Halloween 2010: Little Bo Peep

Jon (vampire), Andy (indian), James (cheetah), Tim (sad he doesn't have a costume), Amy (a woodland fairy)

Each October, my mom would take us to the material store. She'd let us flip through the pages of patterns, and choose what we wanted to be for Halloween. And then, with her skill and creativity, she'd buy some fabric and whip up unique, inexpensive, yet comfortable costumes that we just LOVED to wear for Halloween. One year I was a butterfly, another year, a bunch of grapes. Then there was the year I wanted to be a princess, and my gown was blue, just like Cinderella's, and she even made a faux fur sash. I loved that costume.

When I became a mom, I wanted to do the same thing for my kids, but I forgot about two big differences between my mom and me. 1.) My mom's name is Martha (no joke). 2.) My mom can sew. I...cannot (head hanging in shame).

So, for past Halloweens, I've done my best to do the same thing, but to find things at thrift stores that would work, or could be altered to work by using a needle and thread or a glue gun.

Boo - A flower in a pot (felt, craft foam, staples, needle/thread)

Red Riding Hood cape made of felt by my mom. My nightgown and real prescription horn-rimmed glasses from DI.

Thrift store velour shirt, glue-gunned gold trim and cravat.

DI for red t-shirts, printed iron-on logo

Fast-forward to this year's Halloween: Yaks wanted to be Buzz Lightyear, so I thought it would be fun for one more year to go together as a theme. Boo decided she would like to be Bo Peep, and so began my hunt to find a costume that looked like this:

I found this pink satin shirt that I thought was just awesome. Sure, it was an adult size, but I fell in love with the bell cuffs and could just picture them shortened into 3/4 length sleeves, all pleated. Are you laughing yet?

Who dresses this girl?

Remember the small detail that I can't sew? I tried hot glue to adjust the size in the shoulders and around the middle. It looked awful. Then I tried snaps and elastic. Again, awful. I tried needle and thread to pleat the sleeves, but it kept pulling out. Poor Boo had to try it on 500 times. Even she was getting sick of this project. Satin is THEE most difficult fabric I've ever worked with! It's so slippy and slidey (I know...it's satin!). Finally, during a moment of desperation, followed by inspiration, I abandoned the shirt after hours trying to will it to behave. Goodbye, satin shirt! Good riddance!


We went to Old Navy, and bought a pink short-sleeved t-shirt. I cut a rectangular piece of baby blue polka-dotted fabric to make a shirt front. I hot glue-gunned lace trim and the criss-crossed ribbon on the front. Then I tacked that whole thing to the front of her shirt, and stitched some lace onto the sleeves, so she can wear it again (just like a bridesmaid's dress!). It took all of 30 minutes. Unbelievable. Keep it simple, I learned. It's SO much easier!


I had the most fun making the hat! I found a straw gardening hat at a thrift store. It had the chin tie already, with embroidered strawberries on the brim, so I covered them with the same blue fabric, and picked up some cheap fake flowers in blue and pink. Boo had fun choosing flowers to match and pulling them apart. I had to hide where I folded it in half to make it a bonnet, as well as cover the glue job from the fabric, hence the flowers and some trim.

I felt just like the girls from Pride and Prejudice, who sit around all day decorating their hats.

The shepherd's staff is a dowel duct taped with the basket handle of an old Easter basket. I needed something that I could bend. Thanks to Annette for the idea! Boo painted it, and I attached it with a piece of wire.


The white skirt I found at a thrift store. It was an adult size, but I just took the sides in and covered my amateur job with pink tulle. Then I cut out felt dots, and hot glue gunned them all around the skirt. I added tulle between the lining and the skirt to give it volume. Then I tried to hide THAT sewing job with a ribbon sash.

Her hair we put in curled ponytails, ankle socks and her brown church shoes.


Again, A Looooot of work. It turned out really cute, but it took so much time...and money....and time. I was talking with my mom on the phone and telling her about my costume saga. I apologized AGAIN for not taking her up on her numerous offers to teach me to sew. She said, "You know, I have three sewing machines (passed on by Grandmas). You can have one, and I'll give you a basic lesson, and maybe you have some friends out there who can teach you." I quickly replied, "Yes." to all of it.

So, is there anyone out there who could give me sewing lessons? My kids and my glue gun would be grateful.