Kaitlyn’ Forest Dryad Costume

I am not the best homemaker in the world. I don’t get the vacuuming done as often as I should and I occasionally get distracted in the kitchen and burn things (though Darren helps make sure that doesn’t happen—more to protect his stomach than my reputation). But every now and then I get in a mood to do something special—like bake a birthday cake from scratch or hand make a Halloween costume.

Over the years, I’ve made a lot of costumes for Halloween. I’ve turned babies into pumpkins, toddlers into princesses and young girls into kitty cats. The favorite costume I ever made was when I turned Kaitlyn into a Forest Spirit (a Dryad) and then I dressed up as her tree—I was a very good tree!

Every time I made a costume, I bled. I used my fingers as pincushions, poked my thumb countless times with needles, burnt myself with the hot glue and even snipped the edge of my hand with the scissors. Luckily I tend toward the self destructive and managed not to damage any children in the making of costumes! When I hauled out the sewing machine, Darren would haul out the first aid kit *rolls her eyes*. I enjoyed making every outfit, but it was never without a bit of blood. The year I turned Dad and Tasha into vampires, there were a lot of giggles about mom’s blood being part of the costume!

The last few years of trick–or–treating the girls did not want mommy–made costumes anymore. Being the cheerful and resilient mother that I am, I decided that rather than mope that no one wanted me to make their costumes, I would instead begin a new family tradition of pumpkin carving!

Haunted House Pumpkin Carving (Thanks to Brooke for sharing this photo.)

Oh, the look on Darren’s face the first time I walked up to a pumpkin carrying my big vegetable knife. He paled *chuckle* and noted that he might have to buy larger bandages. Then he very delicately suggested that he might help with the actual carving of the pumpkin, “Um honey *gulp*, maybe you and the girls want to scoop out guts and draw up patterns…?”

Trick or Treat Pumpking Carving

And that’s the way we’ve done it ever since. He and Tasha would handle the sharp instruments and power tools. Kaitlyn and I would handle the pumpkin seed roasting (mostly without burning anything) and the pattern design. Here are a few that we’ve done…

I hope you like them—I think the Trick or Treat one is my favourite, though I know the kids liked Sponge Bob the best. https://www.dltk-holidays.com/halloween/mpatterns.htm

Happy Halloween Pumpkin Carving (Thanks to Caroline for sharing this photo with us.)

Visit DLTK’s Halloween Activites for fall crafts, coloring pages, worksheets and pumpkin carving patterns.