Happy Halloween!

Halloween is one of my husband's favorite holidays.  He loves dressing up and going to parties and walking around with the kiddos.  I have never been a huge fan myself.  But this year I have been looking forward to Halloween since ... well actually I have been looking forward to this Halloween since last Halloween.  I decided on costumes for the girls right after Halloween last year and I have been super pumped because I was going to make them.  Up until this year I never had the time or the energy to devote to handmade costumes.

Maia wanted to be a witch and I wanted Ella to be an Ellagator (cue "awww" response).  I have had several Halloween costumes picked for my tiny Ella since she was in the womb:  Ellagator, Ellaphant, CinderElla, Ella M N O P, etc (hopefully she will allow Mommy to continue her obsession).

Maia's costume has been done for almost a month.  I bought a long, black wig at Joann's last year during the big sale after Halloween; we found black and purple striped tights and a purple and black witch's hat at Goodwill in September; I bought her a long-sleeved, black leotard from www.discountdance.com and I made her a black and purple tutu.  This was the first time I made a tutu - nothing to it!

She looks awesome!

Now, my Ella's costume was a different story.  I started the Ellagator head last month.  I used a small, shoe-sized box and cut a section out for the mouth.  I painted it green on the outside and red on the inside.  I glued triangle shaped pieces of white felt into the mouth opening for teeth.  Then I put it aside and didn't do anything more with it until today.  Um, procrastinate much?

I had crafter's block on making the body for the costume, so I kept putting it off and putting it off until I absolutely could not put it off any longer.  Today Ella and I went to Fred Meyer and bought a toddler dragon costume.  When I put her down for a nap this morning I made an itty bitty tutu out of scraps of purple fabric (don't want anyone mistaking her for an Alangator or something).  I hand-sewed an Ellagator tail using some green scrap fabric; I stuffed it with paper towels and sewed it to the back of the tutu.

To finish the Ellagator head I made nostrils with a piece of green pipe cleaner and two small, black pom-poms.  Then I made a pair of eyes using cotton balls, yellow felt, black pom-poms, green pipe cleaner and extra pieces of the scrap fabric I used to make the tail.  To keep the head on I made a few slits on the underside of the Ellagator head and ran some strips of scrap fabric through them to tie under her cute little chin.

Look at my little doll!

Success!

Next year Maia wants to be Princess Leia, so I'm thinking little Ella would make a perfect Yoda.  I get excited just thinking about it!

Hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!