Basya Tsybukmakher
With fewer and fewer days left until Purim, the special Purim meter in parents' heads starts spinning faster and faster... And what are our expenses? First and foremost, mishloach manot—and, of course, costumes! Costuuume... if you're parents, especially if you're blessed with children, this word has a sound all its own!
It's no wonder that, as Purim approaches, parents' imaginations go into overdrive when it comes to making costumes from materials they have on hand!
Ideas for these costumes are varied and sometimes surprising ;-) , and, generally speaking, your creativity is limited only by the materials you have available and your children's willingness to wear the result!
So, take a look and get inspired! I've tried to choose examples that you can easily make yourself—even without any sewing skills!
These ideas will also be useful for anyone who still hasn't decided, whose precious offspring have suddenly rejected the costume prepared two months ago, or turned down the umpteenth option in a row...
The top picks in our do-it-yourself or five-minutes-before-Purim lineup:
1) A Coca-Cola costume for a girl—in its full version, I think it would be a hit in any country, city, or neighborhood... But even without all the extras, simply styling a ponytail this way is sure to put a girl in the Purim spirit (and earn everyone's admiration):
2) If someone in your family enjoys styling hair and is good at it, you'll like this next option too: a cupcake hairstyle that can be used for all sorts of ideas—a Birthday, Sweet Tooth, Pastry Chef or Pastry Shop costume, or a Cupcake or Ice Cream costume itself... You can use paper cupcake liners, a plastic plate, or create the hairstyle with a waffle cone:
3) The next absolutely brilliant idea is Costumes Made from What's in the Closet. And your child really does have these things! (I also include here costumes made from ordinary clothes with a couple of accessories from a "shekel shop," such as a clown nose, vampire teeth, or a knight's helmet.) Check these out:
And we simply can't overlook another brilliant idea parents have come up with: costumes made from Dad's old white (or not quite white)) shirt! Just look at how many great options there are for Doctors, Chefs, and more:
4) A classic Doll costume requires almost nothing "special"—any pretty dress from your little doll's closet, slightly artificial-looking makeup (blush, for example), curls, and a bow—and your doll is ready! She can hold her favorite real doll, and you can try dressing them alike. For the most inventive, attach a large winding key to her back to create a Wind-Up Doll. We can also include Matryoshka costumes (a sundress + a headscarf), and Flower or Rose costumes (a flower in her hair instead of a bow):
4) For boys—if you have a striped sailor's undershirt, or a white undershirt you don't mind painting stripes on, there are at least four costume options: sailor, pirate, thief or robber, or... cat :) (oh, and a raccoon, too!) None of these costumes needs many additional accessories to complete the look:
5) Another super-simple option is a Cowboy: he usually needs only a cowboy hat and a revolver; the rest can easily be found in the closet.
6) A very kosher and original "kitchen" costume is Kashrut: a white apron (one sold for decorating yourself, or one made from an old tablecloth or paper), with lettering and symbols for meat, dairy, and pareve. Another kitchen option is Spaghetti: wear a tablecloth like a poncho, put a small pot on the head, and glue on a plastic plate with spaghetti made from yarn and meatballs made from little pom-poms wherever you like... And, of course, a Chef—you can glue together a chef's hat, and an apron works well instead of a coat.
7) More on professions and activities: besides a Doctor and a Veterinarian, there's also a Tailor (a vest and suspenders, a measuring tape, and scissors—preferably pretend ones, made from silver cardboard, for example), a Fisherman, Tourist, Traveler—almost everything can be found at home. I'll also add an Honorary Retiree—a grandpa or grandma (nonprescription glasses are everything!)... And my favorite—a ups mail carrier :)
8) Another simple and interesting costume—a dark blue dress covered in stars and planets—could be an Astronomer or a Queen of the Night, for example.
A brown dress, leaves, fruit if you like, and you can (leave)) a nest in your hair—a Tree; you can make a half-mask or wreath from leaves (artificial or real).
Do you have a flexible plastic basket? Cut off the bottom and glue flowers around the edge, and you'll have a Flowerpot costume (which can water itself with a toy watering can).
A Candy or Candy Seller costume—if you're willing to sew/glue/attach twisted candy wrappers to the clothes (the seller can carry a "tray" with real and pretend candies mixed together).
But the most surprising costume this season is a Cat Lady (honestly, I fell in love with it ;))
9) I've saved costumes made from boxes for last. Why? Because I'm not very fond of them: a child is unlikely to be comfortable moving around in one throughout Purim. Still, to be fair, they deserve a mention too, since empty boxes, including large ones, have long been a common sight in any home. I'll also include various costume ideas you can make by hanging a large circle on either side of a child, fastening them together with ribbon or rope. A circle like this can be made from thick paper (drawing paper) or a hoop covered with paper (!). The ideas for these costumes are truly endless... How on earth do children agree to wear them?
I hope you've found something useful in this collection. But in any case, whether your child ends up wearing a store-bought costume or a handmade one (made by us, that is), expensive or inexpensive, one we like or one that quietly horrifies us, the main thing is for a happy smile to shine on their face throughout Purim!
Once the costume is finally on, we can breathe out, relax, and let go... Let them run around, get it dirty, crumple it, and tear it; let bits fall off—don't grumble or scold! Even if you wanted to make a one-of-a-kind costume and they put on someone else's worn-out, secondhand clown costume (or exactly the opposite happened), we stay quiet, smile, and wave :)
Because there's nothing worse than a hurt, sad, unhappy child—in a gorgeous Purim costume...
Don't miss the joy of Purim—share it with your children!