Costumes on a 'shoe string budget'
Along with the chilly mornings and windy days here in Iowa comes the Gospel Lighthouse 'Costume Party'. Our church offers this as an alternative to Halloween celebrations. It's a 'Big Deal' for the Students at Lighthouse Academy because they know here is lots of Games and prizes, candy and fun! Months before the actual costume party my daughters started talking about what they wanted to be. There was lots of Ideas, My oldest daughter first decided she wants to be a book worm but then changed her mind after seeing a picture of an Egyptian princess in a catalog. She then passed the book worm idea down to her little sister. Because I am in the sewing and designing business I HATE to buy costumes. It just seems like a waste of money to me! So our rule for costumes are: 1. CHEAP, I have to be able to make them CHEAP! 2. It has to be something you would wear even if you knew Jesus was attending the party.
After I made certain that the girls were sure they were not going to change their minds about their decisions I started hunting for ideas and supplies. Kristina mentioned her idea to her Bible club leader and ended up borrowing her Egyptian head piece, we went to Jo-Ann's Fabric and bought some gold fabric on clearance, and the black and Gold fabric for the veil was also on clearance. Then we went to Goodwill to find gold jewelry. There we met a friend who was purchasing a small Christmas tree to use as a jewelry holder in her shop, the tree was covered in with gold pearls and beads, after chatting with her and explaining what we were up too she said she has no use for all the gold pearls and chains! We had one happy little girl!!! especially after she remembered she had some gold shoes in her 'dress-up' box that she hadn't opened in years! TaDa!!! My Beautiful Egyptian Princess in her costume that cost under 5 dollars!
The Book worm was such a good fit for Staci! She started reading at 3 years old and hasn't ever quit reading since then! She constantly surprises me with information, when i ask her where she learned it she always says 'I read it'. She loves school and hates to miss a day, Yes the other morning she cried buckets of tears when i mentioned she stay at home because of her tummy ache. So with a hairband, green pipe cleaners and pom-poms, and LOTS of face paint, and a large piece of cardboard we had the cutest little bookworm in the entire state of Iowa!!! This costume was less than 1$!
That's how the Zimmermans do costumes on a 'shoe-string budget'. After putting so much energy into the 'big kid's' costumes. I had none left for the 'little kids'. Did I run out and BUY costumes for them??? Not quite, The just went as their own little selves and had as much fun eating candy as anyone else!
Maybe I should have figured in the price of all that soap we used to clean up their faces???
After I made certain that the girls were sure they were not going to change their minds about their decisions I started hunting for ideas and supplies. Kristina mentioned her idea to her Bible club leader and ended up borrowing her Egyptian head piece, we went to Jo-Ann's Fabric and bought some gold fabric on clearance, and the black and Gold fabric for the veil was also on clearance. Then we went to Goodwill to find gold jewelry. There we met a friend who was purchasing a small Christmas tree to use as a jewelry holder in her shop, the tree was covered in with gold pearls and beads, after chatting with her and explaining what we were up too she said she has no use for all the gold pearls and chains! We had one happy little girl!!! especially after she remembered she had some gold shoes in her 'dress-up' box that she hadn't opened in years! TaDa!!! My Beautiful Egyptian Princess in her costume that cost under 5 dollars!
The Book worm was such a good fit for Staci! She started reading at 3 years old and hasn't ever quit reading since then! She constantly surprises me with information, when i ask her where she learned it she always says 'I read it'. She loves school and hates to miss a day, Yes the other morning she cried buckets of tears when i mentioned she stay at home because of her tummy ache. So with a hairband, green pipe cleaners and pom-poms, and LOTS of face paint, and a large piece of cardboard we had the cutest little bookworm in the entire state of Iowa!!! This costume was less than 1$!
That's how the Zimmermans do costumes on a 'shoe-string budget'. After putting so much energy into the 'big kid's' costumes. I had none left for the 'little kids'. Did I run out and BUY costumes for them??? Not quite, The just went as their own little selves and had as much fun eating candy as anyone else!
Maybe I should have figured in the price of all that soap we used to clean up their faces??? 
Wow, those are awesome! I especially love the bookworm because I'm a bookworm, too. :) Cute, cute!
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