I feel like Halloween is a trial run for Christmas.
Trying to hunt down that elusive popular Halloween costume in your child’s size can be just as hard as finding that exact retired Beanie Boo or Lego set. If you don’t know what a Beanie Boo is, save your time as I refer to them as the “ugly eyed animals” and my daughter has a ton. Similar to Beanie Babies but on steroids.
So imagine my surprise last year when my middle child wanted a Rainbow Brite Halloween costume. And then my jubilation of remembering my favorite childhood character and then the nauseous feeling when I realized I was going to have to make the costume.
Mama ain’t got time for that shizznit.
Luckily, I am kinda crafty and I also know how to hack the crap out of things.
So first things first – research.
Take a look at her costume. It’s got a dress, boots and that fantastic belt. So really those are the pieces I need to use as a base for this Halloween costume.
Next up- shopping for supplies.
I headed to good ole www.amazon.com and search for “blue girls dress” that was most similar to the shape and lines of the OG Rainbow Brite costume. I was fortunate to find this gem.
Amazon seems to be out currently in the exact blue dress, but here is another good choice.
The dress requires some DIY work on it. It’s what makes this post “semi homemade”. I grabbed some furry fabric at the craft store along with batting to fluff up the white trim on the costume. You will also be using the white fabric and batting on the socks.
Next I grabbed a simple Converse inspired pair of red shoes. I hate wasting money, so I love the fact she can continue wearing them after.
I scored some rainbow striped leg warmers on Amazon as well. But buy TWO. One is for her legs and the other is for the stripes on her sleeves.
Lastly, I had to add the finishing touches.
I added 2 inch ribbon or quilt binding as suspenders on her Halloween costume and I hot glued those suckers on.
Then came the magical belt. I bought some no-sew hemming tape and hemmed the edges before I sewed on her iconic belt and star. However, if you aren’t handy with a sewing machine or needle and thread, hot glue or fabric glue will work just fine.
I pulled up her hair and tied it with a blue ribbon and broke out my craft paint for her purple star.
She loved it, I loved it and so many adults were drooling over it. It still hangs in her closet and will be one of those things I save for her when she moves out.
Ahhh, memories. Make them magical.