Halloween Adult Style

Who says wearing costumes during Halloween are just for kids. Modern celebration of Halloween includes Halloween parties that cater to the adult group. These parties are wild to say the least and definitely are not for children. The commercial market has jumped on this bandwagon (or was it they that created it?) and came up with Halloween costume for adults which is being patronized during this time of the year.

If we traced back the origin of Halloween, we will see that it has its roots on the practice of ancient Celtic culture of villagers donning masks and wearing macabre costumes during the 31st of October to scare the spirits of the dead which they believe are searching for people so posses.

Then when we became more civilized, wearing masks became a practice in masquerade balls held in the kings’ and queens’ courts. Hiding their appearances with often intricate, feather masks seem to be a noble tradition back then.

Then we move towards the modern times. Determining when exactly the practice of adults wearing Halloween costumes began may not be possible at this point but it has become an accepted practice and in fact has become a tradition in itself.

With regards to adult costumes, the level needs to be increased a little from children costumes. Imagine yourself with a white bed sheet draped over you head. Although, that can be quite funny among your group of friends but in parties that may not be such a great idea. Unless of course, you want to remain hidden and unnoticed during parties. But the point of the party is to socialize so if you’re going like a big ghost then better not go at all.

Be creative. If you’re going to make your own costumes there are a number of websites on the internet that gives suggestions and even guide you in how to make your own. If you can afford it, which you should since I assume you’re employed and making some money, you can rent a good costume. Buying one can be truly unnecessary unless you intend to use it the years to come.

A sexy Halloween costume is another story. There are a number of shops that sell these. Online stores also have these on their catalogues. You an actually see a whole catalogue dedicated for this kind of fashion wear.

Whether we like it or not, for some adults, Halloween costumes have become more of a fashion statement rather than a celebration of the event. I can’t say I agree with their philosophy but its best to let them be as long as they don’t bother me, I’m okay with it.

Adult Halloween parties often involve dancing, drinking and socializing. With this in mind, you might want to consider a costume that will not hinder your movements. A robot costume can be a sight to see but if you’re going to wear one, be prepared to ask someone to pour you a drink or even put the drink in your mouth.

Modern Halloween has become a fun event for kids and adults alike. Wearing costumes is now an accepted practice among adults and Halloween parties catering to the above 18 age group have become quite popular. Halloween costumes, adult-style is already an accepted norm and in a way have become tradition in itself.  Today, adults have something to look forward to during Halloween and I mean not trick-or-treating.

Celebrating Halloween without Trick or Treating

Some parents are overly protective and they don’t want to let their kids go trick or treating. If you are one of those parents, you have to find some other ways to make them have fun and here are a few options.

The first is get in touch with your local community or recreation center to find out if they have any planned activities for Halloween. They may have a costume party or a night filled with games for everyone to enjoy.

For those who don’t want their kids to go trick or treating in the streets, their kids can still do this by going to the mall. This is because some shopping malls encourage their tenants to provide candies and other goodies for shoppers. There are also costume parades and contests which the kids will love to watch and maybe win a few prizes.

If you live in a small town, chances are there is an activity for the evening like perhaps a dance or a concert.

You can also go with your kids and visit a haunted house. This event is usually sponsored by the local community to raise funds and what they do is rent a house for the evening, decorate the place and scare people all in the spirit of fun.

For people who don’t want to go out and just stay at home, let the people come instead by hosting a Halloween party. You can plan it weeks in advance so you have time to buy the decorations, stock up on food and send out the invitations.

You and yours kids can then spend quality time together by putting the décor up like hang fake spider webs through the entry way after cutting them out using black construction paper, put out tombstones made from Styrofoam that can be made or purchased from craft stores and of course pumpkins which you can carve out yourself.

As for sounds, you can download a few songs as we all sound effects into you MP3 player then just put speakers around the house. To create a foggy atmosphere when people approach your home, buy some dry ice.

The only way your guests will have a good time is to make sure there is a lot of food and drinks to go around. So they don’t bored, plan a few games and activities that everyone can participate in. One game you would love is apple bobbing where you put a bunch of apples in the bathtub or basin and then let the participants pick it up using their teeth.

As for dinner, serve spaghetti that look like eyeballs, tomato soup and a few other dishes that are ideal for the occasion.

Since there will be kids attending the party, make sure there are games for them as well. One game could be pin the skeleton which is very similar to pin the donkey. You can also bake caramel apples so the kids can just grab them when they want another one.

Because kids love candy, be sure that there are plenty of them around. Don’t forget to thank everyone for coming by preparing loot bags that they can bring home.

Planning and hosting a Halloween party takes a lot of work but its all worth it if everyone was able to have a good time. The only thing to do now when the party is over is clean up and return things to the way they were.

Sewing Halloween Costumes for Kids

Wearing a Halloween costume is one of the most precious memories any child could ever have. This is because she or he will be able to attend a Halloween party, join other kids in trick or treats, and boast to other kids that his or her parents sew a Halloween especially for this occasion.

Sewing basics for Halloween costumes

Many sewers spent so much time on their craft. Because of the amount of time they have spent on this activity, they were able to discover on their own the secrets, tips and techniques behind any successful needlework. But since you cannot spend the rest of your life just to learn sewing, it is best to enroll in a simple sewing class that can teach you the basics of sewing, the tools you will be needing, and just about everything you want and need to know about the craft. Or since you will just be sewing a simple Halloween costume for your child, you can just do some research on how to go about in sewing.

For beginners, one of the most important things to consider is the type of sewing that he or she wishes to do. Usually, sewing is done using the hand alone because this gives personal touch and displays the sewer's talent in sewing. But, since the sewing machine is now available to make the work easier, faster, accurate, and convenient, more and more people prefer using it. For hand or machine sewing, you need tools such as different types of needles and threads.

Once you have decided whether you will be sewing by hand or by machine, the next step is to determine what type of costume you will be sewing for your child.  For boys, the most common Halloween costumes are the "Old West Sheriff" which is macho, easy, and comfortable; the "Captain Jack Sparrow" which is the perfect pirate costume for little boys because of the comfort it brings; "Zorro" which can come in many variations depending on the size, age, and height of the boy;  the "Harry Potter" costume which come with cool reading glass, cape and etc which are popularized by the Harry Potter movies; and the "Batman Begins Scarecrow" which is the safest yet scariest costume for little lads.

For little girls, the most popular Halloween costumes would be the "Grecian Princess" which make the little girls look like pretty Grecian goddesses; the "Pretty Princess Witch" which involves a friendly yet colorful witch Halloween outfit; the "Pirate Lass" which can be a little edgy but comfortable and cool to look at; the "Woodland Fairy" which is a safe yet amazing fantasy costume; and the "Can Can Dancer" which is fun and pretty to look at once worn by little girls.

For deciding what will you be sewing and the costume design, you can now proceed to looking for fabrics that will fit it. Since it will be clothing for kids, the most common fabrics used are made of cotton because this is hypoallergenic, strong, and easy to work on compared to other types of fabrics. But, you may also opt for other synthetic fabric types for curtains and mates such as wool, silk, satin, and others depending on the type of clothes or items you will be sewing.

The next step in sewing Halloween costumes for kids would be choosing patterns for your sewing project. Sewing patterns usually are composed of simple sheets papers that are marked with specific measurements to achieve the proper size and fit for the one who will be using it. After getting everything mentioned, you can now start sewing the Halloween costume for your beloved little one.

How to Make a Halloween Trick or Treat Bag

If your kid’s costume is ready the only thing they need now is a trick or treat bag. While you can buy this from the store, you can save money and be creative at the same time if you are able to make this on your own.

The first thing you have to do is look for an old shopping bag. This should be able to carry a lot of candy and should not break because of the weight. Ideally, this should be color orange as this is often associated with Halloween.

Since your kid can’t go around with a gift bag featuring the logo of the department store, it is time to decorate the trick or treat bag. For that, look at some templates online and then print it out.

Now trace the picture onto tracing paper using a pencil and then cut it out. Tape the cutout onto a sheet of black construction paper and center this in the middle of the bag. Push the construction paper down so it will stick well on the trick or treat bag and all air bubbles have been removed.

There are some designs that you can get that will require more than just pressing it on the bag. You may have to iron it into the fabric similar to what is done to a shirt that has no distinctive markings. When you do it, make sure there is a cardboard placed in between the two sides so the colors do not bleed from one side to the other.

You can also create a trick or treat bag by drawing the design and then pasting it. Some examples which are popular include the ghost, skill or pumpkin. You then cut it and then repeat the same procedures as the one mentioned before.

To make the trick or treat bag more decorative, add some Halloween stickers or sprinkle some glitters after mixing this with some glue. You can also use this to write their name so no one will get it by mistake.

Another way to make a treat or trick bag is to buy some fabric from the store and then sew it together. Since there is sure to be leftover material, use this to create handles and then label it using some thread or with craft paint sticks.

Before you let your kid walk out the door with it, test it to make sure that it won’t suddenly burst open once it becomes too heavy. You can do this by putting candy and then leaving it for an hour or so since this is about the same time that your child will be out. If nothing happens, then it can withstand the weight even if your kid is walking with this from house to house.

You don’t have to pay much for a trick or treat bag when you can make it at home. One of the benefits of doing it is to reduce the chance that someone in the neighborhood will have something similar to what your kid has.

When Halloween is all over, you can keep it and then use this again for next Halloween. But if your child wants something different, that is perfectly because they will most likely wear a different costume next year and the trick or treat bag should always match the outfit.

A Ghoulish Halloween Party

Organizing a Halloween party for kids can be both quite enjoyable and at the same time challenging. There are several things that you will need to plan ahead and a whole bunch of things that could possibly go wrong. Plus, you’re talking about planning a ghoulish Halloween party for kids whose attention span can be as short as a candle fuse. The party can easily go out of control with kids getting rowdy, trying to best one another with their costumes, treats, etc.

Although having some sort of control would be a great but also remember that this is a children’s party, an iron hand rule would be overdoing it. Now there are several ways to make your audience listen. One way would be to make them busy by having them participate in party games. There are quite a number of party games that you can organize that would certainly grab the attention of your kids.

If you’re familiar with the game called Mummy Wrap, you know the kids will be glad to participate with this one. As the name of the game implies, it involves wrapping someone with mummy wraps which in our case equates with a roll of toilet paper. The game is simple. You just need to group the kids into small groups and have them designate someone to wrap. At your cue, the wrap the “mummy” with toilet paper from head to feet. The group that were able to wrap fully their mummy the fastest would be the winner.

Several Halloween games I know are just variations of exiting party games. We have the Halloween musical chairs and the freeze dance. Both I’m certain you already know. It doesn’t hurt to be a little creative with your chairs. You can easily make the children feel it’s a Halloween game it you make the chairs ghoulish looking like maybe making them appear like tombstones or using darker colored chairs and adding some cobwebs.

And don’t forget the music. You can easily find Halloween music in the nearest record store or in the internet. For further enjoyment, you can ask the kids to dance in a “monstery” or ghoulish kind of way. You can even give a prize to the kid that will give the best monster dance.

Don’t forget to give prizes to your game winners. This will encourage them to participate ze to the kid that will give the best monster dance.

Don’t forget to give prizes to your game winners. This will encourage them to participate in the next games.

Another game which seems to popular is the building a scarecrow game. This involves having several groups of children make their won scarecrow using pillow cases, old clothes, newspapers, cardboards, tapes or adhesives, and markers. You will have to prepare some old clothes for this one. The children will definitely enjoy making something that often see in television and books.

You can also have a Halloween candy hunt which basically is a variation of the Easter egg hunt. By this time, we just hope that the kids haven’t discovered yet the candies you hid around the area.

Don’t forget to have a scary story telling time as well. Ask one of your guests or friends to tell a story to the kids at the party. Avoid making the story too scary though.

There are other ghoulish Halloween party games that can still do. Just remember that this is the children’s day and your objective is to have them enjoy the day.

What is Halloween?

Halloween is a holiday celebrated on the night of October 31st. It is celebrated with Halloween parties and kids going house to house going trick or treating. It is celebrated in the US and in other parts of the world like the United Kingdom and Canada.

How Halloween is celebrated today goes back to the time when ancient pagans believed that October 31 is the day when the boundary between the living and the dead dissolves. Since the dead could cause harm to those who are living, people will go out into the streets wearing costumes and masks to ward off the evil spirits.

But that was then and now, we simply do it for fun. Weeks before Halloween, people would go out and by costumes. The most saleable ones are the skeletons, ghosts, vampires, witches and devils. If you have the time, you can make your own costume based on a television show or movie.

One study shows that of the people surveyed, more than half of the American public plan to buy a costume for Halloween even if it costs $10 more than it did last year. This means that sales will reach more than $6 billion from a little over $5 billion last year.

People in the Halloween spirit will also put up decorations in their homes like carved pumpkins, skeletons and candles.

During parties, aside from the food and drinks, several games are played. The most common is dunking or bobbing for apples in which applies that are floating in a tub or large basin are picked up by the participants using their teeth.

Another is to eat syrup coated scones that is hanging by a string. Again, you have to eat it without using your hands.

If you don’t want to go to party and do something daring, try going with a few friends and visit a haunted house. Many people don’t do this literally when they can have fun visiting a theme park that has something special for the occasion.

The favorite fruit during Halloween is the apple because it comes during the wake of the harvest season. You can eat it directly or have this mixed with sticky syrup and nuts.

Other countries celebrate Halloween differently. In most Asian countries, the people put food and water as well as a lantern so those who have departed will have something to eat, drink and a lighted path as they travel the earth during Halloween night. In Czechoslovakia, chairs are placed by the fireside on Halloween night. Each chair represents a living member and those who have passed on. The Swedes simply give students a day-off and a shortened working day for the employees.

But paying homage to the dead is what most countries do during Halloween. In fact, the day after which is November 1, is considered to be All Saint’s Day while the 2nd is called All Soul’s Day. This is done to commemorate those who are in purgatory with the hope of being cleansed of their sins so they may go to heaven.

For most children and adults, Halloween is simply a time to have fun with friends and family. They can go around getting candy by moving from one house to the next while the grown ups will go to a party where there is a lot of food and drinks.