Halloween prep

The kids have decided to be Mario and Luigi this year for Halloween. They like playing Mario Kart, and I think they'll make for a pretty adorable pair in their costumes. We've only done coordinated costumes once before - when Sophie was Winnie the Pooh and Ben was a hunny pot - and I love the idea of them collaborating like this. And who knows how many more years they'll be interested in doing a theme together, anyway. 

I particularly liked the idea of these characters because the costumes will be easy to put together on our own. I love homemade costumes so much more than the generic ones in all the chain stores. Sure, we've done that, too - but the homemade costumes are so much cuter, I think. Anyway, they both already have matching denim overalls, which is the main part of the outfit. They also both have black converse sneakers, so they can match there. We'll need to buy a red shirt for Ben and a green shirt for Sophie, but those will have plenty of re-wear value and can become part of their regular wardrobe once Halloween is over. 

The only thing I struggled with were the signature Mario and Luigi hats. I looked all over, checked ebay, etc, and I just couldn't justify the cost. The local Halloween store is selling them for $14.99 each! So much for our cheap handmade costumes. So I decided to try and make them myself. For just over a dollar each, this is what I ended up with...

   

Pretty cute, right? Not perfect by any means, but they'll certainly serve the purpose with the costumes and we won't be stuck with $30 worth of hats we don't need in a few weeks. Now I'm getting excited. I need to get them each a little pair of white gloves (just waiting for the winter gear to be fully stocked so I can find them) and some fake mustaches, and we'll be all set!