorite superhero, a zombie back from the dead, or Harry Potter, for example. They should have no problem finding something to fulfill whatever fantasy they have. Little boys old enough to wear a mask also love wearing these, since for this fun filled day, they can look like this like their favorite character.

Halloween costumes can be purchased at department stores, Halloween specialty stores, or even online. The most popular costumes are normally targeted to movies and television shows, but the classics and Halloween related costumes are also a favorite year after year. Halloween is a great time for toddlers, babies, and infants to dress up as their favorite characters, and it can be fun for the parents as well. You can let your children choose whatever they want for a costume this holiday season, or even pick a theme or movie that your entire family can be included in. Edited by Glinda Zuladra

Filed under : Halloween Costumes, Halloween For Kids

0 Comment »

Halloween is such a fun time of year for kids and adults alike, so its important that we take some precautions to keep it that way! Here’s my list of trick or treating tips for your family.

Wear comfortable shoes!!

Carry a flashlight

Wear something with a reflector on it (you can even find reflector tape and paint at your local home improvement store.

Go out before dark-especially for little ones. The big kids tend to flood the streets later at night making it hard for little ones to trick or treat.

Never go into a strangers house, even if they ask you to come in while they go and get some candy.

Throw away all homemade or unwrapped treats. I know some people work hard on making great home made treats, but in this day and age its not worth the risk!

When walking down the street, have the adult walk closest to the road, and the children closest to the houses.

Do not run ahead of the adults-its very easy for children to get carried away and accidentally run into the road.

Do not pet strange animals while trick or treating. Though you really shouldn’t ever pet someone’s animal with out being invited to do so, you especially shouldn’t during trick or treating where your costume or other costumes may be irritating or confusing to the animal.

Do not eat candy as you go.

Always be nice, even when people do not have any candy to give out.

Do not knock on doors where the lights are off.

Watch where you step!

Have a plan before you start. If you are walking in an unfamiliar neighborhood, it is easy to get lost.

When you approach a treat giving house, make sure to yell “Trick or Treat!” very loudly!

When you get home, check all of the candy before allowing children to eat any of it.

You are looking for:

• old worn wrappers
• torn wrappers (even with the smallest hole)
• home made treats
• unwrapped treats
• toys with small parts that may be a chocking hazard
• money (change)
• fruit
• any candy that looks like it may have been tampered with.
• for small children, remove any hard candies. They tend to become slick once in the mouth and can quickly become a choking hazard.
• lickable stamps
• glass or sharp objects

If you find any of the above mentioned items, its best to discard them-trust me, there will still be plenty of treats to go around afterwards!!

Have a safe and Fun Halloween-and take lots of pictures!

About The Author

Samantha Olea is a designer, business woman, wife, and most of all Mother of 2! Samantha founded a free parenting resource at http://TheBestMoms.com hoping to help every mom be the very best mom they can be! Samantha is also the owner of her own web design, graphic design, and hosting firm at : http://getwrappedup.com and AWU Gifts: http://Gifts.GetWrappedUp.com , where she helps Moms work from their homes

Filed under : Halloween For Kids

0 Comment »

As a little girl I often loved to dress up as a gypsy, whether it was for Halloween or just for play. Maybe it’s because I long to be free to do as I want and go where I wish, without the societal constraints we have to live by (that’s why pirates are so fascinating to people too). Whatever it is, creating a fortune teller costume was the highlight of Halloween.

Back then there weren’t many places to buy fancy costumes (nor did we have the money), so putting my own costume together was a bit of a challenge. Today we can purchase practically any costume we can think of and there are some pretty nice fortune teller Halloween costumes to choose from.

** A Brief History of Gypsy Costumes **

The gypsy people were called Roma or Romani. They are made up of loose nomadic tribes that wandered much of the European countries during the Middle Ages and often lived in caravans. There are still nomadic gypsies in the world today.

In the 15th and 16th centuries, the basic dress of the woman was a simple robe gathered at the neck worn over an under gown made of chemise. They also wore a length of cloth which was draped down the back, around the opposite waist, up the front and tied at the shoulder (think Roman toga). A turban was worn on the head.

As time went on, fashions changed. For the most part, gypsies actually dressed very similar to the peasants of the area in which they traveled and cultural dress of the time. Most of the style of gypsy clothing that we picture today probably came from the Renaissance period when laced vests, flounced skirts, men’s breeches and pirate shirts were more popular.

** Making a Gypsy Halloween Costume **

For those that want to put together their own gypsy costume or are planning on being a “fortune teller” for Halloween this year, you may have to do a bit of shopping around at used clothing stores for some items. If you are handy with a sewing machine, there are many fortune teller costume patterns available as well. Here are some suggestions for both men and women (and boys/girls) that can easily be created once you get all the items:

Women/Girl’s Fortune Teller/Gypsy Outfit 1

* Long tired skirt in a bright color.

* Gypsy style shirt – gathered scooped neck, puffy sleeves gathered at the wrist or long wide flowing sleeves

* Brightly colored front-laced vest

* Black leotard stockings

* Black shoes

* Brightly colored sash for the waist

* Matching bandana for hair

* Gold hoop earrings and some long, colorful beaded necklaces, bangles for arms

Women/Girl’s Fortune Teller/Gypsy Outfit

* Long wide-flowing black skirt

* White peasant’s shirt

* Black front-laced vest

* Black stockings

* Black shoes

* Brightly colored apron or a shorter overskirt

* Long black wig with tight ringlets or curls

* Colored 2″ to 3″ wide headband

* Gold hoop earrings and some long, colorful beaded necklaces, bangles for arms

Men/Boys Gypsy/Pirate Costume

* Black or brown breeches

* Black boots

* White pirate shirt

* Long-length black or brown vest preferably trimmed with a gold-colored braiding

* Red or another colorful long scarf for the sash at the waist

* Colorful bandana

* One gold hoop earring

Let your imagination run wild with the colors and styles you could mix and match. The trick is to dress in layers and use clothing that is loose and flowing. Add jewelry like bangles, long flowing necklaces, large earrings and ankle bracelets to enhance your outfit. Use colorful sashes accent the waist (and also to hold daggers). Women could drape several sheer scarves from their waist to hang down in points around a solid colored skirt. Include headbands, bandanas and even eye patches for that gypsy pirate look. Purples, blues, greens, bright yellows, reds and blacks are the most popular colors and will make your outfit stand out.

Author Resource Information:

© 2005. Rose Smith owns Halloween Howl – a website designed for Halloween fun for all ages! Are you planning to have a Gypsy Fortune Teller Party this year? Visit our website at: http://www.halloweenhowl.com/halloween-party-fortune-teller.shtml for some great ideas on decorations, recipes, games and more

Filed under : Halloween Costumes, Halloween For Kids

0 Comment »

It’s not only the candy that puts smiles on kids’ faces on October 31st! It’s the fact that they love getting dressed up and scaring everyone along the way! Kids look cute in any sort of costume, but now that you can purchase their costume online, you’ll be able to find the best selection of kids Halloween costumes ever!

We can definitely say that Halloween is likely a kid’s favorite time of year, and why wouldn’t it be! They get to dress up as one of their favorite characters like Scooby Doo, or Pooh Bear, and go out and get the motherload of candy. Now just imagine how much happier they’ll be if the family can go online and look at halloween costume ideas together! With the click of a mouse, you can find classics like that cowboy costume, ninja, Batman, black cat, as well as the adorable Disney costumes, and don’t forget Bob the Builder! It’s that easy! Halloween shopping has never been so fun and stress free!

Find great costume accessories as easy as 1-2-3!

Not only will you find great costume ideas, but you’ll also see unique childrens costume accessories to accentuate that adorable Barbie doll dress, or that precious Princess gown. You’ll find a large variety of costume accessories from witches hats, ghoulish masks, pirates beards, and Mickey Mouse gloves, to all the standard items like wigs, shoes, and capes. You can obtain all these from our listed Halloween suppliers at outstanding online discounts!

Nothing is worse than running around town with your kids, and getting totally stressed out trying to find the perfect outfits! Also imagine all your time and gas you would be wasting in your journey’s, so by doing a quick search, you can find all your costume needs with fantastic online specials right here in one convenient location, you can put money back into your pocket, and stop paying for costumes at department store prices!

Tell your children to put their thinking caps on, because it’s time to expand their imagination of costume ideas for their next creation! Halloween is a special time that not only children will enjoy, but you will too! Buying kids costumes online is exciting, convenient, and so easy that you’ll wonder how you ever did without us!

About the author: Maria is the the author of “1st In Halloween Costumes” available at http://www.1st-in-halloween-costumes.com. A great source for Kids Halloween Costumes online! Find fun kids costumes from pirate costumes, star wars costumes, and the harry potter costume, plus toddler costume ideas in one convenient location.

Filed under : Halloween Costumes, Halloween For Kids

0 Comment »