I have always hated those fake plastic halloween costumes that are for sale at discount stores.  So, I always improvised and created my kids' costumes and I never spent more than $5 or $6 doing it.

Two of my more creative included the year I dressed Kenna as Groucho Marx and the time I dressed Holly as a scarecrow.  I have pictures somewhere; but I would have to dig for them, so I will use some graphics and explain how I did it.

When I did Kenna as Groucho, we went to the thrift store, and got her a man's coat and a pair of old baggy pants plus a loud tie.  She wore one of her dad's shirts.  As I recall the coat, tie, and pants probably cost us back then about 75 cents total.  Then, we went to TG&Y and picked up the glasses, nose, mustache and cigar.  That was probably about $3. She wore her dad's beat-up hat and we hid her hair under it.

She was none too happy, declaring that she looked like a boy!  

"Kenna, that's the whole point,"  I said.

Every year Clinton held a costume judging contest.  So,  Off we went. When the judges announced the winners, they asked the little boy dressed as "Groucho" to come to the stage.

"I'm NOT a BOY; I'M a GIRL!"  she yelled back.

"Kenna," get up there!"  I said.  "You are a winner!"  I honestly can't remember if she won first or second; but the prizes were money.  Seems to me she won $10 or $15 dollars.

At any rate, that changed her whole attitude about the costume. 

Then there was the year I got the idea to do Holly as a scarecrow.  That was a real inspiration.  The only thing I bought was the pumpkin head that looked just like the one in the graphic.  She had a pair of overalls, so I sewed a few patches on them, we stuffed her full of straw with it hanging out her legs and arms, and I ran a broom stick across her shoulders through her shirt sleeve to keep her arms stiff.

She won hands down.  Then I took her to Weatherford's Wal-Mart for their contest and she won it also.  Both newspapers featured her picture. As I recall, she won $15 dollars at Clinton and $25 from WaL-Mart.

She complained how uncomfortable she was; but she surely enjoyed spending the money she won!