Halloween Costumes for Kids: Fun Girls' Easy-Sew Gypsy & Princess Costumes

I remember playing dress-up with my mother's fancy dressing gowns - one in particular, her favorite and mine, was a silky, deep turquoise with long bell sleeves, and two ruched panel-inserts in the front in a paler turquoise and cream that fell from neck to hem. The billowing skirt made a long train that flowed out behind me. I felt like a real princess as I paraded in front of the mirror and passed in stately procession up an down the hallway in her fluffy, low-heeled mules.

There was always something wonderful at the back of the closet - something that could be tacked up, pinned or basted into a smaller size to become a beautiful Halloween creation.

The best part of Halloween fun was always being allowed to wear make-up. For that one special night (and the one afternoon of the school costume party), we were granted admittance into that magical circle of women who wore make-up.

Magically transported into temporary womanhood, or so we thought at the time, our imaginations were set free as we floated as fairies queens, wafted as royal princesses or smoldered as a gypsy-girl temptress for that one exhilarating evening. We felt like movie stars with our kiss curls, tiara-crowned ringlets, lightly rouged cheeks and cherry-red lips. Some even sportted eye shadow!

Though we never achieved the effortless-seeming glamor of Carmel Myers, the silent film actress and Zigfield Follies girl pictured below, it certainly wasn't for lack of trying.

A generation or so later, girls were raiding the back-of-the-closet-collection of long skirts, shawls, peasant blouses, and head bands to recreate the Haight-Ashbury/San Fransisco hippy-dippy, love-child look.

I remember attending a costume party while at college. I was wearing one of my mother's favorite skimmers from the '60s, a paisley print in bright, swirling colors - hot pink, orange, red, and dark green - one of the typically eye-popping color combinations of that era.

The dress featured long sleeves, that were gathered and full at the shoulder, then caught into fitted cuffs from elbow to wrist, each cuff sporting twelve self-covered buttons, in nifty button-and-loop closures. The dress had a Nehru collar, shoulder button-and-loop closure that matched the cuffs. The bright fabric was gathered in soft folds at the yoke, and fell in a soft drape to just above the knee - a fairly modest length for that time.

I teased my hair into a bouffant pouf, and pinned a flat bow in the crown. My smoky eye shadow, cat's-eye black eye-liner, and false eyelashes were "Twiggy-perfect." I had even found a pair of clunky-heeled sling-backs to complete the ensemble.

Feeling quite pleased with my efforts to recreate the Carnaby Street look, and in authentic clothing, I strolled through the party goers. Suddenly, a young woman stopped in front of me and touched my sleeve, fingering the material. Smiling, eyes wide, she exclaimed, "Oh, my God!"

My bubble of pleasure was quickly burst by the next words out of her mouth...

"Where did you find such an ugly dress?" she asked.

I tried to kindly put her words down to the drink in her hand. After all, alcohol has been known to loosen the tongue and cause one to blurt out unfortunate remarks one would never dream of saying when sober.

"It's so sixties," she continued. "Don't you just hate the sixties? They had such ugly clothes!"

"It was my mother's," I replied, conjuring up my best, insincere, 'nice-to-meet-you' party smile.

"How lovely for you," she replied and wafted off in a cloud of perfume and alcohol-laced fruit punch fumes.

So much for authenticity...

Skirt:

1. Pin or baste the waist of the skirt to fit your child's waist. If the waist has an elastic in a casing, you can also simply open the casing near the seam, and shorten the elastic.
2. Fold one large, square scarf in half, diagonally, and tie it around your child's waist with the points hanging down on one side.

Blouse:

1. Raise the neckline of the blouse by pinning or shortening the elastic or ties.
2. If necessary, tighten up the elastic in the sleeves so they fit snugly, but not too tightly, at your child's wrists or just below the elbows, whichever you prefer.
3. Blouse may be worn tucked in or tied at the waist with the second large, square. Fold and tie the square the same as the first one, but tie it on the opposite side from the first scarf.

Head-dress:

1. Fold the smaller scarf in half diagonally, tie it over your child's head with the ends to one side (like a pirate scarf)
2. Drape one of the necklaces around your child's head so the medallion is in the center of the forehead - pin in place. You can tack the necklace in place with needle and thread if you prefer.
3. If your child has bangs, pull out a few strands of hair to shape into a "kiss curl" and use hair spray to hold it in place. you can make several curls, or one on each side, if you prefer.

Ballet flats or exercise slippers complete the costume. You can add some sparkling, costume jewelry bangles, and then all your gypsy girl needs to be the belle of the Halloween party is a touch of cheek color and some red lipstick.

You can, of course, purchase a pattern to sew a costume, but the materials will cost almost as much as purchasing a costume online, and many of us don't have the necessary time build a costume from scratch.

It's much more fun to take your child along on your search. That way, she can be there for sizing, and she can help pick out the prettiest dresses. You can find some lovely and inexpensive second hand and out-of-style grad and bridesmaid dresses that can easily be cut down and pinned up into lovely costumes both you and your child will love.

© 2011 Text by Elle Fredine, All rights reserved