Alonzo's 2015 Halloween Costume

How could it already have been a year since my last post?  Has it really already been a year ago when Alonzo was dressed in a Lego costume? Time sure flies by so fast. 

This year's costume is inspired by a vintage military tank toy hubby inherited from one of his cousins. It was Alonzo who requested to be a "tank" this Halloween. 

It really is not as complicated to construct as it may seem. The challenge was to find 3 boxes that would proportionately go well together. Luckily we have several boxes in stock (hubby knows me well enough to fold empty boxes flat and save them).

These are what you'll need:

1.Boxes(large,medium and small)- Find one that is just small enough for the wearer to fit but not unnecessarily massive to be heavy. The medium-sized box should complement the dimension of the larger one and at the same time also allow the wearer to fit through while the small box should just be enough to accommodate the "tank nozzle".  

 

2.Cardboard tube such as the one from paper towels, aluminum foil and plastic wrap - I used 2 tubes (1 longer and narrower than the other)but you could use just one.

3.Corrugated paper preferably in black or gray - For this project I used 2 cartolina-sized sheets

4. Paint for your base color, either dark green or brown

5. Spray paint, either gray, or brown  

6. Plastic take-out  bowl covers

7. Rugby adhesive

  

Procedure:

Step 1: Place the medium-sized box over the larger one.

Position it more towards what you decide to be the back ro

rear portion of the tank. Set aside.

Step 2: Place small box in front and at the center of the

medium box.Trace or mark this position with a pencil. Set

aside.

 

Step 3: Cut a hole at the center of the top and bottom part of

the medium box. Make sure that the top and bottom holes

coincide and that they are large enough for the wearer to fit

through.Set aside.   

  

Step 4: Similarly, cut a hole through the top and bottom of

the large hole. The holes here should coincide with each other

and also with the holes on the medium box.    

Step 5: Glue the large and medium boxed together with rugby. 

Secure the 2 boxes together with clothes pins or paper clips

until dry.

Step 6: Trace one end of the cardboard at the front end of the

small box. Cut around the tracing and insert the tube through.

Glue in place. 

 

Step 7: Glue the small box ( tube) at the marked position on

the large box. Let all pieces dry.

Step 8:Paint with base paint and let it dry completely.Use

spray paint to achieve a camouflage effect. 

Step 9: Cut corrugated paper into 3 equally measured strips.

Glue one end over the other to form a single strip. 

Step 10: Glue corrugated paper around the side of the tank

leaving about 2 inches off from the edge. Do the same on the

other side to form the "tracks" or "wheel links".

 

Step 11: Glue plastic bowl covers to form the wheels.        

Step 12: Insert narrower cardboard tube inside the shorter,

larger tube if you wish your tank to have a "telescopic

barrel". 

Step 13: Staple 2 straps on each side at the junction between

the large and medium boxes.     

 

    Happy Halloween and have fun treat or treating!!!

Alonzo's 2014 Halloween Costume

Hello, everyone! I know it's been a while. The past semester has been really tough and hectic. Needless to say, I missed crafting and blogging about my crafts. Don't get me wrong. I've still been into crafting small projects here and there. Nothing major.

 

All set for trick or treat!

But Halloween is a different story. Alonzo looks forward to his yearly trick or treat activity (the only time of the year he is allowed to eat candy!) while I also find the holiday as an excuse to prioritize crafting over work. Semester-enders can be quite busy for professors (final exams, grade submission, etc.) But how can I pass on one of my favorite holidays (and Alonzo's, too!) for some crafting? 

 

I started working on Alonzo's costume 3 weeks ago. He's been so much into his Lego toys lately that to dress him as a Lego man seemed so spot on. I had my hesitations, however. His past Halloween costumes have all been so fuss-free and easy to put together and wear. We never had problems about him refusing to wear his costume at the last minute or anything like that at all. But, as I said, he is so crazy about Lego that he is truly excited about his costume!  

 

Believe it or not, this year's costume is probably the most hassle-free of all (alright, probably because I had a 3 week head start) and it didn't cost me a thing! All the materials are recycled or made out of stuff we already had in the house.  

 

The first thing that I worked on was the "body". This is made of an electric fan box which I cut and re-structured to form a trapezoid. The dimensions were measured and cut according to Alonzo's size (shoulder width, neck and arm hole circumference, etc.). I spray painted the outer surface and left it to dry over night. A computer printed Lego logo on sticker paper gives it a more distinct look.   

 

 

 

As for the Lego hair, the technique was the same as for creating Alonzo's  paper mache egg. I just made sure that the balloon used is slightly larger than the widest circumference of Alonzo's head. After it has completely set, pop the balloon and cut to resemble a Lego snap-on hair. I made a couple of zig zag cuts to create fringed bangs. We didn't have black paint around so I used gray spray paint instead. This turned out to be a better idea because it allowed me to draw "hair waves" with a black marker pen. 

 

 

 

To top off the look, I made his treat bag to resemble an over-sized Lego block. I took on empty medium-sized box and spray painted it with red and glued soda bottle caps. I also punched holes on each side to tie strings for the handle.  

 



 

 Voila!



Alonzo giving me his "orc face" expression when I asked him to smile for the photo

Halloween 2013

 

Here's how we dressed Alonzo for this year's trick or treat -- as an SM hypermart bagger boy!

 

 

We scoured the malls for a plain, collared, neon green shirt but couldn't find one that fit the budget. We were about to settle for a branded one but luckily hubby found this shirt from Divisoria. I then attached the SM logo which was printed on sticker paper. The "sash" is a recycled strip of tarpaulin which I turned over and had sticker paper attached as well. 

  

We got him a "grocery basket" from Japan Home to finish the bagger boy look. Also, this cleverly served as his candy bucket!

 

Employee of the Month



 Happy to serve!

Happy Halloween!!!
 



DIY Halloween Goodie Bag

Our neighborhood has become more into the practice of the Halloween celebration these past few years.

 

 

For this year's trick or treat we decided that instead of candies we'll be giving out goodies that are a little more substantial such as nuts, Mochi, crackers and raisins which were packed in brown paper bags. 

 

 

For a more festive touch, I used crayons to draw Halloween designs 

 

 

 

Pumpkin Head Paper Mache

About two weeks ago the neighbors have started decorating their homes for our village's trick or treat and for the first time Alonzo got all interested in Halloween. I thought this would be a good opportunity to get him involved in some of my craft projects.   



 

This Halloween project is courtesy of my good, old friend, Martha Stewart (ehem). I have had (thanks to Ondoy) a copy of one of her Halloween edition Living magazine (I had it since college!) and this paper mache pumpkin is one that I really love. The instructions are basically the same as steps 1 to 2 used for the Easter eggshell hats which I did before. Use orange papel de Hapon to save you the extra step of having to paint them.  

 

 

Cut a piece of green paper to form the stem and with a sharp knife cut out the mouth and other details.

 



Alonzo's Halloween Costume 2012

I'm back!

Whew, after my uber hectic schedule just prior to the long weekend holiday i'm back to blogging! Yey!

 

We dressed the little guy as a monk this year. This was the original costume idea that I had for his 1st Halloween but I thought his Starbucks barista costume was too cute of an idea

for an eight month old.

So this monk costume was put on hold for a while.

 

 

 

 

 Anyway, the brown cotton fabric is from Cotton Exchange

and costs only P60 per yard!!! One yard was enough to make this so that's just how much this costume cost me. Yup, it doesn't take that much -- even with the hood. The canvass cord used as a belt was just left over material that I used from the hex nut bracelet that I made a couple of months ago. The a small canvass pouch around the belt was a bag used to package coffee beans. So that didn't cost me anything either.

 

Let me also share with you some of the cute Halloween decor at the Sta. Elena Halloween party:

 

oblivious of the party activity
-- he was just too happy about all the candy!

Cute loot bags!
Vertical slots were sewn on at the front
where crayons where inserted.
The crayon tips seemed like the monster's teeth

 

 

 

So now that Halloween is over I'll have to switch to Christmas mode and get ready for some fun and festive holiday crafting!

Another Halloween Crochet Project

 

It is supposed to be a "skull"....but somehow it reminds me of Mr. Peanut :(

 

Happy Halloween you guys!

 



Halloween Decorating

We are, admittedly, not huge Halloween people. 

I understand how big halloween is in the States (some even look forward to this season more than Christmas!)

but growing up it was just like any ordinary day for us

(well, except that it was the semestral break).

I don't remember having our house decorated at least a bit during my childhood. We never went out to go trick ot treating.

And would it also be so horrible to say that we never

(as in N-E-V-E-R) went out to visit any departed family member during Todos los Santos?   

 

Things changed when our son came along...

 

I began planning for Alonzo's 1st Halloween costume as early as April and also decorated our home for the first time!

 

This is how we decorated this year.  

 

Create a tikbalang shadow by attaching a cut out figure to a lamp

 

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