I didn’t want store costumes - everyone would be sressed like me and the costumes were cheapy plastic things that fell apart and looked gross and fake (hey, it was the 80’s - the era of plastic), I wanted something that looked real.
Living in the Pacific NW at the time, our children’s Hallow’een costumes were always home made, and designed to be worn with rain gear on……. They loved the home made ones, and had a lot of fun helping design them!
Oh this brings back memories. I had to wear this tiger costume for years and years because it was on sale when my mom bought it and it was too big. After a while the mask got broke or something so she had to draw a cat face on me. Some years it was raining as we went out trick or treating and I had to wear a coat underneath that made me look like a fat tiger.
I remember one year my older brother didn’t have a costume for a party he was going to and in the last half hour before the party my mother made him up to be an “accident case” with bandages and “broken leg”,”broken arm” etc, and he looked great. He won first prize.
I have an old picture of me, my brother and my sister. All of us are in homemade costumes! My brother is a drunken hobo, my sister is a gypsy and I’m just in my nightgown with jeans and tennis shoes on under it. We were at a Halloween party at our church we all had a blast! The best costumes come from imagination, not from the store! That pic is now one of my favorites from my childhood! :-)
My best costume ever was an empty ice cream container (the big ones used at Baskin Robbins) with holes in it to see through, and stuff pasted all over it to make it into a robot head. Or so I thought at the time.
When I was little I had one store bought costume; it ripped and fall apart about half way thro the party my mom threw. From then on only homemade costumes, they are more fun and creative. When my son was little, he had a couple of store bought costume, the plastic one ripped and had to be ducted tape twice before we got out the door. The other two were actually cloth. Passed them down to younger neighbor kids.
My best costume was gathering leaves from a big leaf maple and sowing them all over a sheet that covered me from head to toe. Not only was it warm, but I was sitting in a bar and when I got up to leave, a man sitting at a table near me jumped up in astonishment. He had thought that I was a potted shrub. I could have been potted alright, but that’s another story.
The old Hollywood Monster Makeup book was awesome and so are homemade costumes. When I was a kid, our town held the annual Pet and Doll parade where everyone dressed in their Halloween costumes and walked their pet down the street. Prizes were given for best constumes and cutest pets. My brothers and I won all the prizes two years running with homemade costumes. Paper-mache mouse head with wooly mittens and slippers, a yellow raincoat and I was Bernard from The Rescuers. Lots of Karo syrup, cotton, and food coloring and my brother was the wolfman. Great times.
Now, my wife and I still dress up and make costumes for ourselves and our kids. One year we had a Harry Potter themed family reunion on Halloween. I was Professor Snape with a costume I made myself. My wife was Bellatrix Lestrange, and her homemade costume was such a sight to see that I’ll…
…and just look at all the patterns available now to make whatever you want. I always add an extra couple of inches to all hems and seams, or put in small grommets with laces, so that the costume can be adjusted and worn by many. My grandsons have even worn the caped and hooded purple-bird-with-a-big-scary-beak outfit one of my sons fashioned and wore when he was young.
Oh, man! I just remembered the shark costume that a friend made for her kids and lent us. The head and body fit right over the person’s head and body like a loose shark-shaped tube, with space at the tail for the feet to take small steps. The wearer looked out thru the fearsome mouth, fashioned with rows of teeth out of really stiff posterboard, and “gums” painted red. The eyes were wild and scary. That costume lasted her for at least eight years, us for at least six (until the tail was up to my daughter’s knees), and now it is making the rounds of her grandchildren. The body? An old light blue sheet, with a bit of stuffing added. Great for cold CT Halloweens!
Huh - I think I got my first store-bought costume when I was about 25. ;) I still remember the Snoopy costume I had in 7th grade. Talk about simple - white sweats with a black felt “spot” on the back of the shirt. As I recall I had a headband with ears on and carried a supper dish. No muss, no fuss, and everybody knew what I was. Nothing wrong with homemade!
Duh - we seem 2 B discussing costumes here, and you read the comments! Do YOU have nothing better to do?!? Hey, people: I for one enjoy reading what ideas you came up with…
Two of my granddaughters love to create their own costumes. They’re teenagers now. Last year one dressed like a guy with a baseball cap, and guy’s jacket. Her sister put makeup on her that looked like 5 o’clock shadow and gave her, heavy eyebrows. This girl is petite but has a very low voice. None of her friends recognized her at their party.
The other dressed up like an old granny with a white curly wig, blue duster,big fuzzy slippers, reading glasses, and a cane. She used pillows underneath in the back and front and was hilarious.
Little kids often want the store-bought costumes until they get older and realize it is so fun to be creative.
Oh, no wonder I dont recognize it. Also, Burgundy, it took me a while to realize what you were talking about the first time, and then what CCBSS means the second time.
Bender_Sastre you’re not still trying to work that one out are you? ;o) Ahh my lady avatar… I guess you could say she’s a kind of PT and that’s one of her publicity shots. Alas, nothing as exciting as what you guessed originally, heheh :o)
Thanks summerdog :o) I did have to laugh at Lawrence’s reaction in the last panel, and there should have been an extra panel showing the tangled-boy-cloud after Mike jumped on Lawrence in fury at being laughed at!!
LMAO cleo naked corpsakaya too funny :o)
Gee rtt470 if you like checking out comments so much, you should go check out yesterday’s Pibgorn as it’s got a few more comments for you to voice your opinion on! Mind you don’t fall off your chair ;o)
I second that dericson1 I love hearing what others have come up with for Halloween :o)
Hey OpenWings! I read the comics earlier, but didn’t have time to comment. Hope you had a good day… I’ve joined the fun and temporarily changed my name for Halloween. Still working on the avatar… Have a good night wherever you are…
mroberts88 me either. Hmm, I don’t see how I could change my name if I chose to do that. I assume if you can do it that it would be in the same bit where you change your avatar, but I can’t see it. So I assume you have to create a whole new profile if you want to use a temporary name! Maybe I’m just missing something…. :o\
And, my fav. costume was this years… a box of crayons!!! :) Simple, a white t-shirt with crayons drawn on it with fabric markers, colorful shorts, shoes, and hair accsesories and youre ready to go! All made by myself and the cheapest costume I ever had!
I also recall, last year I needed Mom to make two costumes, but that is another story….
OpenWings about 15 years ago
Aww come on Mom!!! We all wanted the awesome store costume when we were young!
….hindsight doesn’t come until much, much later! ;o)
OpenWings about 15 years ago
Seems like Elly blew so much steam in the first and second panels that her earrings fell out! xD
ejcapulet about 15 years ago
I didn’t want store costumes - everyone would be sressed like me and the costumes were cheapy plastic things that fell apart and looked gross and fake (hey, it was the 80’s - the era of plastic), I wanted something that looked real.
Allison Nunn Premium Member about 15 years ago
Living in the Pacific NW at the time, our children’s Hallow’een costumes were always home made, and designed to be worn with rain gear on……. They loved the home made ones, and had a lot of fun helping design them!
Bender_Sastre about 15 years ago
So, where IS the avatar from, OpenWings?
alondra about 15 years ago
Oh this brings back memories. I had to wear this tiger costume for years and years because it was on sale when my mom bought it and it was too big. After a while the mask got broke or something so she had to draw a cat face on me. Some years it was raining as we went out trick or treating and I had to wear a coat underneath that made me look like a fat tiger.
I remember one year my older brother didn’t have a costume for a party he was going to and in the last half hour before the party my mother made him up to be an “accident case” with bandages and “broken leg”,”broken arm” etc, and he looked great. He won first prize.
The best costumes are definitely homemade.
summerdog86 about 15 years ago
I think OpenWings’s comment about Elly’s earrings, is funnier than today’s strip.
redsheri about 15 years ago
I have an old picture of me, my brother and my sister. All of us are in homemade costumes! My brother is a drunken hobo, my sister is a gypsy and I’m just in my nightgown with jeans and tennis shoes on under it. We were at a Halloween party at our church we all had a blast! The best costumes come from imagination, not from the store! That pic is now one of my favorites from my childhood! :-)
Steve Parmelee Premium Member about 15 years ago
My best costume ever was an empty ice cream container (the big ones used at Baskin Robbins) with holes in it to see through, and stuff pasted all over it to make it into a robot head. Or so I thought at the time.
bald about 15 years ago
when you are little, you always want your costume to look better that your friends
newworldmozart about 15 years ago
When I was little I had one store bought costume; it ripped and fall apart about half way thro the party my mom threw. From then on only homemade costumes, they are more fun and creative. When my son was little, he had a couple of store bought costume, the plastic one ripped and had to be ducted tape twice before we got out the door. The other two were actually cloth. Passed them down to younger neighbor kids.
cleokaya about 15 years ago
If Michael says *no* often enough, she will cave.
My best costume was gathering leaves from a big leaf maple and sowing them all over a sheet that covered me from head to toe. Not only was it warm, but I was sitting in a bar and when I got up to leave, a man sitting at a table near me jumped up in astonishment. He had thought that I was a potted shrub. I could have been potted alright, but that’s another story.
Nighthawks Premium Member about 15 years ago
go as a writer
Wildmustang1262 about 15 years ago
Which one is the better to save $$$ for costumes, bought from store or homemade??
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
Yeah, a monster would work.
Magasek about 15 years ago
The old Hollywood Monster Makeup book was awesome and so are homemade costumes. When I was a kid, our town held the annual Pet and Doll parade where everyone dressed in their Halloween costumes and walked their pet down the street. Prizes were given for best constumes and cutest pets. My brothers and I won all the prizes two years running with homemade costumes. Paper-mache mouse head with wooly mittens and slippers, a yellow raincoat and I was Bernard from The Rescuers. Lots of Karo syrup, cotton, and food coloring and my brother was the wolfman. Great times.
Now, my wife and I still dress up and make costumes for ourselves and our kids. One year we had a Harry Potter themed family reunion on Halloween. I was Professor Snape with a costume I made myself. My wife was Bellatrix Lestrange, and her homemade costume was such a sight to see that I’ll…
…I’ll be in my bunk.
dericson1 about 15 years ago
…and just look at all the patterns available now to make whatever you want. I always add an extra couple of inches to all hems and seams, or put in small grommets with laces, so that the costume can be adjusted and worn by many. My grandsons have even worn the caped and hooded purple-bird-with-a-big-scary-beak outfit one of my sons fashioned and wore when he was young.
DONALD LILLEY about 15 years ago
WHEN I WAS LITTLE THE BEST COSTUME I HAD WAS A BEAR OUTFIT IT WAS GIVEN TO US AND HANDMADE !
dericson1 about 15 years ago
Oh, man! I just remembered the shark costume that a friend made for her kids and lent us. The head and body fit right over the person’s head and body like a loose shark-shaped tube, with space at the tail for the feet to take small steps. The wearer looked out thru the fearsome mouth, fashioned with rows of teeth out of really stiff posterboard, and “gums” painted red. The eyes were wild and scary. That costume lasted her for at least eight years, us for at least six (until the tail was up to my daughter’s knees), and now it is making the rounds of her grandchildren. The body? An old light blue sheet, with a bit of stuffing added. Great for cold CT Halloweens!
kfaatz925 about 15 years ago
Huh - I think I got my first store-bought costume when I was about 25. ;) I still remember the Snoopy costume I had in 7th grade. Talk about simple - white sweats with a black felt “spot” on the back of the shirt. As I recall I had a headband with ears on and carried a supper dish. No muss, no fuss, and everybody knew what I was. Nothing wrong with homemade!
dericson1 about 15 years ago
Duh - we seem 2 B discussing costumes here, and you read the comments! Do YOU have nothing better to do?!? Hey, people: I for one enjoy reading what ideas you came up with…
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
rtt470, and it baffles me that you have nothing better to do than insult others comments.
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
Burgundy, just saying troll, or bridge inhabitant, would do just as well. Also, what is your avatar?
stopgap about 15 years ago
Two of my granddaughters love to create their own costumes. They’re teenagers now. Last year one dressed like a guy with a baseball cap, and guy’s jacket. Her sister put makeup on her that looked like 5 o’clock shadow and gave her, heavy eyebrows. This girl is petite but has a very low voice. None of her friends recognized her at their party.
The other dressed up like an old granny with a white curly wig, blue duster,big fuzzy slippers, reading glasses, and a cane. She used pillows underneath in the back and front and was hilarious.
Little kids often want the store-bought costumes until they get older and realize it is so fun to be creative.
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
Oh, no wonder I dont recognize it. Also, Burgundy, it took me a while to realize what you were talking about the first time, and then what CCBSS means the second time.
I dont know what I want to be for halloween.
OpenWings about 15 years ago
Bender_Sastre you’re not still trying to work that one out are you? ;o) Ahh my lady avatar… I guess you could say she’s a kind of PT and that’s one of her publicity shots. Alas, nothing as exciting as what you guessed originally, heheh :o)
Thanks summerdog :o) I did have to laugh at Lawrence’s reaction in the last panel, and there should have been an extra panel showing the tangled-boy-cloud after Mike jumped on Lawrence in fury at being laughed at!!
LMAO cleo naked corpsakaya too funny :o)
Gee rtt470 if you like checking out comments so much, you should go check out yesterday’s Pibgorn as it’s got a few more comments for you to voice your opinion on! Mind you don’t fall off your chair ;o)
I second that dericson1 I love hearing what others have come up with for Halloween :o)
Hmm, I don’t see lightenup today.
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
Hello OpenWings. I didnt know you read Pibgorn.
OpenWings about 15 years ago
Hey mroberts88 :o)) I don’t read Pib as often as I do my regular strips. The artwork is great over there though! :o)
gobblingup Premium Member about 15 years ago
Hey OpenWings! I read the comics earlier, but didn’t have time to comment. Hope you had a good day… I’ve joined the fun and temporarily changed my name for Halloween. Still working on the avatar… Have a good night wherever you are…
alondra about 15 years ago
Don’t feed the troll just flag him. I did.
OpenWings about 15 years ago
Hey FrightenUp hee hee I love it!!! :o)) Hugs and Snorkks ;o)
Hmm, now maybe I should think up something slightly more seasonal for my name/avatar…..
mroberts88 about 15 years ago
Openwings, the artwork there is good. I’m definately going to change my avatar for Halloween, I dont know what to yet.
OpenWings about 15 years ago
mroberts88 me either. Hmm, I don’t see how I could change my name if I chose to do that. I assume if you can do it that it would be in the same bit where you change your avatar, but I can’t see it. So I assume you have to create a whole new profile if you want to use a temporary name! Maybe I’m just missing something…. :o\
jadelovesjelly over 13 years ago
Well, most halloweens my mom sews all our costumes, and I love it! They look great, and I know its saving a crap-load of money.
jadelovesjelly over 13 years ago
And, my fav. costume was this years… a box of crayons!!! :) Simple, a white t-shirt with crayons drawn on it with fabric markers, colorful shorts, shoes, and hair accsesories and youre ready to go! All made by myself and the cheapest costume I ever had!
I also recall, last year I needed Mom to make two costumes, but that is another story….