10-year-old Andrea McLeod from London, Ontario, found a mushroom costume while shopping and decided it was perfect for her Halloween outfit this year. The only issue was that the store only had toddler-sized costumes available. Undeterred, McLeod took matters into her own hands and crafted the costume herself.
Using fabric and guidance from her sewing teacher, McLeod spent around five hours creating her red and beige mushroom costume. She is excited to showcase her handmade creation to her friends on Halloween.
Many individuals, like McLeod, are opting for DIY costumes this Halloween season, moving away from store-bought options. Lindy Creswick, owner of Lindy Cosplay Supplies in Chatham, Ontario, encourages parents to involve their children in the costume-making process to foster creativity and family fun.
Creswick, who has extensive experience in costume design, emphasized the importance of planning ahead when making costumes. Riley Papp, co-owner of Sew It Goes sewing studio in London, suggested utilizing platforms like Pinterest and Google for inspiration and creating a specific shopping list to avoid unnecessary trips to craft stores.
For those interested in making costumes, Papp recommended basic supplies like hot glue, fabric glue, thread, and a seam ripper. She noted that costumes can be crafted from materials found at fabric stores, dollar stores, or even using old clothing items and recycled containers from home.
Creswick suggested utilizing cardboard and household items like feathers, beads, and scrap fabric to add unique elements to costumes. She shared unconventional techniques, such as distressing clothes by running them over with a vehicle, to achieve desired effects.
When it comes to last-minute costume ideas, Creswick favored simple and humorous options like dressing as gum stuck to a shoe or creating a “cereal” killer costume using cereal boxes and a plastic knife.