Unveiling Our Epic DIY Halloween: From a Fairy Queen Jellyfish to a Pun-tastic Jon Snow!

Happy Friday, fellow Halloween enthusiasts! As the leaves turn and a crispness fills the air, our annual tradition of unveiling the family’s Halloween costumes takes center stage. This year, we’re incredibly excited to share our creations, especially since I successfully DIYed Clara’s costume for the second year in a row – no tears, no curses, just pure crafting joy! The results, I must say, are absolutely enchanting. What started as an unexpected request for “a lawyer” (true story, we even pictured her with a tiny briefcase!), quickly evolved into something far more whimsical. A few days later, Clara declared her new aspiration: “I want to be a jellyfish!” But not just any jellyfish. After a quick interrogation about color, her full, fantastical vision emerged: “I want to be a pink jellyfish… and I don’t want to be a regular jellyfish, I want to be A FAIRY QUEEN OF THE JELLYFISH!” And so, with a wave of a magic wand (and a trip to the craft store), her dream was brought to life.

Crafting the Royal Jellyfish: A DIY Masterpiece for Clara

Creating Clara’s majestic Fairy Queen Jellyfish costume was a delightful adventure in imagination and simple crafting. The core of this ethereal ensemble began with a clear umbrella, transformed with layers of pink tissue paper, various fabric ribbons, and that wonderful thinner plastic ribbon that effortlessly curls with a pair of scissors. My incredibly tech-savvy husband, John, then added battery-powered, cold-to-the-touch LEDs, making the entire creation glow with an otherworldly luminescence – truly a winning touch! Clara, as you can imagine, is absolutely smitten; her attempts to hug her costume speak volumes. Burger, on the other hand, well, his reaction was a bit less enthusiastic, but we’ll get to his adorable plight in a moment.

The Inspiration and Materials Behind Clara’s Unique Look

My journey into jellyfish costume design began with a quick search on the venerable Sir Google. To my slight relief (and mild surprise), I found no “Slutty Jellyfish” costumes – a comforting discovery indeed! The options I did find mostly fell into two categories: elaborate stuffed hats or clever umbrella-based designs. The umbrella concept immediately resonated with me for Clara. It offered both portability and flair; she could hold it and swirl it around, enjoying the movement, without the tricky balance act of a giant hat perched precariously on her head. With a clear vision, we headed to Target to procure our foundational clear umbrella.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Your Own Fairy Queen Jellyfish

Transforming a mundane umbrella into a magical jellyfish was surprisingly straightforward, perfect for a fun afternoon DIY project. Here’s how we did it:

1. Adding Color and Opacity: The first step was to insert sheets of vibrant pink tissue paper into each of the umbrella’s panels. The metal arms of the umbrella ingeniously held each triangular piece of paper firmly in place. This created a lovely, semi-opaque dome for the top of the jellyfish, ensuring it wasn’t entirely see-through, while allowing the bottom to remain clear for Clara’s visibility and safety as she walked.
2. Crafting Flowing Tentacles: Next, I gathered an assortment of long, thick fabric ribbons. I tied these strands around the internal spines of the umbrella – the ones that hold it open – allowing them to cascade gracefully around Clara. During my online research, I stumbled upon a myriad of creative tentacle ideas, from bubble wrap to fabric strips and various ribbons. Inspired by the diverse textures, I decided to utilize materials we already had at home, including leftover ribbon from a previous project like this tree decoration. This approach not only saved money but also gave the costume a uniquely personal touch.

3. The Iconic Curly Ribbons: The final touch involved adding the quintessential curly tentacles. I purchased a spool of curl-able plastic ribbon (a steal at $1.50 from Michaels!) and cut numerous long pink lengths. I tied six of these lengths to each of the umbrella’s eight metal spines, creating a voluminous, flowing effect. Once each ribbon was securely tied, I carefully dragged the edge of a pair of scissors along each length, watching them magically transform into perfect spirals. This step truly brought the jellyfish to life, adding a playful bounce and dynamic movement to the costume.

The Magical Reveal: Lights, Camera, Jellyfish!

When Clara arrived home from school and first laid eyes on her glowing jellyfish, oh, what a moment! I genuinely wish I had captured her reaction on video. There were gasps of “Wow!” and the highly coveted “It’s AMAZING!” Then, John’s contribution – those tiny battery-powered fairy lights he found on Amazon for just $6.99 – truly sent Clara into a state of pure euphoria. With the days growing shorter and dusk arriving earlier, we anticipate these enchanting LEDs will not only enhance the magic but also prove incredibly practical for evening trick-or-treating. Just look at them glow in the darkest corner of our house – our closet!

While it might be a tad ambitious to expect Clara to hold the umbrella for the entire duration of trick-or-treating, we’ve got her covered. She’ll also be wearing a delightful supplementary costume: a fun tulle skirt she received for her birthday, complementing her general fairy-slash-queen aesthetic. This way, if she decides she’s “over” the umbrella, she’ll still be perfectly dressed for door-to-door enchanting. And let’s be real, I’ll likely tuck a little wand and a sparkly crown into my purse for an extra touch of “bling” – yes, I still unapologetically use that word!

Canine Capers: Burger’s Adorable (Yet Reluctant) Seal Costume

Now, let’s talk about Burger. Bless his furry heart, he has never, ever been a fan of wearing anything. Sweaters, boots, hats, costumes – they all receive the same look of utter disdain. So, it came as no surprise that he was less than amused by his transformation into a charming seal, thanks to this irresistible costume we discovered at Target. Despite his protests, we simply couldn’t resist! Dressing him up with Clara every year is a cherished tradition, one we’ve upheld since long before she was even born. We joked that all he needed was a tiny crown and scepter to truly be a King Seal, perfectly matching Clara’s royal sea-creature status. We were a little bummed that Target didn’t stock the lobster or shark costumes from previous years, but honestly, he makes a pretty darn cute seal.

Or perhaps, we’ve got it all wrong. Maybe Burger secretly adores costumes. Because if his immense joy in shimmying and wriggling around to escape them is any indication, he’s certainly getting a workout and a good laugh out of the whole ordeal. Another moment I wish we’d caught on video!

Westeros Wonders: Our Game of Thrones Inspired Couples Costumes

This year marked a special occasion for John and me: an actual costume party to attend! After much deliberation and a classic “uh… what should we be?” brainstorming session, we landed on a theme close to our hearts (and binge-watching habits): Game of Thrones. Many people have commented that I bear a resemblance to Daenerys Targaryen, Khaleesi herself. And honestly, who am I to argue with the opportunity to dress up as a fierce queen who commands dragons? So, with a budget-friendly blonde wig from Target and a green dress I already owned (you might recall it from Clara’s party a few years back), my somewhat completely ridiculous, yet undeniably fun, Khaleesi costume was born!

Khaleesi’s Royal Attire: Budget-Friendly DIY Details

To truly embody the Mother of Dragons, a few key accessories were needed. I ingeniously repurposed a ten-cent placemat from a yard sale to create a striking gold belt and some distinctive shoulder adornments. You know, for that essential flair!

I simply snipped the placemat in half, trimmed the curved bottom edge, and then used the green rope belt that came with my dress to hold the golden pieces in place at the front, creating the illusion of a grand gold plate. For the shoulder accents, I cut the remaining placemat into small triangles, which I then tucked under the straps of my dress and secured with pins. (Apologies for not getting a detailed shot of these, but you can catch a glimpse of them peeking out from behind my wig in the full costume photo above). All in all, this transformation was incredibly easy and remarkably inexpensive, costing only $9 for the wig and a mere ten cents for the placemat. Talk about a budget-friendly queen!

John Snow? No, It’s John Snow: A Pun-tastic Twist!

While I adore my Khaleesi costume (and it’s a close tie with The Fairy Queen Of All The Jellyfish for my favorite), I think John’s “costume” might just take the cake because it’s so perfectly him. Sticking with our Game of Thrones theme, I initially suggested he go as Khal Drogo, to which he playfully retorted, “Have you seen me?” My next idea was Littlefinger, complete with a mustache, but then he paused, a mischievous glint in his eye, and declared, “I have a better idea.” Any guesses?

Yes, that’s his perfectly pun-tastic interpretation of Jon Snow. Since he looks absolutely nothing like the brooding character, he brilliantly reasoned, “Well, I’m already John, so I’ll just wear a wooly hat and add a big, ironic snowflake to my shirt, and poof: I’m John Snow!” While it might not pass muster at Comic-Con, it absolutely cracks me up. And if nothing else, the serene background of his photo, complete with a deer grazing peacefully about ten yards behind him, inadvertently brought a touch of Winterfell to the scene.

The ingenuity of his shirt design is a testament to simple, effective DIY. It’s just white duct tape meticulously placed on a blue t-shirt. The best part? He can easily peel it off after the party and continue wearing the shirt as plain old John Petersik for the rest of the year. Practicality meets pun!

It was quite amusing watching him carefully place each strip of tape, consulting his reflection in the mirror, all while wearing the shirt. If that’s not dedication, I don’t know what is! My version of a snowflake would likely have far fewer perfectly straight line segments. We tend to be pretty low-key about our Halloween endeavors, so admittedly, none of our homemade creations are super intricate. However, we’re confident they’ll do the trick perfectly for the costume party. Now, the only remaining challenge is to decide what delicious dish we’ll bring! Ahh, the dilemmas of Halloween!

As a fun aside for any fellow Game of Thrones fans, this ridiculously inappropriate dubbed video of other things that match up with their lips has us constantly walking around the house asking, “Are you a fan of the Pikachu?” and declaring, “I’m working on a gravity belt.” It’s surprisingly addictive and utterly hilarious.

Creepy-Crawly Creations: Our Unique Bug-Themed Pumpkins

Oh, and let’s not forget our buggy pumpkins! No, they haven’t been infested or anything; I simply have an enduring affection for unusual pumpkins, and Clara absolutely adores bugs. So, together, we embarked on a fun project to transform two distinctively shaped gourds into a charming spider and a cute caterpillar. Here’s how they looked when we first brought them home, their organic, bug-like shapes immediately sparking this creative paint-job idea.

While I admit I have a true adoration for oddly shaped pumpkins in their natural state, I couldn’t resist the opportunity for some creative fun with Clara and a few pots of paint. What followed was a laugh-filled little painting session with our little bean, resulting in these adorable insect-inspired decorations:

Clara took charge of painting the spider with some vibrant craft paint. I encouraged her to go wild on the top, and we strategically left the bottom part orange, believing it would create a more “leggy” and delightfully creepy effect – exactly the kind of aesthetic Clara appreciates! Meanwhile, I added a simple dot for an eye on the caterpillar and swirled my paintbrush around it to quickly create some rough, segmented wrinkles, mimicking a real caterpillar’s body. Once they dried, we adorned Clara’s spider with a few painted-on eyes (she loved the idea of four, especially after I showed her an online picture of a real spider with multiple eyes), and just like that, our buggy beauties were complete and ready to greet trick-or-treaters.

We still have a field trip to a pumpkin patch scheduled for early next week with Clara, so we’ve been holding out to pick out some perfect carving pumpkins. But one thing is for sure: there will be some last-minute pumpkin seeds baking at our house – mmm, my absolute favorite! What are your plans for pumpkins and costumes this year? We’d love to hear all about it!

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A Trip Down Memory Lane: Our Favorite Family Halloween Costumes

Psst – For anyone who wants to walk down memory lane and check out C & B’s costumes from the last few years, here’s a peek at some of our past Halloween adventures, showcasing the evolution of our family’s creative spirit.

Our very first foray into homemade costumes resulted in this adorable duo: Jesse & Slinky Dog from Toy Story. It was a true test of my crafting patience, and I still beam with pride at how they turned out.

Then came the dynamic duo as a classic, playful pair: a monkey & banana. Simple, sweet, and always a crowd-pleaser.

And who could forget their very first Halloween together, a heartwarming tribute to classic diner food: a hot dog & hamburger. These early costumes truly set the stage for our cherished family tradition of creativity and fun.