Halloween Costume Safety

Whatever your child wants to be for Halloween, a movie character, or something more frightful, here are some important safety guidelines for buying or making a costume.

· Choose light colored costumes, or add glow-in-the-dark tape to both the front and back so your child can easily be seen.

· Make sure the costume isn't too long or too heavy. Your child needs to be able to walk without tripping.

· Make knives, guns, swords and other props from cardboard. Don't let children carry sharp objects.

· Don't buy a costume unless it's labeled, flame retardant. This means the material is made so it won't burn.

· Wigs and beards should not cover a child's eyes or mouth.

· Don't let a child wear a mask. Masks can make it difficult for children to see or to breathe. Instead, use face paint or makeup. Have younger children draw you a picture of what they want to look like. Older children will have fun putting the makeup on themselves.

· Put a name tag on your child's costume with their address and phone number just in case they get lost.

    

Costume Ideas

Sherlock Holmes:
Get a brown cape, a vest, white slacks and a magnifying glass, the sleuth hat.

Tacky Man/Woman:
Just mismatched clothes (polyester and patterns are a plus).

Cowboy/Cowgirl:
Jeans, western shirt, boots, western hat, neckerchief and bandanna.

Hippie:
Bell-bottom jeans, long jeans, or peasant dress, love beads (long necklace, bead band, peace button and pink-tinted glasses. Tie-dyed shirt optional.)

Zorro:
Black clothing, black hat, mask (for the cape - dye an old sheet black) and a red scarf wrapped around the waist.

Magician:
Where a black tux jacket, black pants, white dress shirt, Top hat and stuffed bunny for your tricks.

1950's Look:
Untucked, solid-color button down shirts; jeans rolled up to mid-calf; socks and penny loafers. Girls wear pony tail and boys slick-back ducktail with grease.

I Dream of Jeannie:
Use a tube top for the top, and cut off a red vest for the jacket. Use baggie pants that can be dyed pink and an old pair of ballet shoes.

Old Man/Women:
Old looking clothes, glasses, old shoes, and cane. Use a bulky purse and for thatadded touch, use baby powder for grey hair.

Animaniacs:
Black cotton cap for hair, use pipe cleaners and felt for forming ears which can be glued to hat. Use a small slinky stretched and wrapped in black felt for the tail, black pants and shirt, white gloves for hands. Use lipstick for nose, white face paint for face, black face paint for neck. For Dot, add a red polka-dot skirt and yellow silk flower on hat. For Wacko, use a baseball cap turned around, ears will be glued to it, with blue sweat shirt with the sleves cut 1/4 length. And for Yacko , wear white pants.

Rapper:
Large jeans, large shirt. Baseball cap worn sideways or backwards. Ghosts: Sheets - make sure to cut big holes for eyes.

Witch:
Black clothes, cape, witch's hat and broom. (Dye an old sheet for the cape).

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Nerd:
High-water pants (floods), white shirt, bow tie, white socks, black shoes and dark-frame glasses with masking tape around the nose piece. For that extra touch, use a pocket protector.

Robot:
Cardboard box with holes for arms and legs. Box for head. Pie plates glued to front for headlights. Light sticks for antennae. Use silver paint or aluminum foil to decorate.

Spider:
Black leotard and tights. Three pairs of black panty hose stuffed with old nylons. Stick stuffed hose to waist of leotard. Stocking cap. Black pipe cleaners for antennae.

Jack-in-the-box:
Cardboard box. Slinky toys for arms. Stocking cap. Box can be held in place with suspenders. Decorate as desired.

Mummy:
Jell hair and pull away from face. Use white makeup on face. Use strips of muslin wrapped around entire body.

Skeleton:
Black leotard and tights. White tape or chalk for ribs and bones. White makeup on face with black eyes.

Money tree:
Green sweatsuit. Glue fake money (monopoly) to body.

Tourist:
Colourful wild shirt. Shorts. Several old cameras around neck. Sunglasses. Hat

Skin diver:
Wet suit or grey track suit. Goggles. Swim flippers (cut off bottom and place over top of shoes). Bucket with plastic fish.

Grapes:
Green or purple leotard and tights. Green or purple balloons blown up and safety pinned to suit.

Thermometer:
Silver bicycle helmet. White track suit. Draw on or glue on red mercury line using felt or felt tip marker.

Carrot:
Orange body suit. Green mousse in hair. Green face paint. Green pipe cleaners attached to orange cap for top.

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Television:
Take a large cardboard box and cut off the flaps and around the bottom (leave a circular or square-shaped hole so the impression of a TV is given). Take pipe cleaners stick in the top for antenna. Then, draw, paint, or decorate as desired.

Dilbert:
Wear round wire frame glasses.. Wear a white shirt and black dress slacks. Take a red and black stripe tie and using pipe cleaners glue them to the underside of the tie so that it will form the upward bend that Dilbert wears.

A Bag of Jelly Beans:
You'll need a clear plastic bag. Step into it making holes for the legs and arms out the side. Fill the bag with different color balloons and use a flashy scarf to tie around the top of the bag. You may want to place a sign that says Jelly Beans 5¢ in front of the bag. For the clothing underneath just about any color leotard will work.

Post-It Note:
Cut out two - three foot square pieces of cardboard, glue a yellow large sheet of posterboard to one side of the two boards. Then take a sponge and using a light grey paint, apply a light coating across the top 1/8 of the one board to represent the sticky glue. Then using a magic marker, write a short note on the front side of the one board. Use string to attach the two sides together to wear.

Scare Crow:
Add patches to jeans and flannel shirts, add straw to cuffs of pants and shirt (duct tape will allow you to attach straw to under side of pants and shirt).

Gypsy:
Get a scarf for your hair, a shawl and a puffy blouse with a flowing long flower print skirt.

Betty Rubble:
Wear a black wig done "Betty" style, take a blue halter dress and cut the length with a pair of scissors so that the ends are jagged. Wear a bow in your hair. Glue a small rock to the top of the halter dress.

Bam-Bam:
Using leopard skin material, cut out a diaper size piece of cloth for the waist. Cut a ragged edge and then use the same material to make a sash for the shoulder. Use a dog's rubber bone for the back. Use hot glue to attach at the rear. Cut a card board circle and glue on a circle of material. Use bobbi-pins to attach to the hair.

Mr. Potato Head:
Fill a burlap bag with old shirts or rags. Using felt, cut out the eyes, nose and mouth. Attach Velcro to the backs of these items. Use fiber- fill to stuff the parts. Then attach the Velcro backs to the suit. Use black sweat pants or leotard for legs.

Lego:
Take a large box that you can fit into and cut out the armholes. Remove the two ends where your head and legs will be. Paint the box preferrably a bright primary color. Get 6 empty butter tubs and paint them the same color as the box. Glue the six butter tubs to the front of your costume, 2 vertical rows, 3 in each row, closed end out. you can where a matching leotard and shoes. You can also create a matching hat. Take a shoebox and color it to match your costume. Glue some little plastic cups (also painted) upside down to the bottom of the shoebox. Place the shoe box on your head and there is your matching hat.

Hobo:
Large men's pants, large dark sports coat, shirt with patches and a stick with a bandanna. Adults can burn a cork and when charred blow out the cork and then use this charred area for a scruffy look.

Rapper:
Large jeans, large shirt. Baseball cap worn sideways or backwards.

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Football Player:
Those who have an older brother or father who played football in high school or college can use their uniform. Use foam inside the helmet to make it fit properly, use the teams sweatshirt underneath. (Suggestion from an e-mail response). Use black tape under the eyes for that touch of the real game.

Cereal Killer:
Take a white t-shirt or sweatshirt and attach small snack size cereal boxes to the front. Stick a plastic knife in each box. You are now a "cereal" killer.

Attack of the birds:
Use one sports jacket (for man or woman), 8-10 white christmas doves (spray paint them black), a spool of craft wire and fake blood (optional). Poke some holes in your jacket and use the craft wire to secure the birds by their feet to your jacket. Add blood around the bird and it looks like you are being attacked by birds like the movie, The Birds. It was easy to do, inexpensive, and everyone loved it. (Suggested by e-mail)

Blue's Clues:
One of you can take white pants and T-shirt and dye them in a light blue. (Have mom or dad do that. Then take a dark blue marker and place those wonderful markings on the shirt and pants like Blue has. Get a Blue knit cap and cut out blue felt in the shape of two ears. Use the markers to make markings. Use light blue coloring for the face and black for the nose (face make-up kits can be used for this.) For Blues side kick, Wear a red and white striped shirt and brown pants. Next to Blue it will work. Place a light blue Paw Print on the chest cut out of felt to be a Blue's Clues.

Black-eyed pea:
Draw a large black letter "P" on a plain white T-shirt. Use black makeup to make smudges under eyes. You are a black-eyed pea now! (Suggested by visitor to our site)

Judge Judy:
Use a graduation robe and dye it black. Wear a curly wig and a lace trimmed blouse under.

Grape Vine:
Use a brown body suit and shoes. Cover your body with double sided sticky tape. Then fill up purple balloons and attach the balloons to the double sided tape. You may use a garbage bag tie to attach the balloon to the double sided tape. This is preferred if you are going outside in the wind.

Pat (From Saturday Night Live):
Get a Western shirt 2 sizes too big. Stuff yourself with rolled up newspaper. Use polyester pants that are brown and 2 sizes too big. For the stuffing on the pants, use multiple layers of foam. Use military style glasses. Black curly wig.

Touched by An Angel, Angel:
(Andrew) Wear a white blazer, white pants and white shirt with a black tie. To get the angel effect attach a small portable flashlight to a bent wire hanger that will attach to your back with the wire side out using duct tape and a piece of card board. Aim the light on to the top of your hair. (your an angel).
(Monica) Wear a long straight reddish blonde wig. Use the same hanger technique under a long smaller flowered dress.
(Tess) Use a black curly wig. Spray white spray paint on the top sides of the wig (do outside - adults only.) Use the same technique for a glow. Wear a three piece slacks set with an open jacket. And you are an Angel!

Pippy Long Stocking:
Wear a red wig with two pig tails on each side. Using pipe cleaners, wire the inside of the pig tails. Then attach a piece of fishing string to from the end of the pig tail and attach it to the base of the wig with a needle and thread (This will give the trademark Pippy tails.) Then wear a red dress with a flower pattern and a white apron with a fringe on it. Wear hiking boots and color socks and then apply red marker fake freckles.

A Highway:
Wear a Black T-Shirt and Paints. Paint two solid Yellow lines down the middle of the shirt on both sides. Glue Match Box Cars on both sides of the road on both sides of the shirt.

The Brady Bunch:
Seek out pairs of bell bottom jeans for Greg and Marsha. Silk style shirts for the gang. "Sonny Bono Lifter" Shoes for the gang. And don't forget an eye liner pencil in brown for Cindy's freckles.
For Mr. Brady, don't forget that goovy curly short black wig and thick belt. For Mrs. Brady, you need a blond wig with straight hair that you can shape into Mrs. Brady Style. Alice the Maid is simply a maids blue uniform and white nurse's shoes.

For more ideas...
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How To...

Purchase theatrical blood:
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Purchase theatrical fangs:
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Purchase theatrical costumes:
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Purchase theatrical Vampire costumes/makeup:
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Purchase theatrical masks:
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