Coraline Costume Final Update

See, I knew I'd slip up and forget to post regularly.  Boo on me.

Anyway, here are some pics from Liv's Halloween as Coraline!  The boots I ordered from Amazon, the shirt was from Wal-mart, the rain jacket I had to order online and it was waaaaaaayyy too big, but who cares?  The wig was six bucks at Gerbes (grocery store), which my mother resized and trimmed to suit Liv.  I made the blue and pink dragonfly clip by finding some dragonfly patches at Wal-mart and sticking on some self-adhesive rhinestones, then super-gluing it to a barrette.  I used a eyeliner pencil to dot on some freckles on her cheeks.

For all our efforts, the silly wig kept slipping back. ^.^

Coraline Costumes Minor Update

So here are a few things I've dug up for Liv's Coraline costume:

Hair:
So far the best hair I've found is an adult's wig at Gerbes.  Here's hoping it will fit Liv.

Shirt:
Not orange and pink, but a good substitute.
Also possible, and better for anyone with older girl.

I feel like I already have a suitable shirt, but it may have been an old shirt that she no longer wears.

Boots:
Perfect boots!

I may skip hair altogeher if I get her a hat.  Mebbe put some blue temp color on the ends.  I dunno.  If I went with the hair and clip combo, I could make my own dragonfly clips. 

Preliminary Plans for Coraline Costume

Liv loves Coraline. The first two weeks we owned the DVD she watched at least a dozen times. She talks about Coraline Jones all the time as if she were a real person. So today when I idly suggested she go as Coraline for Halloween, she practically glued her face to the computer screen to see what sort of things could make up her costume. I know lots of people are doing this, but I want to do my own, with an emphasis on making/reusing as many items as possible.

Preliminary Checklist:

Yellow Rain Jacket

Yellow swampers (read: galoshes)

Blue wig/temporary hair coloring

Blue jeans

Pink striped shirt

Mini Coraline doll

Dragonfly hair clip

Blue nail polish

Other possibilities:

Captain hat

Messenger bag (faded red)

Button Key necklace

The nice thing is that Liv's eyes are brown and she has already mastered the pouty expression. I figure the jeans and pink shirt outfit is the easiest. I might even try a light grey sweater and black slacks with a phony neck brace to match. Although with my boobs, if I invest in a ridiculous-looking corset and a blonde wig, I could go as Ms. Forcible. :P

Resources

General

http://www.polyvore.com/coraline/set?id=6692567

http://community.livejournal.com/coraline_movie/

http://evilbuttons.blogspot.com/

Hairclip

http://www.ehow.com/how_4441123_make-beaded-dragonfly-hair-ornament.html

http://ai-risa.deviantart.com/art/Dragonfly-Clip-130355483

Coraline Doll:

http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/free-doll-pattern.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4940541_making-rag-doll-head-body.html

http://www.ehow.com/video_4940551_stuffing-rag-doll-body.html

http://www.clothdollconnection.com/FabricandSupplies.html

General Notes:

• Dragonfly hairclip has blue body and pinkish wings
• Hair is parted on the left
• Coraline has five freckles on each cheek
• Captain hat is dark navy with brass tacks at each temple and a red device center
• It occurs to me if I go with the hat, the hair clip would be pointless (hmmmm...)

Jedi Costume for Toddlers Part 1

Let me me start out by saying that I HATE flimsy polyester one-use costumes. Especially ones that cost $40 or even more. In colder climes, these costumes will be covered up by coats during trick-or-treating, so there went your money down the tubes, right? We had one for Livi's very short attempt at trick-or-treating last year when she was about 18 months old, and we just felt lucky that it was a mild Halloween. The year before had been freezing, and this year looks to be about inbetween. Not freezing, but chilly, so she needs a costume with substance.

So, I combined necessity with creativity (this is me flattering myself) and made sure that the bulk of her costume would be items that she could wear for the rest of the winter: brown leather boots that were $17, brown thick cloth or khaki pants (about $4-8; I bought both), and a cream-colored tunic-style top ($7), all from Target. She needed winter boots anyway, and I saved money by not getting a toon-embled pair (her dad can't stand Dora the Explorer anyway). Also, plain brown suede can go with most outfits, doesn't show stains as easily as pink, and these were insulated with soft, downy faux-fur. The pants and shirt can be worn in a variety of outfits, especially the top, which I might save for nice-dress but informal occasions.

I found a lightsaber toy from Wal-mart that was only $7.50 that lights up and is light-weight enough for a two and a half year-old to carry; the same toy was 50 cents more at Target. All the other cheap models didn't light up, and the fancier toy light sabers that did light up were $20-40 and heavy for a small child. Parents, if you're planning on doing at least some of your trick-or-treating at night, I definitely advise getting something that lights up for your child to carry; preferrably it would be something unique enough that every kid on the block won't have the same one. It helps them see a little better, makes them easier to pick out, and is just plain fun for them.


Right now I'm still working on the pieces that will really make it a Jedi-looking costume: either a tabard or a modified uwagi, and a modifed obi. The uwagi would probably be me picking up a simple white cotton top from a martial arts and dyeing it brown. The tabard I would would simply make from a swath of fabric, using modfied patterns I found online. This last option appeals to me because then I could use some of the left-over fabric to make the obi. The first one appeals to me because it is easy.

If I'm really strapped for time and cash, I may just make her a utility belt and choose a little vest to go with it. I think I may go with that option in the end, so that she might look a little more...feminine? I don't really want her to be girly or anything, but her dad gets a little irritated when people confuse her for a boy (which happens a lot when small children wear gender-neutral clothing). Maybe a head-band.

Links to some helpful sources:

Wikipedia list of Japanese clothing with links to specific articles
Padawan's Guide-Basic Jedi Costume
Jedi Assembly Tabard Article
Amber's Jedi Meditation Chamber-A small site about Jedi costuming
Individual Chic-Blog post tutorial on making an obi