Life in the Ville by Jimmy Del Ponte

Mom’s Beret, turtle neck, cigar ash goatees and you have instant Beatnik!

The worst part of trick or treating when we were kids was having to wear your clunky winter coat over your costume. We prayed for mild weather. The second worst thing was your parents refusing to spend money on a store-bought costume and forcing you to make one.

I asked my friends to share their homemade costume memories. A friend of mine entered a costume contest by building a stereo speaker that actually worked. He plugged himself in and won first prize. Here some more stories about original homemade Halloween costumes.

“Half man half women. My mom did the whole costume, even cut the yarn off of her bathroom rug for my mustache, and the other part of my mouth was lip stick. Jeans on one side sewed a skirt on to the zipper of the jeans for the other side! I know she had more fun than me making costume. Those were the days. Fun times with My mother Marcia!”

“I had caught my cousin’s flowers at her wedding a month before. I dressed up as a bride ditched at the altar. Mascara flowing down my face. Veil, dress and all.”

“6 of us as a 6 pack of Heineken won first prize at 6 Lansdowne Street.”

“Grants or Kressgee had the best costumes! My sister was a bride one year and I was Honey West! Those plastic face masks steamed up, making my nose wet!”

“My kid costume was a default hobo. My dad’s flannel shirt baggy big jeans, messy hair and make-up to make me look dirty and done hahaha. Another we’re the short people. My mother was a den mother and made short people with pillow cases with faces drawn on them. Pillow case goes over your head, draw your face on the pillow case, cut eye holes out, put overhead, belted at knees. Can you picture this!”

“Harpo Marx.”

“Hawkeye from M*A*S*H.”

“Bag of pretzels and a box of popcorn! “Table and chair! Devil in a shower.”

“An angel costume I made for my daughter’s Halloween party at St. Catherine of Genoa school about 7 years ago. I hand stitched the entire costume from halo to wings & gown. She won 1st place that year.”

“Work boots, pair of shorts and Hawaiian shirt, white beard and wig red Santa hat. I was Santa in the off-season.”

“A nun! It was so good that people actually thought I was a real nun. Funny that I’m not even Catholic.”

“Spider with eight legs that turned into an octopus the following year. I cut the suction cups off a rubber bathmat and glued them along the legs.”

“When my son was in kindergarten he wanted to be a tree. We used brown paper bags and taped twigs and leaves all over them. He was so cute and got rave reviews from all the houses we visited. Still makes me smile even though he celebrated his 50th birthday last week.”

“I have quite a few. Cousin Itt (from The Addams Family) was one of my favorites, but I’ve won or placed in many, many contests. I absolutely love Halloween and going to parties dressed up!”

“Marty McFly and Doc Brown.”

My mom made me up as a Chinese doll in a brocade silk kimono (which she made). Braided my hair, perfect makeup, shoes, head piece. A cute doll I might add. Lol”

The third worst part of Halloween was getting a piece of fruit that crushes your candy bars when it’s dropped into your goody bag.

I wanted to dress as Zorro around 1959 and my parents bought the hat, mask, and cape but wouldn’t get me the sword. They thought it was too dangerous so I ended up with a small plastic knife. Lame! The experience was much like the brown shoes I wore with my white holy communion suit!