Great Last Minute Costume Ideas

October 31, 2011 by Alexa Leave a Comment

I’m all about the last-minute costume…something super easy to execute, but way clever! Since today is the last day to celebrate Halloween, if you’re still hankering for a costume idea, might I suggest one of these? They will take you all of 15 minutes to an hour to execute and they are super funny!

Psycho Shower costume from College Humor
Rosie The Riveter from What I Wore
Price is Right Costume from a Million Things I Love
Lego Costume via Craftzine

And here’s a deviled egg costume I did a few years back that’s also super easy to execute…check it out!

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

Costumes of Halloween past

September 12, 2011 by Alexa 3 Comments

I have to admit something, I’m not really a costume person. The thing is, when you throw in winning some money + the competition, I bring out the big guns! I usually try to come up with ideas on a dime. I hate spending tons of money on costumes I’ll never wear again. Here’s some of my more memorable moments from the past few years. I really don’t have any shame. I will do anything and everything to win!

This was me around 8 or so years ago. I dressed up as MJ (sorry for the poor quality photo). I wore the surgical mask, used black doll hair for the curly q look he used to have, had a sparkle glove, and made those weird shoulder pads he used to wear. I even carried a baby around and through it around in the air (this was right after the baby dangling incident, and a few months before the child molestation trials). I danced to Beat it and did a faux moonwalk. I hoped around a lot and ended up winning the big prize of $150. Woohoo! I was so excited!!!

Here’s me in my Deviled egg costume. I ended up winning second place overall for this costume. I went around poking everyone with my pitchfork and telling really bad egg and devil jokes/puns. This was very much a DIY endeavor…I made the egg with foam core and paint sprinkled with seed beads. I made the headband and pitchfork from fun foam sheets I glittered myself. The no-cost costumes are the best ones!!

One year I dressed up as the Mona Lisa. I wore a black graduation gown and the canvas around my head. It actually stayed on quite well just with my head poked through. I didn’t say anything during the competition as to stay in character. I think I won second place that year.

For this Halloween, I went as Britney Spears preggo with her second son Jayden James. I looked really tacky. I carried around ice cream and ate pickles dipped in it, hence the stains on the tank. Totally gross, but trying to get into the role. I wore really clunky/sexy shoes and a short skirt (note, in the photo, it’s unzipped…oh, geez). Pretty trashy. Again, I think I won second place…I think I see a pattern going on here!

The next time I won 1st place was when I dressed up as a California Raisin! The costume was designed by my friend Donna, We agreed that if she made the costume and I acted the part, we would split the winnings! I danced to “I Heard it Through the Grapevine” and the “Apple Bottom Jeans” song by Nelly (it was popular at the time). I think I made everyone laugh pretty hard being silly. The strange thing is that I moved to California 3 months after this event. I wonder if my costume was a sign?

A couple years back I dressed up as Octomom. I bought all the dolls at Dollar Tree for $1 each. I used some Velcro to stick them to me.. The one on the green ribbon was supposed to be on a leash. I would hand the babies over to people and say, “Here you go, watch it, you paid for it anyway!”. LOL. It was really scary looking at myself. I didn’t win anything that year as there wasn’t really a competion, just a dress-up party.

I haven’t really dressed up since my Octomom costume. I don’t know that I want to dress up this year, but I’ve always wanted to do the Bride of Frankenstein look. I think William and I would make a great bride and groom.

What crazy outfits have you worn in years past? Did you do anything embarrassing or outlandish to win a contest?

Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

A Halloween Costume Masterpiece

October 8, 2009 by Alexa 5 Comments

I’m here again with an inspiring canvas costume idea that you can do if you are in a jam to get a costume together. This is a fun and very simple project and something you can take in a variety of directions…you could place yourself into a variety of famous paintings. At the bottom of this post, I’ve expanded upon some ideas you can do. I think I completed it in an hour or so, but I ended up walking away with 2nd place overall for my effort at my work’s contest. Halloween costumes aren’t always about the expensive stuff you by at your local costume shop, they are about infusing your own creativity and personality into them (or lack of personality if you are referring to the Mona Lisa!).

What you need:
– Various acrylic paints and paintbrushes
– scissors/exacto knife
– 16×20 white canvas
– pencil
– photo of a famous masterpiece to go by

What you do:
1. Draw out your general design, and draw an oval a little bit smaller than your head onto the canvas. Using an exacto knife, punch through the canvas. Use scissors to cut around the drawn oval. Look into a mirror and determine if it needs to be large. Continue cutting oval shape until your head fits comfortably in place. In general, it’s better to start out small with your cut out shape so that you don’t make the hole too large. I wanted the hole for my head to only fit in part of my face…I didn’t want to make it so big that I could fit my whole head through.

2. Continue drawing/modifying your design to fit the oval cut out. Paint your canvas to look like painting. Let dry.

3. In my case, I ended up wearing a long black dress with long sleeves to match the look of the mona lisa robe/dress. This helps add to the illusion.

4. Now go out there and win that contest!!!

I actually got this idea from a version I had seen of of someone putting their head into the Marilyn Monroe Andy Warhol painting. For the life of me, I can’t find a pic, but her head was stuck through this image:

You could do other classic masterpieces as well. Try one of these on for size:

Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring” (Bonus points if you’re Scarlett Johanssen)

A Frida Kahlo self-portrait

Munch’s “The Scream”

And if you are looking for a couples costume, you could go as this:
Wood’s “American Gothic”

If you are around more arty types of people, I’m sure you could do something a little less mainstream, but I think these images are pretty iconic that most people from all walks of life have seen.

In honor of my 24 Halloween crafts in 24 hours, I’m giving away a Swell & Spooktastic Halloween prize pack. Click here to check it out and enter!

Check back next hour for another spooktastic Halloween craft!

Alexa

Deviled Egg Halloween Costume

October 8, 2009 by Alexa 5 Comments

Here’s a pretty clever costume that will grab you by the horns! Hee hee! I wore this a couple of years ago to my company Halloween party and I snagged second place. In general, I’m so busy throughout the Halloween season, that I rarely have time to devote to a major costume effort, so my costumes usually end up being a last minute/night before kinda deal. This is exactly what happened with this costume and it turned out really funny and cute!

Deviled Egg Halloween Costume

What you need:
– foam core
– red and black facepaint
– cutting knife
– pencil
– blank headband (I bought a wide ready-made one at a dollar store for a dollar)
– white or clear string
– glue gun with glue sticks
– yellow paint
– red paint
– red craft foam
– red seed beads
– white or red outfit
– long dowel rod painted black (optional)
– red glitter paint (optional)

What you do:
1. On a piece of foam core, draw out an egg shape. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Even if it’s a little off, people will get the idea.
2. Using cutting knife, cut around shape. Seriously, I think I used scissors for this. I know that’s not good for foam core, but I’m a down and dirty kinda crafter and I’m terrible with an Exacto. If you do this, just don’t be too aggressive with your scissors and end up breaking them!
2. In the center of the egg shape, use a foam brush to create the yolk part of the egg. While paint is still wet, sprinkle on the red seed beads (It will resemble paprika). Let dry.
3. Attach a string at the tops of egg and hold in place with hot glue so that you can wear it around your neck.
4. Paint a plain headband red (for me, the craft paint held surprisingly well). Cut out little horns from craft foam. Spread with red glitter glue or Tulip Glitter paint if you like. Once dry, use hot glue to attach them to headband. Ha! Or better yet, go to the Dollar Store and buy a pair for a dollar.
5. If you want a pitchfork, simply cut the design out of foam core (I referenced a photo on the internet for the shape). I then used red glitter paint on top to further accent. I glued the foam shape design to the end of a dowel that was painted black.
6. Dress up in all white or red and make your face in the styling of a devil (refer to an internet photo for pointers).

Now that you look the part, act it! I’m sure I had some pretty “hellish” one liners like “Don’t bother me, I’m in a rotten mood today!” or “Sure, you want to eat me now, but they’ll be hell to pay later. Mwahaha.”

In honor of my 24 Halloween crafts in 24 hours, I’m giving away a Swell & Spooktastic Halloween prize pack. Click here to check it out and enter!

Check back next hour for another spooktacular Halloween craft idea!

Alexa

Fun rings and Halloween links!

September 16, 2009 by Alexa 1 Comment

So unfortunately not my usual blog post…I do leave you with some of my fun Halloween rings. 🙂

Oh, some inspiring links…

– I want this lampshade.

– For you True Blood and Twilight fans, ya gotta love this iPhone cozy.

– And a great little year-round Halloween site with lots of inspiration… All Hallows Design.

– I love all of Country Living’s pumpkin décor. Divine!

– And part of me wants to dress up like this for Halloween. I don’t know about you, but it would make me laugh if I saw someone wearing it!

Have a great Thursday!

Until next time Swellions!

I won 2 contests today!!!

October 31, 2008 by Alexa 4 Comments

I won two contests today. It’s not everyday that I win something, so I’m really excited…

I was a winner in both contests for my costumes..first up, at my work contest I was a California Raisin! My friend Donna helped me construct it…everything but the sunglasses pretty much. She’s fab like that! I made it come to life, though (oh and added the gloves and tights and hot pinky purple Reebok kicks). I danced to the song “I heard it through the grapevine” and Flo Rida’s “Low” (the Apple Bottom jeans song). I shook my booty, did the Roger Rabbit the best I could and the Brady Bunch thumb dance. I couldn’t really roll my arms. My arms would reach together. Ha ha. I think it turned out funny and cute! I ended up splitting my winnings with her. That was our deal. I was really happy with how it turned out and everyone got a big kick outta it!

Next up, I won the costume contest on Amy at her Living Locurto Halloween blog party. I won for my canvas masterpiece canvas. She’s mailing me out a prize (Not sure yet what it is, but I’m super excited). Go over there and check out her other cool entries. I’m fond of the stick figure man myself! Oh, and she featured my friend Chris Garris’s awesome photo of me jumping. I’m thinking about making it my new fall/Thanksgiving banner, so stay tuned! On a very random note, everytime I have been typing jumping, I’ve been typing jumpking! Ugh!

It makes me really sad that the Halloween season is over, but I’m going to still try to stay in spirit and focus on some cool Thanksgiving crafts and Christmas crafts. I stayed so busy this year with Terrorific Tuesdays and my friend’s wedding festivities that I didn’t get to properly put out all my décor or have at least a Halloween pumpkin painting/carving party. There’s always next year!

Hope you Swellions have a super swell weekend!

Alexa

A Costume Masterpiece

October 10, 2008 by Alexa 12 Comments

Hello all! 3 weeks to the big day and I’m here again with an inspiring canvas costume idea that you can do if you are in a jam to get a costume together. This is a fun and very simple project and something you can take in a variety of directions…you could place yourself into a variety of famous paintings. At the bottom of this post, I’ve expanded upon some ideas you can do. I think I completed it in an hour or so, but I ended up walking away with 2nd place overall for my effort at my work’s contest. Halloween costumes aren’t always about the expensive stuff you by at your local costume shot, they are about infusing your own creativity and personality into them. I plan on sharing a few of my other past costume ideas in the weeks to come.

Supplies:
– Various paints and paintbrushes
– scissors/exacto knife
– 16×20 white canvas
– pencil
– photo of a famous masterpiece to go by

Instructions:
1. Draw out your general design, and draw an oval a little bit smaller than your head onto the canvas. Using an exacto knife, punch through the canvas. Use scissors to cut around the drawn oval. Look into a mirror and determine if it needs to be large. Continue cutting oval shape until your head fits comfortably in place. In general, it’s better to start out small with your cut out shape so that you don’t make the hole too large. I wanted the hole for my head to only fit in part of my face…I didn’t want to make it so big that I could fit my whole head through.

2. Continue drawing/modifying your design to fit the oval cut out. Paint your canvas to look like painting. Let dry.

3. In my case, I ended up wearing a long black dress with long sleeves to match the look of the mona lisa robe/dress. This helps add to the illusion.

4. Now go out there and win that contest!!!

You could do other classic masterpieces as well. Try one of these on for size:

Vermeer’s “Girl with the Pearl Earring” (Bonus points if you’re Scarlett Johanssen)

A Frida Kahlo self-portrait

Munch’s “The Scream”

And if you are looking for a couples costume, you could go as this:
Wood’s “American Gothic”

If you are around more arty types of people, I’m sure you could do something a little less mainstream, but I think these images are pretty iconic that most people from all walks of life have seen.

Well, gotta get back to it! Until next time Swellions!

Alexa

The Swell Designer

Random musings of a crazy, crafty, pop culture-obsessed girl!

Great Last Minute Costume Ideas

Costumes of Halloween past

A Halloween Costume Masterpiece

Deviled Egg Halloween Costume

Fun rings and Halloween links!

I won 2 contests today!!!

A Costume Masterpiece