Make Face paints from 1 tsp. corn starch 1/2 tsp. water 1/2 tsp. cold cream food coloring Mix all ingredients together in an old muffin pan, or a foam egg crate, This amount makes one color.

Fake blood-Mix 2/3 cup white corn syrup, 1 tsp. red food coloring, 2-3 drops blue food coloring to darken and 1 squirt dish soap.

Grapes
Blow up some purple or green balloons and attatch to a sweatshirt.

Frugal cat costume
Black sweat shirt and sweat pants
Draw some whiskers on face with black eyeliner
(can also add some pink lipstick to nose for added touch)

Present
Get a box that will fit down over the child's head and around their body. Cut out holes for their arms to go through. Wrap the box with wrapping paper. If using Christmas paper wear a green or red sweatshirt and sweatpants. If doing a birthday wrapping paper wear a solid color that matches one of the colors in the gift wrap. For an added touch put a bow on the child's head.

A few Costume Ideas Before you head to the store to purchase a pre-fabricated costume, hit your bedroom closet. Although you probably are not aware of it, you have numerous costumes waiting to be created for free with all those old clothes and accessories you no longer use or wear. Take all these out and spread them out so they are easy to see. If you already have a costume in mind, you should be able to mold your no longer needed apparel into what you want to be with a little imagination.

Lady Bug You'll need one, red, hooded sweatsuit, black felt, two Styrofoam balls, glitter, and two, black pipe cleaners. Cut several circles out of the black felt. Use the fabric glue to apply the "spots" in place on the back of the sweatshirt and hood. Coat the Styrofoam balls in glue, then roll in glitter. Once dry, push a pipe cleaner into each ball. Bend the pipe cleaners to give a crinkly, antennae effect. Attach to the inside of the hood with fabric glue, although a couple stitches will help the antennae survive through the night.

Bunny You'll need one, white, hooded sweatsuit, white and pink felt, a large pompon ball, an eyeliner pencil, and pink lipstick. Cut out bunny ears from the white felt and pink inserts. Glue the inserts into place, then attach ears to the hood. Paste the pompon tail onto the rear of the sweatpants. Use the eyeliner to draw on whiskers and dab the nose with lipstick. Before you head to the store to purchase a pre-fabricated costume, hit your bedroom closet.

Queen, Princess, or Fairy

Your child should enjoy playing in this costume, even after Halloween.
Parental supervision is recommended.
This project is rated AVERAGE to do.
What You Need

• Poster board
• Aluminum foil
• Scissors
• Stapler, optional
• Hot glue or Tacky glue
• Clear drying craft paint glue
• Stick
• Dance outfits (see tips area)

How To Make It

1. Cut out crown shape of poster board, staple or hot glue ends together.
2. Cover with aluminum foil.
3. Use clear drying craft paint glue to dot "jewels" around the crown.
4. Let dry.
5. Cut out a star shape out of poster board.
6. Cover the star with foil.
7. Attach a star shape to the stick with glue.
8. Wrap the stick with foil.

Ladybug Costume

WHAT YOU NEED
• Scissors
• Serrated knife
• Needle and thread
• Craft or fabric glue
• Black cloth tape
• 1/2 yard each red and black felt
• 1 1/2 yards 1/4" black elastic
• Polyester stuffing
• Corrugated cardboard
• Two chenille stems
• Two 1 1/2" pom-poms
• Black hat
• Black turtleneck
• Black leggings
• Black socks and shoes
Time needed: Afternoon or Evening
Step 1:
To make the shell, cut one red felt and one black felt circle about 15" to 16" inches in diameter. (We just traced around a big round serving platter.) Stack the circles and sew around the top on one side, and the bottom about 1/2" from the edges, leaving one side open. Turn right side out.
Step 2:
From black felt, cut out the line between wings and six black dots about 3" in diameter. Use craft or fabric glue to attach to red side. Allow glue to dry.
Step 3:
Cut two pieces of corrugated cardboard to fit across the inside of the shell and about 4" to 6" wide. Cut one of these cardboard pieces with the grain going up and down and cut the other with the grain going lengthwise. Glue these together, one on top of the other. This will prevent the cardboard from bending.
Step 4:
Slip cardboard into shell. With a small serrated knife, poke four holes into the black felt underside and through the cardboard. Lace pieces of elastic through the holes leaving four tails -- the top two will go over the child's shoulders, criss cross on the child's chest and then get tied to the bottom two pieces of elastic that will come from around the waist. Use some cloth tape to secure elastic strips to cardboard inside shell to prevent them from being pulled out.
Step 5:
Add small handfuls of stuffing to the shell, filling the edges first and then the center and finally the open side. Stuffing should go between the cardboard and the red top and not between cardboard and black underside. This will keep the underside flat. Turn under 1/2" along open side edges and sew closed.
Step 6:
To make the headgear, wrap one end of each chenille stem tightly around the middle of a pom-pom and twist end to secure. Fluff up the pom-pom until the stem is no longer evident.
Step 7:
Fold hat brim down, make a loop in the free end of the stem about 1" long and 3/4" wide, and use black tape to attach loop to hat. Fold brim back up to cover tape. Repeat on other side.