blog:Get your Halloween going with these inspirational costume ideas
You may already have an idea for what you want to make for Halloween. Or maybe you have no clue. Either way, here is some inspiration to get you going.
Want to go for a vintage look?​
Many of our patterns can give you a vintage-esque look without actually having to be vintage. Working outwards from the bases of Charlie and Simon/Simone, you can then use combination of Wahid, Jaeger, Carlton/Carlita for the outerwear. To complete the look, don a Florent and a Trayvon or Benjamin. If Charlie isn’t doing it for you, maybe switch it out for a Cornelius or a floor -length quarter-circle or half-circle Sandy Skirt.
Want to have more of Gothic look?​
First, let’s make more Romantic version of Simon/Simone. You can do this by slashing and spreading the sleeve piece. There are many ways to do this and many variations, but we recommend a bishop sleeve which you can find on SewingJulie's YouTube channel. Just remember that Simon(e) has already been drafted for a cuff and has a placket. From there you can throw on a pair of Charlies.
For outerwear, you can either go for a Wahid or Cathrin and to finish the look we recommend the square variant of Benjamin. Again if Charlie is not your thing you can try Penelope or Sandy.
Or are you more of a secret agent?​
Get the suave look by making a Jaeger, Trayvon, and Charlie and pair it with your favourite sunglasses. If the Jaeger isn’t your style, try switching it out for a Wahid. And if trousers don’t take your fancy, try Penelope or a quarter-circle Sandy.
Or maybe you want to be in your combat garb. Try combining Sven and Paco. Pair them with some combat boots and a belt of your choosing.
Maybe you are more of fantasy dweller?​
Whilst we don’t have many patterns that emulate fantasy, the Cathrin Corset is a great place to start. Combine it with a Puff-Sleeve variant of Teagan and a floor-length quarter- or half-circle Sandy, and you are well on your way to emulating the Cathrin cover art. For those of you who are feeling a little more adventurous, a little challenge for you: try combining Cornelius and Paco together to create satyr legs, then perhaps pair it with Wahid and Simon/Simone.
Become "that suit person."​
This is a goofy outfit that can be worn to any informal party. The formal aspects of Jaeger and Charlie clash beautifully with crazy patterned fabrics, which makes for a super fun Halloween outfit, which can also be worn to other parties in the future. Making a Jaeger is hard, but at least the idea is simple: find your favourite crazy fabric and use it for both pieces. You can wear a white dress shirt (or a white Simon) underneath. There's an option to add a Trayvon or Benjamin in a bright color as well. The possibilities are endless!
Or maybe you only want to make one or two garments for an easy-to-wear costume?​
Huey, Hugo, and Paco are perfect bases to create simple animal hoodies and trousers that will also be comfortable to wear. There are many animals you can try so here are a few basic alterations and ideas to get your creative brain flowing.
Creating a back seam for Hugo and Huey​
For simple things like back spikes for dinosaurs, you may find it useful to create a back seam in Hugo or Huey. This is simply done by cutting two back pieces instead of one on the fold. Don't forget to add seam allowance along the center back! From there you would construct your additions, such as spikes, and then baste them to one of the back pieces with right sides together. Then pin the other back piece over the top, right sides together and sew. This will now count as your single back piece in the Huey and Hugo instructions.
The same can be done with the hood center piece for Hugo, and Huey's hood already has a center back seam so no changes are required for Huey's hood. Another thing you can do is split the hood patterns in half ear to ear if you are adding stuff like ears but you may find it easier just to hand sew these elements on.
For these particular costumes we recommend using fabrics that do not fray such as polar fleece for the body and larger additions, with felt being an option for the smaller add-ons.
With these alterations in mind, let’s talk some ideas.
Wings​
This might sound odd at first, but hear me out. You can add wings by making a quarter- or half-circle and inserting them into the side seams of Huey and Hugo. If you make want to make your wings more spiky, cut-out semi-circles from the curved edge of your pattern, a plate will make this a lot quicker. Experiment! There are many types of wings and many shapes for them!
Bear​
Who doesn’t want a ferocious bear running around a party? Create round ears for the hood and an oval shape to go on front for the underbelly. You can make a simple small tail for the back of the hoodie.
Cat​
Everybody wants to be a cat! Well not everybody, but if you want to go as one of the Halloween staples and be comfortable, this is the way to do. Add pointed triangle ears to the hood and possibly whiskers with pipe cleaners and add a long sausage tail to the back.
Dinosaurs​
Add horns! Add teeth! Add spikes! The possibilities are endless! If you want to keep it simple, make the center back seam adjustment and add some spikes, then add some felt triangles to represent teeth around the brim of the hood. If you are feeling more daring, why not try to emulate a triceratops head with its horns. You can also add spots to represent dinosaur skin and even a tail if you're up for it.
Dog​
Add triangle ears and a wagging tail, or if that’s not to your liking you can try floppy ears. For more variation you can add spots to denote color. Possibly, be a Cruella and make it look like a Dalmatian.
Rabbit​
Go for pink, white, yellow, brown, grey, black or any other color a bunny can be! Add oval-shaped ears and a small nose. For a tail, simply gather up a circle of fur fabric around a ball of stuffing and hand sew to your hoodie.
Pokemon​
Now I know what you are thinking. Why is this in the regulars? Well we thought it was best to keep all the Hugo and Huey adaptations together. So why not be inspired by Frankie’s Bulbasaur Huey they made for the child and make a Huey or Hugo inspired favourite Pokemon. You can be as elaborate as you like and make ears, bulbs, and other appendages, or you can simply use the color scheme of your favourite Pokemon and add their eyes, mouth and nose on the hood.
Detective Pikachu​
A detective that might even rival Sherlock Holmes would also be amiss without their hat. Use a Holmes with a beige brown herringbone fabric and dark brown ribbon. Now what about the ears? The ears?! Why yes, Pikachu’s ears! Make a two-layered oval shape with a straight bottom. You can either cut and sew the black tops on as a seam or sew them on after you've turned the yellow parts right-side-out. Sew the two yellow layers together good sides together leaving the bottom open, trim and clip the seam allowances, then turn right-side-out. Once turned, stuff and hand sew to the ear flaps of the deerstalker before they are attached to the crown. You can sew these on after final construction if easier, just remember to close the bottom as a seam with hand-sewing before attaching to ear flaps. If you’re not aiming the exact look experiment with different colors and patterns and make a unique Detective Pikachu hat just for you!
This was a collaboration between bobgeorgethethird and lucibytes!