Penny Lane

Here are our award winning ideas for family Halloween costumes.
Yes, we have won lots of stuff when we go to sponsored Halloween Costume Contests.

Penny Lane (Kate Hudson) costume from "Almost Famous" instructions here. (incudes pictures and videoes)

1. Publisher's Clearing House Prize Patrol
We all had on white turtlenecks, jeans, and navy blazers with "Prize Patrol" name tags. 
We found an old 80's video camera at a yardsale for $5.00 which my husband carried.
I made a huge check out to "Lucky Someone" for the prize amount.
My daughter carried red silk roses wrapped up in a huge silver wreath bow.
My son had a Fisher Price Microphone for interviews.
My son and daughter also carried red, white, and blue balloons, six each.
The van was the "Prize Patrol Van".

2. Scooby and the Gang
Stuffed Scooby (Good Will $3) carried by my son who was Shaggy. He wore a lime green t shirt and brown corduroy pants.
Velma and Daphne (my daughter and I) wearing orangish sweater, and a purple sweater (yard sale $1.00 total).  Velma also had nerdy glasses.  We both had on wigs from Paula Young which we bought at the drastic mark down sale.
My husband was Fred wearing a surfer dude wig ($5), a white shirt (Good Will $3), and jeans. He had a scarf too.
Velma and Fred carried large magnifying glasses (dollar store) and Daphne carried a box of Scooby Snacks ($3).
The van was decorated as the "Mystery Van".

3. The SackVilles
We saved trash, in particular boxes for weeks.
Leaf bags were used and the bottoms were cut out so we could wear them.
Pieces of strapping were stapled in place as support with eye screws to hold twine that would be worn over our shoulders.
Boxes were suppose to be glued in place above the strapping but we used duct tape because we lost power for a day while making the costumes.
We saved receipts and coupons and stapled them to the front of the bags.
I was a "Bag Lady SackVille" my husband was "Bag Dad SackVille", and then we had the "Mini-Sacks SackVilles".
It was pouring out the day we went to the first party so the costumes did not stand up well due to the dampness.  However, we won.

4. The GhostBusters, The Dust Buster, and Mr. Clean
I made the children Ghostbuster packs using PO boxes and a bunch of recyclables that were spray painted black.  I added upside down water bottles on the side with a bit of Dawn dishwashing detergent and blue food coloring and water.  These were attached to the side of the box with heavy duty velcro (hardware store).  When shaken up, the foam were the "ghost guts".
My daughter had a small plunger on hers with telephone cord.
My son had a bunch of balloons attached to his pack, including a nice mylar ghost balloon. A hole was poked into the box top, then the balloons were tied to a dowel, the dowel was poked into the hole, it would then law horizontally against the inside  boxtop.  The balloons looked like they were following him.
Strapping was used to make the packs wearable.
Clear plastic safety glasses were used and a film canister was glued over one eye. (Mini M&M containers would work too if colored black.)
I also attached a pudding box to a wooden paint stirrer for the hand held ghost detector.  They were painted and decorated accordingly.
I got them khaki pants and black turtle necks at Land's End.
Black gloves came from the dollar store.
They wore black boots, which they had already.
I also made them buckets with ghost faces on them when they went trick or treating.

Dust Buster -- feather duster, and white gloves packing a can of End Dust.
Mr. Clean, white t shirt, jeans, earring, and standing with arms folded.


5. The Three Blind Mice and the Farmer in the Dell's Wife "Ms. Farmadelphia"
The mice were dressed in grey sweats from WalMart ($50.)
I made the ears of felt which were attached to knit hats.
Face paint for pink noses and eye liner pencil for whiskers.
Identical sunglasses and Christmas Candy canes spray painted black for the walking canes.
I wore a 1930's style dress, had a big carving knife (glowed in the dark!), made tails out of cording which I painted pink, and had a cow printed pocketbook (from my Mom) to "hid the evidence".  Because I was "Ms. Farmahdelphia", I also had a crown and sash which was attached with clothes pins.

Most of the costumes I make are from recycled materials.
I also try to buy things that are reusable for every day wear, like the sweats or the clothing from Land's End.

More ideas and your chance to comment.