Four Last-Minute Finger-Knit Costumes

by Caitlin Harpin, editor and Junior Mints enthusiast

I take Halloween seriously. So seriously in fact, that if a party guest shows up without a costume, I’ll insist on providing one from my stash of goofy accessories and ordinary household items. (If you show up fashionably late, there’s a not-bad chance that you may end up being a toilet paper mummy.)

This year, I decided to get a little craftier. Finger knitting is a super-quick craft that even younger kids can do—and it takes a lot less time than traditional knitting. Here are several ideas you can throw together before you head out to your Halloween festivities.

Crafty Cat

You’ll need: one skein of black yarn, a smidge of face paint, and an extra ball of yarn to use as your cat’s toy.

Both the cat headband and the fringe scarf are step-by-step projects you can find in Finger Knitting. Make them in matching colors for a costume you can assemble in an afternoon.

Princess Leia

You’ll need: one skein of brown yarn, a white cowl-neck top or dress, two hair bands, and lots of bobby pins!

Simply finger-knit two chains of yarn, about 48 inches (122 cm) long. Part your hair down the center, and tie it into two pigtails or little buns, depending on how long your hair is. Then spiral a finger-knit chain around each pigtail or bun, securing the chain with bobby pins as needed. 

Jacques Cousteau

You’ll need: one skein of red yarn, a chambray or light blue shirt, and a French accent.

Another project from Finger Knitting, the spiral hat is a bit more ambitious. Roll up the brim and stretch the top out a bit to make a Cousteau Society-approved accessory.

Swamp Thing

You’ll need: multiple skeins of yarn in different shades of green . . . green hair is optional.

What to do with all of your leftover finger-knit chains? Drape them around you in a haphazard fashion, and you’re the creature from the Knit Lagoon. If you want to be truly terrifying you can grab green face paint from Klutz’s Face Painting book and scare just about anyone out of their stash of candy on Halloween. 

I hope these ideas inspire you to make your own craft costume this year! And remember, if all else fails, you can always be a toilet-paper mummy.

Fairy Tale Dress-Up with Fashion Forms

We're welcoming Klutz Marketing Assistant Devin MacDonald to the blog today to share her experience with a Klutz classic. 

While I’ve graduated from the baggy hoodies, baseball caps, and cargo pants of my middle school tomboy-hood, I’m still pretty much the antithesis of a girly-girl. I can’t apply makeup to save my life, I wear the same pair of scuffed boots every day, and I harbour the not-so-secret hope that I will live to see the day when it is socially acceptable to wear nothing but monochrome jumpsuits (think construction worker, not chic and catwalk-ready). But, despite my tendency to shy away from the frilly, blingy, and otherwise fabulous, I will always have a soft spot for pretty princesses.

With a shiny new take on Cinderella hitting the silver screen this week, I found myself with a familiar urge to indulge in a little bit of fairy tale dress-up. So, I grabbed one of the Fashion Forms kits that have been staring at me from our conference room for weeks, and I decided to get my design on. 

What I find so neat about Fashion Forms is that it’s all about combining basic shapes in creative ways. So, with patterns for six tops and three skirts, you can pretty much make any no-pants look that crosses your mind. It got me thinking about which classic princess costumes I could recreate with those shapes, and—after inspiration struck—how I could transform those outfits into modern-day ensembles.

I mean, can’t you totally picture the Little Mermaid roaming the beach in romantic, flowy ruffles and a sweetheart halter on her land-dwelling days?

Can’t you see Snow White rocking a Peter Pan collar and a cute-but-classy pencil skirt while holding court with her woodland friends in a cozy little home?

What about a fit-and-flare number for everybody’s favourite Frozen queen?

It’s amazing how scraps of paper can transform into miniature outfits for a princess with a dab of glue, some imagination, and a few sparkly embellishments. It’s also amazing how time flies when you let your inner little girl out to play; I was surprised to find that I’d been at it for a couple of hours when I finally shook the sequins from my fingertips to check the time, but I enjoyed every second of it. My craving to experiment with adorable attire: satisfied. I feel like I just played the ultimate game of dress-up.

Now, to find a fashion-forward little friend so I have an excuse to crack my kit open again . . .

Disney Princes Purses - Handmade for Halloween

Halloween can be a great time to get crafty, from carving pumpkins to making decorations and baking spooky treats! But when it comes to costumes, especially when you're young and this Halloween business is serious stuff, sometimes a homemade costume just won’t cut it. I remember the horror on a school friend's face when she walked in to class in a mom-made Raggedy Ann, only to find herself in a sea of store bought fairies, pirates, and princesses. I thought her costume was the coolest, but I could tell that she was silently wishing her mom had hit up the store instead of the sewing machine.

When I heard that super-cute little Miss Emilia was going as Cinderella this Halloween, I jumped at the chance to add a little craftiness to her costume. I shared my copy of the brand new and boxy Make Your Own Disney Princess Paper Purses and we gave this little princess some accessories worthy of her namesake!

Little Cinder-Emilia got down to business, donning her royal gown and breaking out her fabulous zebra print scissors to cut out accessories.  She decked out her royal purse in pom poms, sequins, and stickers, and laced the purses up all by herself! She was even kind enough to make two more purses to share with her friends!

If you need more ideas for Klutz-made Halloween fun, check out what I got up to last year! Stop by my One-Stop Halloween Shop for tons of fun, 100% Klutz decorating and costume ideas, or check out how I made my pumpkins pop!