Purim costumes -need cute and easy idea for toddler

Chanie

Tue, Feb 28 2006, 12:10 pm

Found this on the net, thought it might interest some people:

Quote:

Scores of parents responded to our call for creative, easy-to-make Halloween costumes, and on behalf of sewing-challenged moms and dads everywhere, we thank them. Here are a few of our favorites — no tricks, just treats.

(Safety note: Young kids often put things in their mouth, so be especially watchful that your child doesn't try to taste his costume. Click here for more Halloween safety tips.)

Creature features
Little ladybug
I used black pants, a black turtleneck, a red fleece vest, a black baseball cap, and ladybug rain boots, most of which we already owned. First, I cut circles from black felt and attached them to the vest with masking tape. Then I attached red pipe cleaners to the baseball cap with black electrical tape to form ladybug antennae. It couldn't have been easier — or cuter!
— Annemarie Colino, mother of Caitlin, 2, Seattle, Washington

Bo Peep and her sheep
To make my son's sheep costume, I used a pair of cream-colored long underwear and glued bunched pillow batting all over it. Next, I bought a cream-colored hat with ear flaps, cutting the flaps off and gluing them on top of the hat like ears. Black gloves and shoes stood in for the hooves. Finally, I blackened the tip of my son's nose with face paint. Not only did he look adorable, but the long underwear kept him warm outside. I rented a Bo Peep costume (staff, hat, and all) from a local shop, and we went as a pair.
— Jill Bollman, mother of Lucas, 2

Mini-mouse
This mouse costume is a snap to put together: You'll need a gray hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants and gray and pink felt. For the ears, trace two circles from stiff gray felt, cut them out, then cut the felt from side to center. Overlap the cut end so an ear shape is formed, then hot-glue in place. Repeat for the other ear. Next, cut two smaller circles from pink felt and hot-glue them inside the gray felt ears. Use double-sided tape to attach the ears to the hood of the sweatshirt. For the belly, cut out a large oval from pink felt and tape it to the front of the sweatshirt. A long piece of gray cord attached to a belt makes a great tail. Finally, draw on a black nose and whiskers with face paint.
— Sandy Whitten, mother of Alex, 1, Glocester, Rhode Island

Along came a spider
Dress your child in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants, white shoes, and white gloves. Then fill two pairs of girl's black tights with newspaper or socks, and slip a white sock or white glove on the foot of each stocking. Tie the two pairs of tights together at the top and safety-pin them to the back of the sweatshirt. Finally, use clear fishing line to tie the spider's "legs" together just above the gloves or socks so all the legs on each side move together.
— Trudy Kopas, mother of a 2-year-old, Chandler, Arizona

Just ducky
Start with a yellow hooded sleeper or a hooded sweatshirt and pants. To make the eyes, attach "googly" eyes (available at craft stores) to two pom-poms with craft glue or a hot-glue gun, then glue the pom-poms to the top of the hood. To make the duck's bill, cut out an orange felt triangle and glue it to the front of the hood. Next, cut out two orange felt duck's feet and glue them to the top of the pajama feet or to the bottom of the pant legs. Finally, cut up a white feather boa and glue lengths of it around the hood, arms, legs, and "tail."
— Colleen Stephens, mother of Jessica, now 3, Wayne, New Jersey

For the dogs
Here's an easy dalmation costume: Hot-glue black felt spots all over a white hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants. Next, snip one leg off of a pair of white tights, stuff it with white cotton or bunting, tie the top closed, and make dots all over it with a black marker before pinning the tail to the seat of the sweatpants. Finally, decorate a pair of white stretch gloves with black felt spots for the paws and add the finishing touches with white and black face paint.
— Rachel Natoli, mother of Madison, 4, Aidan, 2, and Reagan, 11 weeks, Phoenix, Arizona

Hall-moo-een cow
Start with a pair of white thermals and a white fleece ski hat with a chinstrap. Using pink felt, cut out a round udder and glue it to the front of the thermal top with craft glue or a hot-glue gun. Next, cut out black felt cow spots of various sizes and shapes and glue them all over the thermals and the hat. Glue black yarn down the back of the hat for a mane and braided yarn at the rear for a tail. Then, using a black eyeliner pencil, trace a cow spot around your child 's eye.
— Erica Hawkins, mother of Jade, now 3, Appleton, Wisconsin

What a character
Off to see the Wizard ... My daughter loves to dress up as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, and can't wait to go trick-or-treating with me as the Wicked Witch of the West. Her outfit started with a pair of red sparkly shoes that we picked up at a discount store, then paired with a blue jumper over a white t-shirt and white socks (all of which we already owned). I braid her hair like Dorothy's, and she carries a small, plush dog (Toto, of course) in a recycled gift basket.
— Leah Hennen, mother of Laurel, 4, and Austin, 7, Oakland, California

I made the cutest lion for my daughter with a cheap yellow hooded sweatsuit that was two sizes too big, an extra yellow sweatshirt, cream and reddish-brown curling ribbon, and tan felt. I cut out an oval of felt and glued it to the front of one of the sweatshirts. Then I cut one arm off of the other shirt, tied some curling ribbon to the bottom, and pinned it to the back of the sweatpants to make the tail. Finally, I glued felt ears to the hood and attached the rest of the curling ribbon around the face for the mane.
— Stacy Camillo, mother of Ariana, 4, Allison, 2, and Amanda, 6 weeks, Levittown, Pennsylvania

Last year I dressed my son as a scarecrow. He wore a flannel shirt and overalls (kids who don't mind hats can wear a cheap straw hat, too). Then I took fabric scraps and glued them in various locations on his outfit. Finally, I twisted raffia around large hair ties to make wristbands and ankle bands, and added a raffia-covered headband as the crowning touch.
— Rebecka Klassen, mother of a 1-year-old

To transform my son into the Tin Man, I bought him a gray sweatsuit, painted his face and hands with silver face paint, and added a silver funnel on top of his head. Worked like a charm!
— Jennifer Leonard

The Riddler
I started with white long johns that I'd died green, but you could simply buy your child a green shirt and leggings. Then I copied a question mark off the computer, enlarged it, and traced it onto black iron-on knee patches (available at fabric stores), which I then cut out and ironed on. I painted the mask on with face paint, and sprayed my son's hair red with a bottle of temporary Halloween hair dye. He loved it, and said it felt like he was wearing his pajamas!
— Candus Hinderer, mother of Nicholas, 2, Pearland, Texas

Elmo
Start with red sweatpants, red socks and slippers, and a red hooded sweatshirt. Using craft glue or a glue gun, glue "googly" eyes onto two styrofoam balls (all available at craft stores) and glue the eyes to the top of the sweatshirt hood. This simple costume was a huge hit with my toddler last year.
— Alida Howard, mother of Rebecca, 2, Worcester, Massachusetts

Bob the Builder
Start with denim overalls, sturdy boots, and a long-sleeved red t-shirt. Next, cut a regular kitchen sponge into a square shape, dip it into yellow fabric paint, and stamp yellow squares onto the shirt. Finish off the outfit with a party-store construction hat and toy tools tied onto an old belt.
— The Stielow family, Houston, Texas

Thing One and Thing Two
This costume, based on the Dr. Seuss characters, is perfect for twins or siblings who are close in age. Start with two matching red sweat suits. Using adhesive-backed white felt, cut out two circles and use a black marker to write "Thing One" and "Thing Two" on them. Stick the circles to the front of the sweatshirts. Then use a can of wash-out hair paint (available at costume stores) to spray the children's hair blue.
— Vicki Panfil, mother of Kayla, 6, and Cody, 7, Lowell, Indiana

Punk rocker
Start with a pair of jeans and a plain white T-shirt. Use a black marker to draw a large "anarchy" symbol on the T-shirt. Finish off the look with some gelled spikes and a spray of brightly colored hair paint. Attitude not included!
— Nick Vigil, father of Austin, 7, and Laurel, 4, Oakland, California

Little devil
Begin with a red turtleneck, a pair of red tights or leggings, and shiny black boots. I found a red devil's horns headband, but you can simply glue red cardboard horns to a regular red headband. Finish the look with red face paint (be careful to keep it away from your child's eyes) and a cape made out of a black trash bag cut into a bell shape and attached to the back of the turtleneck with black electrical tape.
— Sandra Harford, mother of Rosie, now 4, Dublin, Ireland

Peter Pan
Start with a large green t-shirt, stocking cap, and either leggings or tights (you can also dye white clothes the right shade of green). Next, cut the neckline, sleeves, and bottom of the t-shirt into a zig-zag pattern. Accessorize the hat with a large feather, belt the shirt with a rope or an old leather belt, tie on a plastic play knife, and you have the perfect Peter Pan costume!
— JoAnn

Ahoy there, matey!
For an easy pirate costume, dirty up a white undershirt and tear a few holes in it. Cut the legs of a pair of oversized jeans (you can pick them up at a thrift store for a few dollars) to calf-length and clip the ends so they look frayed, then tie a rope belt around the waist. Tie a bandana on your child's head, pirate style, and use face-paint to draw on a thin moustache and goatee. If your child will tolerate it, add a clip-on hoop earing and an eye patch.
— Rebecca Shreddrick

Clifford the Big Red Dog
Start with a matching red top and pants, then cut paw shapes out of red felt and pin them at the cuffs (you could also use red mittens). Next, I cut out droopy red felt ears and attach them to a red baseball cap. Viola — a cheap costume and a new red outfit to wear after Halloween!
— Anne Rohrbacker

Men (and women) in uniform
Light his fire
I made my son a firefighter jacket from a black sweatshirt that was a couple sizes too big. I cut the sweatshirt down the middle and glued in some Velcro to act as buttons. Then I cut out yellow felt strips, which I glued on for the stripes and collar. Finally, I added a toy hat and badge that I'd picked up at a discount store. It was cheap, easy, fast, and looked great!
— Chris Emsley, mother of Connor 2, Zionsville, Indiana

Is there a doctor in the house?
Start with a large, white, collared shirt (an old one of Dad's works well). Lay it flat and use permanent markers to draw a red cross on one side of the chest and "Dr. So-and-So" on the other (slip a piece of cardboard between the front and back of the shirt so the ink doesn't soak through. Then arm your child with a toy doctor's kit, slipping the stethoscope around her neck for extra effect.
— Adreana Soto Landberg, mother of Hope, 4, and Sabastion, due October 23, Brandon, Florida

Naturally cute
Flower girl
Cut leaves out of dark green felt and pin or glue them to the shoulders and wrists of a long-sleeved green shirt. Next, cut out petal shapes from various colors of felt, being careful to make them the same size. Wind lengths of craft wire around a headband to form petal shapes and then glue the felt petals onto them. For a finishing touch, glue a decorative bee or ladybug (available at craft stores) to one of the leaves.
— Brooke Bowen, Houston, Texas

What kind of tree would you be?
I bought a bag of decorative fall leaves at craft store and hot-glued them to my son's green sweatshirt. I also glued a bird nest with a bird in it (also from the craft store) to the shoulder, then paired the shirt with brown pants to make a tree.
— Gregory Griffin

Yummy stuff
Lucious strawberry
This strawberry costume couldn't have been simpler: I glued white sequins to a pair of red leggings and a long-sleeved red shirt, glued a green felt collar around the shirt's neckline, and glued a green felt "stem" to a red hat.
— Tracy Goldenberg, mother of Olivia, 2

Doughboy
I put this whole costume together for under $10. All you need is a pair of white sweats, a paper chef's hat (available at restaraunt supply stores), a scrap of white fabric tied into a neck scarf, a wooden spoon, and a plastic mixing bowl to collect candy in.
— Cindy Dunigan, mother of a 2-year-old

Bag of jellybeans
Dress your child in a white turtleneck and white leggings or tights. Using a large clear plastic trash bag (available at hardware stores), cut leg holes in the bottom of the bag and have her step into it so you can see where to cut the arm holes. Blow up a variety of small balloons and stuff them into the bag. Close the bag using clear packing tape around your child 's neck (not too tightly, of course). Finish it off with a red ribbon tied in a knot to resemble a twist tie.
— Amber Clark

Groovy grapes
Start with a purple or green sweat suit. Blow up a bunch of purple or green balloons, and use safety pins to attach the knotted tops of the balloons to the sweat suit (hide the pins inside the fabric). Voila — a bunch of grapes!
— Carol McNutt, mother of Kristen, 4, and Patrick, 1, Aurora, Ontario, Canada

Carrot top
Dress your child in orange sweats, gather her hair into a pony tail on the top of her head, and use temporary spray-in hair coloring to spray her "carrot stem" green.
— Cyndi Stock, mother of a 20-year-old, a 6-year-old, and a 2-year-old

Baked potato
Dress your child in a beige or white top and leggings. Use a length of elastic to tie two pillows to his front and back, wrap his torso with aluminum foil, and seal the edge with craft glue. Then glue two bags' worth of white cotton balls down his front. Finally, paint a 6-inch square of cardboard yellow and glue it to the cotton balls. Now you have a baked potato with butter!
— Miranda Hendrickson, mother of Taylor, 2, Springdale, Arkansas

Objects of affection
Life-size Lego
To turn your child into a giant Lego, simply cut holes in the top and sides of a carboard box for her head and arms, glue empty applesauce cups or margarine containers to the box, and paint the whole thing a bright color. For the hat, repeat the process with a smaller box, then staple on an elastic chin strap. Dress her in a matching shirt and leggings to complete the look.
— Bekah Gwozdz

To die for
To outfit your child as a game die, cut holes in the top and sides of a large white box, and use a marker to draw large black die marks on all sides of the box. Fun, simple, and cute!
— Alicia Robertson

Old Glory
Start with a pair of red pants and a long-sleeved blue top. Using white surgical tape (available at drugstores), make stripes down each pant leg. Decorate the shirt with white star stickers or stars cut out of white contact paper.
— Vallery LaBarre, mother of Zachery, 2, Annandale, Virginia

Colorful crayon
Wrap a large piece of colored posterboard losely around your child, extending from his shoulders to his thighs. Mark spots to cut out armholes, and use a large black marker to write "CRAYON" down the front. Once the armholes are cut and the letters are drawn, tape the edges of the posterboard together with clear packing tape (the tube should be loose enough that your child can easily slide it on and off). Top off the outfit with a matching, pointed party hat. Finally, use face paint to color your child's face (for little ones, simply draw colored circles on their cheeks).
— Diana Cotton, Lansing, Michigan

Q-tip
Start with a white fleece hat, a white sweat suit or a white turtleneck and leggings, a pair of white socks, and white sneakers. Then wrap quilt batting (available at fabric stores) around the hat as well as around each shoe, securing it with craft glue or double-sided tape. That 's it — a human Q-tip!
— Jennifer Bailey, mother of Ryan, 3, Hutchinson, Minnesota

Birthday present
Take a large birthday-gift bag, and cut the bottom out. Then untie the string handles and turn them so they can `be used as shoulder straps. Glue bunches of colored tissue wrap on the inside of the bag so they stick out over the top. Finally, tie a large bow on your child's head.
— Konni Snyder, mother of Kaitlin, 8, and Savanna, 4 months

Table for one
The best costume I've ever pulled off is turning my daughter into a ... table! I cut a hole in the top of a large box for her head, and hot-glued on a sassy tablecloth (also with a hole cut in the center), place settings (napkins and plastic plates, utensils, and cups), and even plastic play food. To make the "centerpiece," I glued an assortment of silk flowers onto one of her old hats.
— Vicki LeClair