Halloween Creativity: Four Easy Costumes (with directions!)

The Tapper kiddos are off to school for another Halloween celebration.  I don't really enjoy the gory/scary emphasis of many at Halloween, and I definitely would not go out and buy a bunch of pre-made costumes.  Rather, I enjoy the opportunity for creativity and craftiness.  This year's costumes were particularly fun and easy. 

 

1) The Solar System (Jadon)

 

This costume is actually a hand-me-down from Ethan's 2011 Halloween.  It takes a bit of time and planning, but the results are "out of this world!"  You need a black outfit (that you don't mind transforming).  We used a pair of old black sweatpants and one of my old turtlenecks (big enough to fit over a coat for cold trick-or-treating nights!).  Then, you need some Heat'N'Bond or WonderUnder--the two-sided fabric adhesive--and some fabric scraps.  Simply, iron the adhesive to the back side of your fabric scraps, cut out the shapes of the sun and planets, peel the paper backing, arrange on the outfit, and iron again!  We labeled the objects and added a star (made with my silver and black eyeliners) on his cheek.

 

 



2) The Cat ...AKA Jaguar, Cheetah, Leopard, etc. (Abby)

Abby decided on this costume months ago!  She loves her "cheetah" pajamas.  To transform her for Halloween, we needed the pajamas (you could use any cat print outfit or go for the classic black cat look with black pants and shirt), a headband, paper, markers, yarn, and eyeliner.  For a very simple cat ear headband project, see http://www.cutoutandkeep.net/projects/3d-paper-cat-ears.  Abby used markers to add spots to her ears.  I crocheted her tail and added her nose and whiskers.  Don't you think she's "purr-fect?!!"

3) The Quarterback (Ethan)

Here, you see Ethan's great sense of humor coming through.  This Halloween dress-up could be very simple.  You need a piece of cardboard, a pin, and a print-out of a quarter.  Ethan cut out a circle of cardboard, glued on the quarter design, and attached the pin.  One could stop there--just pin the quarter to the back of a shirt!  But, Ethan decided to sport his Brady jersey, add some under eye paint, and carry a football.  I'd say he's looking like a CHAMP!

4) Lightning (Andrew)

Andrew's original plan was to be a scuba diver, but, when he forgot to bring his mask and flippers home from his grandparents on the weekend, we needed to scramble for another idea--fast!  And what could be faster than lightning?  To make this costume, you need a black outfit, some cardboard, aluminum foil, tape, and pins.  Cut out some lightning bolts and wrap them carefully with foil.  Tape two pins on the back of each bolt, and pin them onto the shirt.  We added a headband (made from a pair of cut-up black tights that Abby had outgrown) and some lightning bolts on the cheeks (eyeliner again!).  Andrew was quite pleased with the "flashy" results!

Annual Jack-o-Lantern Guessing Game

This is the fourth Halloween for the six-member Team Tapper.  Once again, we have followed tradition and carved our pumpkins for the holiday.  And, once again, I am offering my faithful blog readers the opportunity to guess which design was chosen/created by which Tapper child!

 

Here are the completed designs-- rose, maple leaf, mustached man, and hockey skate:

 

Put your guesses in the comments and check back there as I will update on Halloween with the correct answers!

Rest Needed

Instead of recovering from today's scheduled tonsillectomy, Abby is recovering from yet another throat infection.  Surgery rescheduled for December 7.  Sweet thing.

 

 

Boys and Blocks

My boys love to play with blocks.  Their endless creativity makes me smile, too.

 

“Almost all creativity involves purposeful play.”
~ Abraham Maslow

Guess Who...

It's only October, but guess who has been praying for snow!???!!!??!

 

Ethan was pretty excited to sport his new gear, as he anticipates learning to ski this winter :)

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving (and more!)

Every Canadian Thanksgiving, we Tappers have another celebration to add to the joy of enjoying the harvest and counting our many blessings.  Abigail Hope Tapper was born on a stormy morning, seven years ago today! 

 

Today, we know a girl who loves stretching down into the splits and working on her cartwheels.  She has been learning a lot of French and has started reading chapter books.  She enjoys swimming, shopping, singing, and playing piano.  And she is, by far, our most creative child--drawing pictures, writing stories and songs, and even designing party games for the entertainment of whoever might enter her room on a designated party day!

 

Abby is a very loyal friend and, although she may often present as rather quiet, she can be your loudest and most uplifting encourager when you need it.  She can also be amazingly stubborn, and we hope that she will learn to be most stubborn about the things that are truly most important!  We call her our beautiful treasure, and we believe that she is a gift from God, created for good works that we can only begin to imagine.

 

Happy Birthday, Sister Bear!

 

Andrew's First Big Race

Andrew came home from school several weeks ago, excited about an opportunity to participate in a running group during lunch recess.  All who were willing (which, of course, included Andrew, who would never pass by a good challenge!) trained with the gym teacher each day.  Every afternoon, I would get a report on the day's training.  First, I heard all about his aching muscles!  Then, I started hearing about how he had managed to get a few more laps in than the day before.  Finally, he brought home a paper from the school detailing a regional cross country meet for elementary students--a real race!  Imagine his excitement!

Today was the big day!  Andrew ran his mile with determination, finishing in the top 20 of his age bracket with a time of 7:22.5.  Not too bad for his first race!  (I think there might be more...)

A Sweet Girl...

A sweet girl took her "baby" for a walk to the park tonight.  She was delighted (and delightful!) as she pretended to do all kind of "mama" things for her little one.