What other beauty queen is known for her karate chops? Exactly.
Creating a Miss Piggy costume is actually super easy, since it’s just something sparkly and glamorous, with piggy flare. The key to a good Miss Piggy is attitude.
Miss Piggy’s defining features: Wavy blond hair, Hollywood starlet wardrobe and pig snout.
You’ll need:
red carpet-worthy dress (preferably pink)
feather boa
curly blond hair (yours or a wig)
plain hair band
2 pink felt or cardboard triangles
crazy thick/dark eye lashes (have fun with mascara or get some fake ones — just don’t glue anyone’s eyes shut)
pearls
pig nose (optional — kids are really good at just turning their own noses into piggy snouts)
Do your kids know The Adventures of Tintin? If they don’t already know him and his dog Snowy from the comic books, or maybe a cartoon version of those books, they’ll surely know him after the movie this December. But why wait until next year to dress up as this perma-cool boy detective/reporter?
A Tintin costume comes with an added concerned parent bonus: because his basic uniform is pants and a sweater with the occasional trench coat, this costume is made for a Canadian (or north American) Halloween. (No need to layer a snowsuit underneath when you can just add a long sleeve t-shirt under Tintin’s sweater)
And remember, just because he’s a boy reporter, doesn’t mean you could have a girl Tintin. This would work especially well if she has bangs that can be flipped up. Also, Tintin wears a classic and gender neutral wardrobe, the pieces of which can be worn over and over. Handy! Read more...
Cynthia Kinnunen blogs about sharing stuff from your childhood with your kids
I’m all for finding new ways to use old stuff. Heck, I’m all for using old stuff in old ways, too. Although my cassettes aren’t really sounding as good as they once did.
What I had always wondered, though, was if my kids would ever be interested in my old clothes. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t actually have much by way of clothing from my childhood, but a few treasured pieces do remain. Hey, if fashion is cyclical, these old threads should have come around at least once or twice since I wore them.
Now I used to dress up in my grandmum’s old clothing and it was much like costuming. Like Mr. Dress Up’s infamous tickle trunk. It was great fun. But when I borrowed my mom’s clothes, I had thought I was pretty cool. It wasn’t about dressing up like Ginger from Gilligan’s Island (and no, my Grandmum didn’t dress like that…that I’m aware of) but rather real, “going out in public” kinds of dressing up. Read more...
Yes, hats are great, but sometimes you just want a little oomph without all that brim. We asked Stratford Shakespeare Festival costume designer Leslie Norgate for some tips on how to create our own fascinators. Here’s what she said:
You’ll need:
paper plates, dessert size, preferably the inexpensive thin kind with a slightly rounded, wavy edge, in funky colours/patterns (the dollar store would be the ideal place to find these, and also many of the items listed below)
hair barrettes, available at the drugstore or dollar store
all manner of decorative elements, such as feathers (old hats can be a magnificent source for these), flowers, netting, veiling, buttons, castoff jewellery, ribbons, sequins, lace, felt, fabric. The sky is the limit
Catherine Romano blogs about crafty projects for kids and parents
With all of the Royal Wedding excitement hitting the city this week, a fun way to involve the entire family in the celebration is by playing a little dress-up. Create your own royal look by crafting a fascinator and a boutonniere for the princess and prince in your family. Take a look.
Materials:
Hairband
Feathers
Glue gun
Safety pin
Process: 1. Find a hairband with a decorative element. I found a blue band with a large bow (and decided to buy two so I would have enough materials for the boutonniere and fascinator).
2. For the fascinator, I simply attached a few feathers to the hairband.
3. For the boutonniere, I cut the bow off of the hairband, attached a feather, and pinned the safety pin to the back. Read more...
“Gretchen gets frantic when she’s really hungry, so she can’t wait too long for dinner.” Do you think this way when you’re traveling with a toddler? You really need to plan ahead to prevent meltdowns. The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin says you should do this for yourself as well. Agreed! Meghan turns into a monster if she doesn’t get enough sleep. Via Huffington Post.
Every read your kid’s diary? Candy Schulman did. Via Babble.
Have you finished all the levels in Angry Birds? Ready for a new challenge? How about creating a live-action version:
Creating a Miss Piggy costume is actually super easy, since it’s just something sparkly and glamorous, with piggy flare. The key to a good Miss Piggy is attitude.
