Ghostly Dresses DIY Costume Tips

Today's post shares some Halloween costume tips straight from the costume designers from the old 'Ghost Whisperer' show.  At least I think it's old...is that show still on the air?  I love how these 'Ghostly Dresses' look worn and tattered, musty and old.  Just what one would expect a Ghostess to wear?  And their tips are simple enough for even the most novice among us to be able to implement and come away with some 'rottenly good' Halloween threadbare frocks!

Halloween costume tips from the 

'Ghost Whisperer' costume designer!

 
Practical tips for perfecting a Ghostly Wardrobe from the TV show Ghost Whisperer:

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE

Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop

*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low

Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil

*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress

Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter

Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest

*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment

Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

Here are a few Ghost Whisperer trade secrets:
PRACTICAL TIPS FOR PERFECTING A GHOSTLY WARDROBE
Use old clothing or buy items from the local Thrift shop
*You’ll find great treasures and keep your costs low
Age the items by using pumice stones, sandpaper, paint or oil
*Different fabrics will have various results: chiffon ages wonderfully, while denim is harder to distress
Be eco-friendly by using safe products such as water-based paints, glues and glitter
Layer fabrics to create dimension and visual interest
*Try using dirt with glue to age the garment
Throw the dirt and glue on, let it dry and see what happens
- See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

'Ghost Whisperer' Costume Designer gives great Halloween costume tips - See more at: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/smallscreen/news/article_1506854.php/Ghost-Whisperer-Costume-Designer-gives-great-Halloween-costume-tips#sthash.wbnSY1Fu.dpuf

Crafty Costumes!

Halloween is always a painful reminder of the one skill that I wish I had, but sadly do not and will never possess....sewing.  But never fear, all is not lost on the costume front because I am industrious and willful when it comes to accomplishing something I set my mind to.  So I have come to fancy myself as the McGyver of Halloween Costume Construction....armed with liquid hem, safety pins, string, glue and anything else laying around the house!  That's all the ingredients that were needed to conjure up some costumes for my chitlins through the years.  My only requirement and self-imposed expectation was that they had to somehow manage to stay in one piece until All Hallow's Eve drew to a close.  

I will not lie and say that my kids have come away from my costuming endeavors unscathed.  For it is true that they have endured the occasional pricking of a safety pin into their flesh, or allergic reaction to some make-shift adhesive, and possibly even a mild case of chaffing and heat stroke on particularly hot October eves down here in Florida.  But I say...no pain, no gain...nothing great ever comes easy.  And besides...temporal discomfort beats showing up at school and parties with the same over-done mask and boxed costume as three other kids....right?!  Alas, I have been quite pleased with my efforts to add that lil' spark of something special to their Halloween celebrations over the years, and the kids love being a part of the process.  Which is just another great thing I love about my favorite holiday!

So I thought the Halloween Countdown would be the perfect time and place to share some of my 'not so handy' mad creation skills. And in hopes that I can inspire even the most 'sewing-challenged' among you to give 'homemade' costumes a try...I can also attest that my kids have even miraculously won a few costume contests along the way too!  Who would have thunk it??!  So you'll be emboldened to know that ineptitude and total lack of viable skills....are no opposition to imagination, determination, a little magic, and the love of Hallowe'en!  :o)   So, do any of you hand make your family's Halloween costumes too....or am I the only inept and deranged glutton for punishment?

 

Still can't believe I actually sewed this Mermaid outfit myself.  She couldn't do anything but sit with her legs out straight, ha...but it was perfect because she couldn't walk yet anyway, and she never crawled at all before she walked.  So it worked, and she won the baby costume prize at a Halloween party we went to!

 

I created this Cat in the Hat costume with a few individual store bought items, some felt and safety pins.  But my most favorite part was the clever little fish in the plastic fish bowl idea. I enlarged an illustration of the fish from the book, glued him on the inside of the plastic bowl, drilled some holes in the fish bowl, and tied on some rope.  Then she used it as her candy holder while trick or treating.  And she won the costume contest too. It was that fish bowl that sealed the deal!

I think I'm most proud of this Scarecrow costume because it was a lot of work and turned out so cute!  I actually managed to figure out how to sew straw onto the collar, cuffs  and bottoms of those overalls...denim is tough and raffia is a pain...but the end result was worth it and it didn't itch like real straw!  I can sew as long as it's mostly in a straight line, but it takes me about 2 days to read the instructions on how to run the sewing machine before I can even proceed.  I'm not a big fan of sewing, but I sure wish I knew how!

Yep the Scarecrow outfit  held up well and was unisex....so I saved it and made my son wear it a few years later.  My favorite part was the big realistic looking crow sitting on the straw hat...everyone really loved that little detail!  In fact, I think I am really more a detail girl anyway...someone else can sew the main outfit, and then I'll come along and add in all the details!  I need a costume design partner to work with.

Cave Boys and Girls!  I decided I was going to go for a duo costume choice this time, so I didn't have to create 2 different costumes.  The cave kid idea was the perfect choice, and easy to do!  I also didn't feel like undertaking another sewing attempt, so I just cut out rudimentary patterns ala Fred Flintstone, and safety pinned those frocks together like a mad woman.  They actually held up well too, with the exception of some minor injurious pokes and pricks of the pins here and there!

Okay...so I don't sew or do costume make-up well either.  Here, they are a French Mime, a Blonde Vampire which is just ridiculous, and their friend the Zombie.  This was obviously not my finest hour for costume design or make-up and I'm not ashamed to admit it.  But they did color coordinate nicely, so at least there's that!

 

So last but not least...here my son was a Witch Doctor and I bought that gauzy suit from the store and added skeletons, skulls, teeth and makeup.  And he actually looked pretty cool.  My niece is on the left and she was a Zombie Princess.  Her Mom had been practicing on the head wounds and rotting flesh for weeks, and she did a great job to.  But my niece's immersion into the character with the deadpan expression and zombie walk was hysterical....ain't Halloween fun?!! 

All Images © Wendy A. (All Rights Reserved)

2014 Halloween Industry Forcast & Trends

So I stumbled upon this Halloween Industry Magazine on-line that talks all about everything Halloween related for the upcoming 2014 season.  It touches on all the latest trends to look forward to in everything from costumes, make-up and accessories, to party decorations and outside yard haunt decor.  There is a palpable excitement brewing for the upcoming Halloween season this year due to the fact that Halloween will finally be falling on a Friday again for the first time in awhile.  A Friday Halloween equates into ever-more Halloween sales of all kinds because kids and adults alike will be able to extend their partying through the weekend....no school the next day for all the little ghouls and goblins coming down from their candy binges, and no work for the adults hungover from their creepy cocktails.  For that matter, a true Halloween Head could theoretically host an All Hallow's Eve Soiree on Friday night, followed up by a Dia de los Muertos Fiesta on Saturday or Sunday!

2014 Halloween Trends via 'Selling Halloween'

Black and White All Hallow's Eve Party

Dia de los Muertos Increasing in Popularity

So just what do the experts predict will be popular this year?  In costumes it seems that DIY (do it yourself) costumes have grown in popularity, probably thanks to sites like Pinterest and Etsy.  So with that, comes a desire for accessories to add to and complete a one of a kind  ensemble, rather than a ready made store bought costume that can only be worn once.  Accessories can be mixed and matched for use with other costumes and even regular outfits, as well as being used again at Renn Faires and theme parties, and for Cosplay and Larping. Licensed characters are always popular, but research has shown that buyers want more quality in their costume pieces and are also prone to mix and match styles and themes like "mixing a fantasy anime wig with vampire fangs and 60's fishnet stockings to make a unique costume."  And..........love em' or hate em', pet costumes are big, with 14% of 2013 celebrants dressing up their pets last year to the tune of $330 million dollars!!!  Wow...who would have guessed that?

Buyers Looking for Quality and Reusable Accessories

Halloween Costumes for Pets is Big Business for Retailers

This coming Fall, many indoor Halloween Parties will be hosted in the 2 weeks leading up to Halloween....so what themes are retailers looking to stock for 2014?  Well as to be expected, the tried and true colors of Orange and Black, along with Purple and Lime, are always the most popular colors.  And as for 'Icons', apparently Cats came in on top in one analysis, followed closely by Bats, Pumpkins and Owls.  Vintage Halloween is always a favorite decorating style and for good reason I'd say.  And although Ghosts and Pumpkins are also perennial faves, the industry experts have seen an uptick in Skulls and Skeleton imagery on the rise.  However, there was also an alternate opinion...that many people dislike frightening imagery, so the retailer in that market was opting for a softer look in their party goods.  What about you all....are you hard core or soft core Halloween Heads?

Orange & Black Most Popular Color Scheme

Black Cats #1 Halloween Icon

Vintage Halloween Always Popular

Uptick in Demand for Skeletons & Skulls

Another hot trend, that I personally LOVE, is the Day of the Dead decor!  However according to industry experts, it tends to be more of a 'regional' trend with those on the West Coast and East Coast digging it more than those in the MidWest.  And apparently those of us who like it, also enjoy it as a year round aesthetic...thus making it a good seller in those areas all through the year. (I can personally attest to leaving some of my Sugar Skull stuff out year round in moderation.)  They also report that the Goth theme of Black and White is popular in costumes, thereby influencing its popularity in the party good sector as party-goes want to match the theme of their shin-digs.  They identified Zombies as a growing trend, with Witches, Tombstones, and Spiders good sellers as well. And lastly, anything 'Glittered" also sells well, much to the dismay and horror of the true die hard Halloween aficionados.

Day of the Dead Celebrations Going Mainstream

Black and White Goth Costumes on Trend

Witch Costumes Always Good Sellers

Zombies a Growing Trend

Breakdown of Top 10 Costumes for Adults and Kids

So there you have it....a synopsis of some of the tantalizing tricks and treats headed our way this Halloween Season.  So the big question is....what are YOU gonna be for Halloween this year?  Will you follow the trends or start a new fad?!  If you'd like to read more Halloween Industry Trend news, check out this link to Selling Halloween!
(All Images from Pinterest and Selling Halloween)

A Halloween Theft and Aqcuistion

So first is the acquisition, which is this super cute and witchy Spider Web Skirt from Grandinroad that I ordered today...thank you to Old Fashioned Halloween for posting this, as I had been eyeing it for a while and I ended up getting it at the sale price thanks to their post...woo hoo!  Anyway,  while looking through the Halloween merchandise, I was distracted by a dapper pair of banjo dueling skeletons that I thought were pretty cute.  I would prefer them to be life-sized myself, but beggars can't be choosers I suppose.  I watched the little video of them and they looked pretty cool, and got good reviews too.  Then I stumbled upon Grandinroad's Preview Video for their 2013 Halloween Line.  It's called "The Witching Hour"!  The music was surprisingly hard core sounding for a store...but it was fitting.  It says it will premier July 31, 2013, can't wait to see the rest of the goods!  Check out the video here...

And now for the theft....so, last Halloween night, I set up one of my skeletons on the bench by my front door.  I dressed her as a witch, complete with clothes, hat, cauldron and potion bottles.  For my inside apothecary, I like to use old bottles and ones I make myself.  But I had an assortment of those colored ones from Michaels that I seldom bring out, so I decided to use them.  As the annual tradition mandates, we left my Mom to man the door for the Trick-or-Treaters, while we headed out with our gang on the golf cart.  Later in the evening we returned home, once the visitors had dwindled down to almost nil' and the grand-parental units were tuckered out inside.  But much to my horror...I noticed that most of my potion bottles were GONE! 
 
I assumed my Mom must have taken them inside for some reason.  But upon further inquiry, she had not.  NO, indeed....someone had stolen all of my potion bottles except for ONE!  (There were only about 3-4) But still, what vile lil' creatures dared to come up to my home, that I decorated so lovingly spooky for their amusement....and proceed to STEAL my decorations while my parents were distracted or gone inside????  That was disheartening for me to say the least!  I guess I should just be thankful they didn't steal the skeleton and the cauldron too.  But what kind of heartless monster does something like that?  And my poor Mom was mortified that they had stolen them while she was on door duty....ha!  I assured her it was not her fault, and that they weren't even my good bottles anyway.  But that's not the point...the point is that they violated my Halloween Property....curse them...curse them all!

I have a good mind to put a sign on the door this Halloween saying:  "HALT, Ye Thieving, Gutless Trolls That Stoleth My Potion Bottles Last Hallow's Eve....BE WARNED! The Witch that Resides Here Has Placed a most Heinous and Evil Curse Upon Your Wicked, Wretched Soul!!"  :o(

Halloween Emerges Quietly at Target & Other News

So it is finally September....Hooray! I had wanted to do a "First Day of September" post...but alas I am late as always. September 1st signifies that we are just one calendar month away from the glorious month of October...woo hoo! And in Florida it means that the stores can officially start putting out their Halloween wares. True enough....some renegade stores have had theirs out for awhile now....and oh how I love them for it too. But many are hold-outs until September when it is officially safe, and a less likely target of the scorn and ridicule of the 'Unbelievers'! You know the ones....."those who don't believe in the Great Pumpkin"!! Tsk Tsk! Now I'm not sure how it goes down, in other parts of the nation, but in Florida.....it seems that Target is always the last holdout.
BUT....I went in there this week and actually found small signs of Halloween emerging. They had the Halloween T-shirts out, which is usually the first thing to arrive in our stores. And there were a few Halloween items in the Dollar Bins up front, but not many. But surprisingly, they also had a Halloween Music section, complete with an audio box to listen to all the spooky selections. The Fall candles were out and smelling good, as well as children's Halloween books. There were NO signs of the 'School Supply Section' being converted over to Halloween yet however. Oh Target....why do you taunt me so? This excursion to Target was exciting to me though because....well because I am easily excited I suppose. But it was almost like Easter egg hunting in a way. As these little sections of Halloween were hidden amongst the regular merchandise with no real signage or fanfare to mark their presence. And I just happened to stumble upon them as I made my way around the store. That's always fun. In juxtaposition to Target of course...is the Spirit Halloween Store that officially opened it's doors. Ours is decorated really spooky and has all kinds of props and costumes. It's 100% 'in your face' Halloween there....no searching necessary! As the 500 neon orange signs they have out front does a more than adequate job of alerting you to their presence!

And Home Goods, which was previously not impressing me much so far this season....just upped their game! I went in, because it is my weekly Autumn routine to go in and see if anything new and spectacular has arrived. And much to my delight, the Halloween section had grown exponentially, AND it was swarming with people. This did cause me a moment of slight panic as I thought of them encroaching on my holiday. For I'm usually the only one haunting those aisles this early in the season. Where did all those folks come from? HomeGoods had a lot of new items that were not there just a few days ago. So now I proclaim my love affair with Home Goods to be officially rekindled. Oh how I love thee HG! Oh....and, JoAnne's had begun getting their Halloween merchandise out as well, and I scored my first sighting and purchase of Martha's Halloween line! I liked it....but then I always do. There was a 'Witchy' line of stickers and decals that I especially liked. But it was all good in my book!As for us....well, we are enjoying our Labor Day weekend by decorating the inside of the house for Halloween of course. And we've managed to watch "The Good Witch", "The Halloween Tree" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" to kick off the season. Hope everyone else is getting out. or staying in and kicking off the Halloween season as well!

Frighteningly Fantastic Fashions

This is a post that will undoubtedly appeal more to the females than the males, because it is 'fashion' related. But it is also Disney related, and Harry Potter related, and quasi-Halloween related too. So therefore, I believe that if you are secure enough in your 'manhood', you could at least appreciate the cleverness of what this gal has done. Men may not appreciate the style, or the perfection in the accessories...but the creativity should earn high marks. And although they're mostly translated for females, she also offers many 'fashion translations' for both male and female. To see the 'male' versions, you'll have to check out her blog. (The first image above is Dr. Facilier. My favorite character from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog." And the one below is the Mad Hatter, my favorite character from Tim Burton's "Alice In Wonderland.")
So my daughter stumbles upon this girl's blog and shares it with me. The girl is Leslie Kay, and I honestly don't know who she is, or even exactly what she does, other than this particular blog of hers. But I can safely assume that she is highly creative, loves fashion and is a huge Disney Fan. Her blogs are LaLa Couture and Disney Bound, and I can only tell you emphatically that you should go look through them, because they are really a treat. (The next set is Tim Burton inspired, with translations of not only Mr. Burton, but also Jack Skellington and Sally from "The Nightmare before Christmas.") So what is this all about? Well it's sort of hard to explain, but once you see the pictures (which she creates in Polyvore, by the way) you'll instantly understand. Remember how I did the Color Collages where I translated 'Color Schemes' to images that reflected that color scheme? (and I will continue these as we draw nigh to Halloween) Well she does something similar by taking Disney movie characters, and translating them through fashion collages. Have I lost you yet? Well you won't be lost once you view the images. She has done an incredible amount of work, and if you can think of a Disney character, or movie, or even a particular ride, land or hotel on Disney property.....then she has probably translated it into fashion. (Just look how clever this little 'Cruella DeVille' ensemble is....a Disney Villain translated into wearable fashion, and as thus, also into a unique piece of art.)Now they are all incredible, but of course being the Spooky Lil' Gal that I am....I gravitated right to the Harry Potter Collection, and other assorted Disney Villains, as well as The Haunted Mansion. And the only real way for you to understand her art...is to view it. So take a look at some of my favorite selections. But do yourself a favor and go stroll through the rest of them on her blog....especially if you have a love of fashion and an eye for details. (Check out her translation of my favorite Disney attraction, 'The Haunted Mansion' below. Now those are outfits to 'die for'!)
(And last but not least, are a few of my favs from her Harry Potter Collection below.) Don't see your favorite HP character here....don't fret, because she has them ALL, even down to translations of the 'Golden Snitch' and the 'Screaming Mandrake Plants'. And if your favorite Disney character was 'Nemo' or 'Eeyore' or 'Peter Pan'.....never fear, she has done them all, and is taking requests for more to do. She even has "Star Wars" translations! I love these so much, and I totally wouldn't mind sporting one of these fashion forward ensembles this weekend. Would you wear some of these, and if so, which one do you like best? Speaking of weekends...hope yours is magical!

BONE-afide Suit

I am a big fan of Jack White, and his band The Dead Weather. But I'm an even bigger fan of his 'BONEafide' suit! (Har Har) This is the photo of he and his wife that was on their 'Divorce Party' invitation. Yep, you read that right....D I V O R C E, just as Tammy Wynette crooned about back in the day. Seems they have figured out how to part ways amicably, and decided to throw a bash for their closest friends in honor of the impending implosion of their marriage. But who really cares to linger on that nonsense once you feast your eyes on that mondo-cool skeleton suit of his. I'm loving the ribcage detail on the matching vest. Perfect for Halloween, Divorces and other such festive occasions....like Funerals perhaps?! :o)

What Color is a Witch?

Well...since I am on the subject of Witches this week, I figure this as good a time as any to post a 'Color Scheme Collage' dedicated to them. So....what color is a Witch anyway? That's another one of those absurd questions that has no one correct answer. I suppose it would be what ever color the Witch herself happened to be perhaps. But what comes to mind when you think of a Witch? Perhaps the public psyche thinks first of the 'green' Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz". I can pretty much ascertain that she was my first experience with a 'Witch' and it wasn't pleasant either. Unlike my daughter who loved her from the get go....I was terrified of Mrs. Gulch. I can't tell you how very scared I was of that Witch. Not just in her Witch state, but even as the crotchety Mrs. Gulch. I had nightmares about her. And it took me several years of getting older and watching The Wizard of Oz every year when they ran it as 'special programming,' to finally realize that she wasn't real and she wasn't going to get me. Can you guess which member of that cast I would have been....obviously the cowardly lion...ha!

So fast forward to current times and that Wicked Witch is still entertaining us in the musical "Wicked"....and she's still green. Do a search on 'Witch', and a good portion of any that are drawn will be green. But that seems sort of crazy considering there has never been one sighting of a 'green witch' in reality. Unless you change your definition of 'green' that is! I find that Witches are often 'green' in their living and their connection to nature itself. So the things that I associate with 'Witches' do happen to be green after all. But not in a 'green skin' kind of way.
So today's 'Color Collage' is simply titled 'Witchy'! I would have gone with 'Wicked Witch' but I just don't find them to be very wicked, so that would have been an incorrect description. The other color I associate with the word 'Witch' is Purple. Purple is my favorite color and I find it to be very magical and witchy for some reason. So what color do YOU associate with the word Witch? :o)