He was set on being a superhero like the other boys in his preschool class, which made ordering up the costume easier than putting together one like we did when I was a kid. That DIYness showed up in the conversation my mom and I had with my four-year old son the other day as we suggested a long list of ideas inspired by the dress-up box at our house and the one my parents still have from when I was a kid. Pirate? Chef? Firefighter? Police officer? Gorilla? Clown? Cowboy?
Even after each of those was quickly rejected, my mom kept on. She's scrappy and creative and I could see her putting costumes together in her mind from little bits and pieces from all of our closets. She made my childhood Halloweens even more fun this way, making our costume assembly into something of a scavenger hunt to find the perfect scarf to match a poodle skirt, a pair of big sunglasses or something to make muscles on Superman. Even if we bought some parts of our get-up, those were usually small accessories or new face paint, not the whole $30 shebang. Of course, back in those days, the packaged costumes were plastic and tied uncomfortably in the back (ugh, remember those?) and more of a convenience than something enticing to little trick-or-treaters.
It was a great way to get ready for Halloween. Even though I loved the way styled ourselves for Halloween when I grew up, things are different now. It is easy to buy a cute costume with lots of detail and appeal and just be done with it. No rummaging around, no last-minute rush to get just one more special touch.
Sure, my boy will look adorable and be exactly the superhero he envisioned. I will be less stressed about the holiday and be happy he is so thrilled with the molded abs and big, flappy wings. We will have all this, yes. But it cost us.
How much did you spend on your kid's Halloween costume?
Are you cutting back this year during tight economic times? Is it worth it to DIY your child's costume?
