Wicked stitches: werewolves and witches {handmade halloween}

October is finally here, which means one thing – and no, I’m not talking about Pumpkin Spice Lattes. Well, alright… so two things. But mostly, I’m talking about…

 Halloween costumes!!

This is hands down, my most favorite time of year. I love the crisp coolness in the air, the beautiful fiery colors of fall and most of all, the creative challenge and the hustle and bustle that comes with a handmade Halloween!

Inspired by Bernie at Needle and Foot‘s Halloween themed linky party last week, I thought I’d share some of my favorite handmade Halloween costumes. The linky party has officially ended, but you can still go over and check out all the wonderful Fall inspired creations.

If you’ve read my About Me Page, you may remember me mentioning my very first sewing project – which also happened to be my very first attempt at ever operating a sewing machine. It pretty much went like this:

Step 1. Unbox machine. Step 2. Cut out pattern pieces. Step 3. Sew pieces together the most wrong way possible. Step 4. Grab the seam ripper, redo… repeat.

Many mistakes were made and lessons learned during that first project, but I discovered a passion for sewing I never knew I possessed…. and I had one adorable little Tinkerbell to show for it. 😄

Tinkerbell Costume

Tinker bell – Simplicity Disney Princess #4949

Please take a moment to enjoy the many wonders of my handy stitch work below. Those lines were having their very own Halloween party and it. was. wild!!!

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The Wizard of Oz – Dorothy Costume

We’re not in Kansas, anymore! I’m proud to say that by the next Halloween, my sewing had definitely improved. I also wised up and went with cotton fabrics — life changing!

Dorothy – Simplicity Wizard of Oz #4024

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Masquerade Ball Costumes

That same year, I made three costumes for a Masquerade themed costume party. This was my first time making adult sized clothes. I adjusted the dresses slightly from their original pattern designs and was incredibly happy with the way they turned out, especially given my skill level at the time (pssst… I’m the one in the middle 🙊).

Masquerade Costumes – From left to right: Butterick Formal Coat #4732; McCall’s Costume Fairytale Dress #M6420; Simplicity Elizabethan Costume #3782

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Mermaid Costume

The mermaid costume was the first one my daughter was actually old enough to request. At this point, I rarely did any non-Halloween-related sewing, and although I still made plenty of mistakes, I also started to understand more about pattern reading and overall sewing techniques, which helped make the process a lot less frustrating and way more enjoyable! 😊

Mermaid – McCall’s Costumes #M5498

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Puss in Boots Costume

The next year, my daughter decided she was going to be Puss in Boots. This kid, I tell ya…

I made her shirt and skirt from an upcycled orange t-shirt, some tiger print fabric and black tulle. Her boot covers were made from black faux leather fabric. Her belt was 2″ thick black elastic and I made her hat out of cardboard covered in black felt and approximately 5,001 hot glue sticks. The look was completed by a black cape (not pictured).

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Cheerleader Costume

Next up was the cheerleader costume. This was my first time ever sewing on a yoke, so it felt very official. It also happened to be my second time sewing with confetti dot fabric after I swore I’d never, ever, ever use it again – and if you’ve ever sewn with it, you totally feel me on this because it’s horrible… with a capital H!

Cheerleader – Simplicity #3689

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The Princess and the Frog Costumes

The next Halloween was a special one. It was the year we added a brand new baby frog to our family! 🐸 My daughter wanted to have a dress like Tiana from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog — she naturally had to have a little Frog Prince side kick, right? 😉

The two piece dress was self-drafted and made from satin fabrics with a green sparkly tulle overlay for the top. For the frog costume, I used this baby romper tutorial and two upcycled green t-shirts.

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Funky Witch Costume

The next year, my daughter wanted to be a cool, funky witch. I made her a bright, colorful tutu, added some fun accessories and called it a day!

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Werewolf Costume

Since we already had a witch, we decided to stick with the classic Halloween costume theme and turn this little guy into a werewolf. Terrifying, isn’t he? I distressed a flannel shirt and pair of jeans I found at the thrift store. I added some tufts of fur and a tail that were all made out of yarn. Here’s a great yarn tail tutorial. Easy peasy!

DIY Yarn Tail

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Zombie Prom Goers

This past Halloween was probably my most favorite and fun costume combo yet! A zombie prom queen, by request, and one devilishly handsome prom date. Both costumes were made from thrift store finds. Not wanting to destroy a perfectly pretty dress, I made an apron style wrap out of an upcycled blue sheet. I shredded it and tied it around the waist giving the illusion of a tattered dress. I made a corsage and matching boutonniere from Dollar Store finds. Fake blood splatters, spooky makeup and a whooole lotta hairspray did the rest!

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Halloween 2016…

I’m still not 100% sure what the littles will be this year… they have a couple of ideas in mind. But whether it’s a scary pumpkin and Supergirl or a ghost and a Ghostbuster, I’m excited to get in my last minute sew-zone and gear up for another awesomely fun handmade Halloween!

Edit: Handmade Halloween 2016 has been posted! Click here to read all about this year’s zero-cost costumes!

Anybody else making costumes this Halloween (and do you wait until the last minute like I do)?? 👻

xo.a