Vintage Halloween Costumes

Trick or treat? The idea is Western, but I read an announcement posted near the elevators that children in the building where I stay are invited to wear a costume to a Halloween party organized by the admin. I'm not into the hullabaloo of Halloweens, so I did not really mind it. But what caught my attention was the appeal for us residents to prepare goodies for children who shall knock on our doors for the trick or treat after the party. Since I don't really want to give away my stock of Potchi candies, perhaps, I'd go for the trick. *wink*

I expect the kids who shall knock on my door to be cute -- perhaps wearing national costumes "recycled" from the recent United Nations celebration in school, or maybe fairies and superheroes, or those oh-so-cute cartoon characters and even as plain as dressing up like their dream professions. Others may opt for the traditional witch-warlock-ghost-monster-zombie combo. More "creative" (read as busy, so they grab literally anything they can find and turn it into a costume) mothers would dress their children as objects (like cameras, iphones, houses, and what have you) or just an abstract blob.

I imagine children mingling with others asking, "What are you wearing?"

To which another kid would reply, "Oh, I'm wearing Chanel. I'm literally a Chanel bag! And you?"

"I'm wearing Rajo Laurel. Yes, these fairy wings are made of laurel leaves."

@.@

I don't want to be caught off-guard with creepy costumes that children might wear, so I consulted Google about the hottest trend in Halloween fashion. But instead of finding modern costumes, I wasn't prepared to see what I found -- vintage costumes. Although some of the costumes were made of very simple pieces, there was only one word to describe them. No, not CUTE, but CREEPY! (OK, the spiderweb costume is a little cute.) I'm not sure if it was because the pictures were in black and white, but there was something in the photos that made me silently wish the kids in my building won't wear any of those. People of the past surely have imagination -- creepy imagination! You can even get ideas from them for your costume to the Halloween party you're attending this week.

Check out the top 10 photos that caught my attention:

10. SPIDER GIRLS: Let's start with something mild. These spidergirls appear to me as coming from a fashion show. Those intricate webs and gigantic spiders enclosing their bodies look like works of art for me. I'd give the designer plus 10 points for the head dress. I was wondering though how I would react if I'd see them up-close or if I'd wear the costume myself. The thought of spiders around my body gives me chills.

Walk around the city with gigantic spiders around your body!

Photo from here

9. MOTH OR FLY? Insects are another good source of inspiration for Halloween costumes. Imagine Jollibee take the form of this costume for Halloween. Creepy.

You say trick? Guess what I am.

Photo from here

8. MEN WITH DOLLS. OK, they may look cute sans make-up, but what we can learn from these men is that with a little make-up, some black cloths over you, dolls, and other props including your household broom, plus a "creepy" visage, you now have a costume!

Hello there, ladies!

Photo from here

7. MICKEY AND MINNIE. My friends know that among my ambitions in life is to visit all the Disneylands in the world and meet Mickey and Minnie in different countries. But if this kind of Mickey and Minnie will welcome me in the amusement parks, I'd say, nah. I could never picture Mickey and Minnie in the same way again after seeing this photo.

Welcome to Disneyland!

Photo from here

6. FAMILY PICTURE. OK, with some old clothes and cloth to cover the head, you can get as creepy as this family.

The family that scares together, stays together.

Photo from here

5. BUS RIDE WITH THESE CREEPS. One of the things I avoid while living in the Metro is riding the bus because of the traumatic stories of friends about theft and hold-up. OK, that's scary, but nothing's scarier than having to ride a bus with these fellows meeting you as you find your seat. Beside whose seat are you taking? @.@

Ride with us for free!

Photo from here

4. A CLASS FULL OF DISTURBING STUDENTS. I used to teach small children. After seeing this photo, one nightmare that could happen to teachers like me would be walking to a class full os students dressed like this. Hear them say in chorus, "Good day, Teacher! Are you ready for today?" *big gulp*

Teacher, let us give you a group hug!

Photo from http://philosophyofscienceportal.blogspot.com

3.  ANOTHER SPOOKY CLASS. I'm getting the impression that squareheads with holes for eyes and nose are creepy.

Groupie!

 Photo from here

2. TOTS. These toddlers are supposed to be cute, but if they're the ones who will knock on my door, I think I'll have to pretend not to be in my room. This photo reminds me that it's always wise to check the peephole before opening the door.

What adorable children!

Photo from here

1. AN OLD HAG. Imagine seeing this at your doorstep. I'd just plead, "Take all my Potchi candies! Just don't come near me!" The other unintelligible creatures at the background are equally unnerving.

Take all my candies!

Photo from here


So I guess I'll just have to leave the building on the day of the kids' Halloween party. And if someone (something?) knocks on my door at night for TRICK OR THREAT... WAAAAAAAH!

@.@

DIY Christmas Cards

The most wonderful time of the year is near! And even though it's just October, the preparations for Christmas can already start to avoid the rush and panic buying come December.

To begin with, I started making Christmas cards. I've always loved papers and cut-outs and crafts and scrapbooking, but I don't really have the time for all these. Since my teachers did not meet these past few days, I finally got the chance to grab the funstruction paper I bought from the local book store and continue my card-making project. Also, I was inspired by the very cute vinta cut-outs on cards I saw in the recent art auction I attended. Sometimes, a small kick of inspiration helps, too. :)

This year, the main theme of my cut-outs is Triangles and Quadrangles (but I also used some round figures for my cards). My primary image is, yes, you guessed it right -- a Christmas tree!

(Yes, I was re-watching the Mentalist season 6, episode 3.)

For this set of cards, I just bought a pack of construction paper and some parchment paper. You will, of course, need a "reliable" bottle of glue (spot the glue on the photo above) and a good pair of scissors. Just be careful not to put too much glue or else it creates creases on the parchment paper.

I spent less than Php50.00 (less than a dollar) for everything! And with that, I was able to make 30 cards (and more if I choose to).

To set the mood, I listened to this playlist: http://8tracks.com/cassidylillian/the-ultimate-classic-christmas-mix
It's a collection of old Christmas songs that will make you remember the festive feel and busy preparations for Christmas eve.

(I'm also on 8tracks! Check out my mixes: http://8tracks.com/ambrosiabonifacio)

OK, back to the cards. I made two sets of cards: big ones and small ones. You may customize the sizes of the cards you want, or check out the available envelopes in your local bookstore and suit the sizes of the cards to the envelopes (or you can just make your own envelopes). You may also decide on how the cards fold, but for my creations, I just did the conventional fold-it-once. Have a look at some of the designs I made!

Like snow flakes on pine trees? Or twinkling lights around Christmas trees in malls?

If you think that the tedious part is cutting small pieces of paper and scraps to decorate the trees, think again. Really, it's the gluing of those tiny cut-outs on the trees! I had to try not to be (too) messy.

I also thought of common Christmas items for my designs like gifts, candy canes, Christmas balls, and wreath.

I designed a card according to what's available and what I could make of it. For instance, the greenery on the photo above were scraps from the leaves I was trying to make for another card. I just embellished them with some more scraps (which I cut into small squares) and voila! Christmas wall decors!

Candy canes! Yum!

Don't we just love those nicely wrapped gifts?

 I imagined Christmas trees being hung.

I liked this design so much that I replicated it on a smaller card. Stars are missing though.

You can also do something "abstract" like this one. I just added a gift on the side to avoid making the "Christmas trees" look like arrows pointing up. Notice another scrap I used to add a festive look. But I'm still contemplating on adding more embellishments to make it Christmas-y.

 And oh, the traditional "gifts under the tree"! And the Christmas wreath that's as big as a Christmas tree?

Same concept, different styles.

  

Yes, there were Christmas balls, too. For the cut-outs, I did not use a guide for tracing. The irregularity of the shapes adds uniqueness to the designs, so you don't really have to worry about not cutting out accurate circles.

What do you think about this design? Not too girly, eh?

And this card is very simple, but I just like it. A little Christmas card:

Your Christmas cards can also be used as decorations hung on a string like this:

Photo from http://knockoffdecor.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Snowflake-Light-Card-Holder.png

Or this:

Photo from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2URE-EHPgP0QrkRe_pkvOFvVE35w2PhERJ_MYLCCe1UM3aQAd8r632QfoC40O4dQl71ZdTwJebSi-F349EDBRHcz9TrpkhaJeySrrnkJAEtoZ1QBoMrpyHrSiHs8tNPwCw405bX9Yrx8/s640/santa+suit+card+display+077.JPG

I did not just make Christmas cards but also a birthday card for my Mom:

Your cards can actually be anything for anyone for whatever like this:

All you need are materials, a pinch of creativity, patience, and inspiration that comes from the heart. :)