Firstly, Electroluminescent Wire emits a homogeneous light with a wide range of vivid color. It is also known for energy saving, environmental protection as well as safety. It has low power consumption, using a voltage of 3V to 220V, in addition to using no heat radiation. This is nice for a number of reasons, but the first is costs savings. As versatile as it is, EL Wire can be used to light driveways, walkways, and more all while using less electricity than a standard desk lamp. Soon, we will start to see cities incorporate it into the city planning as it lightens dark streets, or could even take the place of cross walks or traffic lights eventually. It will not cause any environmental pollution and especially can avoid serious light pollution in big cities. Due to its low working current, it also does no harm to the human body.

Secondly, the wire is extremely flexible. It can be bent, knotted, cut, stretched, spliced, etc., and the lighting effect will not be compromised. The flexibility of EL Wire is similar to common phone wire. You may also cut it to nearly any length. Applications of EL Wire are simple. You can apply the wire with transparent adhesive tape, glue, clips, thread, etc. and the wire can be applied to any surface including glass, display windows, furniture, walls, clothing, accessories, automobiles, etc.

The functionality is so diverse, you can use a small amount to spice up your next Halloween costume, or even already be used in your favorite nightclub. El Wire has proven to be used just about everywhere you look at places like Burning Man. They will light up elaborate costumes, bikes, cars, vans and even the Man that burns at the end of the week is all done with EL Wire.

These are just a few benefits of Electroluminescent Wire. There are many more advantages that we are finding out daily. Keep your eyes out for the bright revolution.

Find the best deals on EL Wire while buying the latest in glow technology. Selling the hottest LED Lights and glow accessories direct to the public.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Frank_McGavin

An interesting way to come up with ideas for costumes is to keep a trunk or box somewhere handy and fill it with miscellaneous items. This can help spark the imagination. For instance, load it up with old clothing, fabric of varying lengths, pantyhose, fashion accessories, artificial flowers, pipe cleaners and other craft supplies, aluminum foil, yarn, old sheets or curtains, etc. Nearly anything can be used. Instead of traditional Halloween bags for candy, use other items related to your costume and store them in the ‘imagination box.’ For example, you can implement items such as old pocketbooks, pillowcases, garbage bags, baskets, doctor’s bags, small backpacks, or even diaper bags.

Ever since my kids were old enough to participate in trick-or-treating activities, I have made their costumes. Once Halloween approaches, I begin asking them what they would like to be. Then I scour the house and our box of goodies to find whatever I might already have on hand, making a list of the items with which I need. Generally, these few items can be purchased at the local thrift shop or dollar store so there usually isn’t too much money invested in the project.

For safety reasons, I prefer to use make-up or face paint as opposed to masks. You can easily make your own out of food coloring and corn starch. This is not only safer than using masks, but it’s also cheaper, easier to apply, and comes off just as easily with mild soap and water. A simple cream can be made with one part corn starch and two parts food coloring to create the desired shade for your costume. Apply to the face with your fingers just like foundation. And with a few drops of red food coloring and a little corn syrup, you have home-made blood for those ghoulish costumes.

One year my daughter went as a witch. It isn’t as difficult as you might think to come up with creative ways of putting this outfit together. In fact, they can be as easy or difficult as you can handle. For the witch ensemble, I simply used a tattered black dress and a witch’s hat my daughter already had. I mixed up some green face paint and added a wart with an eyeliner pencil. For her hair, I used some fiery, red-orange yarn that I attached to the hat with Velcro. Add a small broom and there you go.

Another year, she was a butterfly. The butterfly was fashioned together by cutting a pair of wings out of some cardboard, which I decorated with multi-colored pieces of felt (you can also use aluminum foil and decorate with sequins, glitter, etc.). The body of the butterfly consisted of nothing more than a black sweat suit; however, a dark-colored leotard should work just as well. Wings can be attached in whatever way is easiest for you. They can be sewn onto the back of the sweatshirt or fastened with elastic bands fitted around the child’s arms. You could also try using Velcro for felt-covered wings. This not only sticks to the felt but to the shirt as well. Add an antennae headband and, if desired, some face paint. The headband can either be purchased from the dollar store for a couple bucks or put together yourself using an ordinary black headband with black pipe cleaners attached.

I transformed my son into a lively jack-in-the-box one year. This idea came about through my own childhood memories. My mother also made a lot of our costumes growing up. Aluminum foil would incredibly become a tiara, a wand, or antennas. Lacy curtains would suddenly become flowing gowns. Her creativity was amazing, and one costume in particular stood out above all others–a kitchen table. She had taken a simple cardboard box, cut out a hole in the bottom, and slipped it right over my head. After draping a tablecloth over the box, my protruding head became the centerpiece with a carefully placed ‘hat’ made from a pair of pantyhose and artificial flowers.

And from this kitchen table costume, another one was born–the jack-in-the-box. It uses the same ‘box’ concept and originality. I simply took a box, decorated it, and attached it to my son with suspenders (can use elastic as well). On one side of the box I fashioned a handle. He wore dark sweatpants and a regular long-sleeved shirt that I attached ruffles to. I painted his face to mimic that of a joker.

A few years back, my kids decided that they wanted their costumes to match. We looked around the house and soon enough found ourselves with a cowboy and an Indian. For the cowboy, my son donned a cowboy hat and boots, a western shirt, blue jeans and a denim jacket. All of which we already had. To accessorize the look, I tied (loosely) a red bandana around his neck and fastened the holster (complete with toy guns) around his waist. Once again, these were items that we already had on hand.

My daughter, of course, was the Indian. Her costume was also something we had just lying around. I took an old brown pillowcase and cut a v-neck hole in the bottom that was large enough for my daughter’s head to fit through. I then cut two more holes in either side for her arms. I hand-stitched designs around both the neck line and bottom of the ‘dress’ and with a pair of scissors, I carefully cut slits along the edges to give it a frilly look. If you don’t sew, that’s ok; you can easily use fabric paint to decorate the dress instead. To set off the dress, my daughter wore braided pigtails with a feathered headband around her forehead. The only item I purchased for this was a pair of moccasin slippers from the dollar store. To hold all their candy, my son carried a pillowcase ‘loot bag’ while my daughter used an old harvest basket lined with an orange towel.

Ever had the option of dressing up for work with the most original taking first prize? This one worked for me. Once again, I borrowed the idea from my mother, giving it my own twist–a tomato plant. For this costume, I wore a dark green leotard with green hose and slippers. I found a dark green table skirt and simply cut out holes to allow me to both slip it over my head and run my arms through. I pinned some green artificial leaves onto the leotard and table skirt along with little tomatoes made from Styrofoam balls that were painted red and topped off with green stems (you can also use tomato pin cushions found in craft stores). I finished it off with a green beret full of leaves. By the way, I took the prize.

I have found balloons to be quite useful for costumes; however, they should only be applied to those of older children or adults. Once again, safety is important and balloons tend to pop easily and small children can accidentally try to eat the balloon pieces. Balloons are inexpensive and come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. You can create one-of-a-kind costumes with hardly any work involved. Imagine a bunch of grapes (like that from Fruit-of-the-Loom). Choose a purple sweat suit or leotard and attach purple balloons carefully with small safety pins. Add some ivy vines and top it off with a matching hat full of ivy leaves. This could also be used for other berries as well with appropriate colored sweats and balloons. For instance, you could try raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries.

Then again, why not go out as Mr. Bubble? Wear white and use some white balloons to instantaneously become soap suds. Accessorize with a scrub brush and a hat or bag made up of bath materials such as sponges and empty shampoo, bubble bath, or soap containers. When you apply balloons to any costume, however, try not to put any on the backside. This could make it difficult to sit down.

Other interesting costume ideas might include a scarecrow using denim bib overalls, a plaid or flannel shirt, rope or twine for belt, a straw hat, gloves and boots. Stuff all the pockets with straw. Turn an old sheet into a ghost. Create a hobo from some old clothes and add a hat. Paint the face with a five o’clock shadow and fashion an old hankie to a stick. What’s autumn without leaves? Use a dark-colored sweat suit (with hood) and pin silk leaves all over it. Walk around carrying a rake and gather candy in a leaf bag.

Remember, a little imagination can go a long way; and best of all, it’s free to use.

This article was written by Nikki Phipps and was sponsored by DareToScare.com and the Dare To Scare Halloween Costume Search Engine [http://www.daretoscare.com]. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a live link back to [http://www.daretoscare.com]

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nikki_Phipps

There are a lot of ways to decorate for Halloween. with some people concentrating on witches and monsters and others concentrating on graveyard sites and zombies. We like to take a ride around town and look at all of the great decorating ideas. We have seen desolate graveyards recreated in front yards. with scary sounds and fog creeping along the ground. Use your imagination and it is scarily real. especially since you can’t see the fog machines and the amplifying systems! I also like the houses that have gigantic spider webs strung across the porch. and flashing orange lights. Usually the houses that are the most decorated are the best ones to take the kids for trick or treats. These families really get into the “spirit” of things. so you can be sure they will have good treats.

There are some real diehards who decorate their houses inside and out in the Halloween theme. and even turn their homes into haunted houses. You can tell they must get a lot of enjoyment out of a project like that. because it sure is a lot of work. Most people just decorate to entertain their neighbors and for the trick or treating kids that stop by. It’s a shame that so many parents don’t let their children go trick or treating any more because of some of the dangers. Just a few crazy people spoiled a fun holiday for everyone.

If you are into Halloween decorating. you will not believe the amount of things you can buy today. If money were no object. you could really go wild. Party stores that sell monsters. fog machines. gravestones or just about anything else. And if that’s not enough. there is an even greater selection on the internet. New weird stuff. or the old classics that we know from our childhoods. If you can think it up. you can get it.

Andrew Caxton is a reliable journalist who has published more articles on this issue for http://www.home-decorating-reviews.com He provides tips and advice about halloween as well as on the decorating at halloween decoration

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Caxton

Safety Tip #1: See and Be Seen

It’s usually dark when kids go trick or treating, and in their costumes, they can be very hard for drivers to see. Your kids will be crossing the street and walking along the sidewalk, so keep them safe from traffic by making sure they are clearly visible to drivers. You can do this in two ways. One, keep their costumes light. Dress them in light colors like white, or orange, or yellow. However, this only works for kids dressed as ghosts, pumpkins, or bananas. You can also outfit your child with a reflective vest or tape that will light up in drivers’ headlights. Make sure your children won’t be left in the dark – keep the little monsters visible.

Safety Tip #2: Arm Against Animals

Your neighborhood is probably full of pets, raccoons, badgers, and opossums. Protect your children from loose dogs or angry raccoons with animal repellent. Security Stores sell canine repellent that will fend off smaller animals and even stronger bear repellent that will get the big guys.

Safety Tip #3: Arm Against Bad Guys

Dogs and bears aren’t the only living danger children can run into. When it comes to Halloween safety, protecting your child from people who mean to do harm to them is parents’ number one concern. We sell pepper sprays that can effectively disarm a criminal and give your child time to run and scream for help.

Safety Tip #4: Make Some Noise

Personal safety alarms will draw attention to your child’s situation immediately. If a stranger approaches and tries to attack your child, they can set off their personal safety alarm, which will emit a high pitched siren to call for help. Often, the criminal will run away.

Safety Tip #5: Go Along for the Fun

The best way to protect your kids during Halloween trick-or-treating is to accompany them on the adventure. Younger children should always be supervised by an adult, and older kids, though they may not want a parent tagging along, will be safer with mom or dad around. You don’t have to ring to the doorbell for them. You can just hang back a little and observe, increasing the Halloween safety of your children.

Safety Tip #6: Examine Before You Eat

Your Halloween safety vigilance doesn’t end when you get home. Before your children eat any of their treats, inspect the candy for anything that looks suspicious. Homemade candies, though they can be a thoughtful effort by a well-meaning neighbor, are dangerous because you don’t know what is in them. The same goes for unwrapped candies – they may have been tampered with. Once you have confirmed that your child’s candy is safe, then you can let them go nuts. You’ll feel better knowing that all they’ll get is a bit hyper and maybe a sick tummy.

Safety should be your number one concern this Halloween, but once that’s taken care of, you and your family can have a spooky, scary, fun holiday filled with all the treats – and none of the tricks.

Ralph Winn has over 35 years of education and experience in the security industry. Are you one of the many Americans who have begun to look into improving their home security? This is an important matter and the Home Security Store offers the best protection against burglary and vandalism.

Stay up to speed with breaking security news and technology.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ralph_Winn

Halloween is the only holiday of the entire year that truly inspires the imagination of adults and kids alike by encouraging the weirdest and most eccentric Halloween costumes for the numerous Halloween parties. The more outrageous a Halloween themed party is, the better. Halloween is the one holiday that is devoted to spooky fun!

It used to be that Halloween was reserved for the kids, and their Halloween themed parties at school indulges and trick or treating at night. However, a lot more adults are now calling Halloween their favorite holiday too. But why? Well, Halloween is an excuse to dress up in scary costumes and have some fun with their friends. It has also developed into the perfect family holiday, because children and their parents are able to enjoy time together. They can have fun while carving a Jack O’Lantern out of a pumpkin, transforming the yard into a spooky haunted house complete with Halloween style graveyard, creating their own Halloween costumes, or planning a terrifically terrifying Halloween party.

Where did Halloween Originate? A Brief History of Halloween

The name, Halloween, is derived from “All Hallow’s Eve”. This is the name given in a number of European countries, including Ireland, to the night before “All Hallow’s Day”, or “All Saint’s Day” on November 1st. This evolved, over time, from “All-Hallow-Even”, to “Hallowe’en”, and finally to the spelling we recognize today of “Halloween”. The celebration of Halloween on October 31st started as an ancient Celtic celebration, known as “Samhain”, which signified the end of summer. The Celts lived in parts of Britain, and Northern France, over 2000 years ago. They believed that goblin, witches, and other dark spirits came out on Samhain, and would accompany the souls of the dead, in the form of ghosts, to visit the places where they had lived.

To ward off the dark spirits and witches, the Celts lit fires. They left food and lanterns to welcome the souls of the dead and wore masks and costumes in celebration. Nowadays, Halloween is more associated with more modern traditions such as ‘Trick or Treating’, Halloween parties, and Halloween costumes. Kids look forward to collecting their Halloween candy in countries all over the world. Halloween night os celebrated in a large number of countries with Halloween themed parties and games, imaginative Halloween costumes, delicious Halloween recipes and fantastic Halloween themed displays.

Halloween Themed Parties, Games, Crafts , Food

There is no doubt that Halloween themed parties have a magical air about them. There is such a wide selection of Halloween party themes that you can choose from that you are sure to find one that will make celebrating the holiday both spooky and fun for adults and kids alike. Some of the most popular Halloween images surrounding Halloween themed parties include bobbing for apples, caramel popcorn balls, creepy Halloween decorations, and a bowl of ghoulish green punch garnished with floating spiders and frogs. Halloween themed parties really are the perfect way of creating a Halloween night to remember.

There are so many ideas for decorations that you can adapt for your own Halloween party; including Halloween crafts and games, Halloween costumes, drinks and Halloween recipe treats. For example, some ideas for Halloween costumes for kids could include Jack O’Lanterns, black cats, werewolves, skeletons, ghosts, witches or monsters. A more adult Halloween themed party could have more of a sophisticated ‘Day of the Dead’ style, with wonderful Mexican food, or a Halloween masked ball with devilishly delicious Halloween desserts. You do not need to spend a lot of money to have a Halloween themed party. It can be as intimate as you like, and you may just want to invite a few friends over, rather than hold a huge Halloween bash.

Daryl Plaza is a regular contributor to SpookyNite.com A Halloween informational site with ideas on how you can plan your Halloweennight with costumes, games, crafts, food and decorations.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daryl_Plaza

Step 1: Halloween Party Kickoff: Think about who the party is for – for you or your children? An adult Halloween party will be quite different from a children’s Halloween party when it comes to planning the Halloween theme of the party, Halloween decorations, Halloween recipes and beverages. Adults and older children usually love to be frightened, but that is not the same for smaller children. So when planning your event keep the ages of your guests in mind. Once you have that figured out, now it is time to pick the date, time and place of your Halloween party. And don’t forget the guest list.

Step 2: Halloween invitations: This is where you can have fun and set the mood of your unforgettable night of horror chills and thrills by sending out unique and spookily inviting Halloween party invitations. You can purchase them or make some yourself with some construction paper and some glitter markers, or how about buying some inexpensive Halloween paper eye masks and writing the words on the back. Include all the important information such as date, time, place and a request for RSVP to your Halloween party.

Step 3: Halloween party food and recipes: now the party would not be a party without a lot of great Halloween munchies. Plan a menu and write out your shopping list. Try to do as much in advance as possible, and try to pick Halloween recipes that can be made ahead and stored or frozen. And again, think of the ages of your guests – there are a lot of fun Halloween foods for both kids and adults. Here might be the place to use up some of those Halloween pumpkin guts.

Step 4:Haunted Halloween Pumpkins: plan to buy your pumpkins early to get the best selection. By selecting a variety of shapes and sizes of pumpkins, you will be able to make a variety of interesting jack-o-lanterns ghosts. And don’t forget about those miniature pumpkins, they can make great party favors or Halloween decorations also. And the day before the party, carve your pumpkins and double check you have enough candles or use small flashlights to show off their ghostly grins.

Step 5: Halloween Costumes: there is always something exciting about putting on a Halloween costume and taking on another identity. So prepare yourself and your families Halloween party costumes in advance so that you don’t have to run around in a panic trying to put something together at the last minute. It is easy to find a lot of great Halloween costume ideas that will not cost a lot of money or time.

Step 6: Halloween Party Games or Activities: Halloween games and craft activities are especially popular for younger Halloween party guests, but this does not mean that adults would not enjoy the fun of Halloween games and showing off their ghostly talents. So think about what Halloween activities your guests would be interested in and gather all the materials you need in advance. Also be sure to have some extra Halloween activities incase a game that you are expecting to take 45 minutes only lasts for 20. And do not forget the Halloween prizes, these can be easily and inexpensively assembled by a quick trip to your local novelty or dollar store or ordered online to be delivered straight to your door.

Step 7: Halloween music and sounds: there is no time then the present to start thinking about what kind of Halloween music you want at your Halloween party celebration. Are you looking for some fun party songs for dancing music, or hauntingly spooky background ghost music for a dinner party, or a collection of sing-a-longs for the kids. Also, you might want to incorporate some Halloween special effects outside with spooky horror sounds as your guests walk up to the front door. There are a lot of special music tapes or CD’s available to purchase, or if your try making one on your own – it could be almost as much fun as the Halloween party itself.

Step 8:Halloween Party Favors: party favors add an extra treat of fun to any Halloween party and are a wonderful addition as a Halloween treat for each guest or something they can take home. They do not need to be elaborate Party Favors or costly and can range from a small plastic toy to a homemade individual bundle of snack mix wrapped in Halloween decoration style.

Step 9: Halloween Decorations: decorations for your front yard and house for Halloween can be a lot of fun and again does not need to be costly. You can get a lot of great eerie Halloween effects by experimenting with some horror lighting placed around your indoor and outdoor Halloween decorations. And adding in some Halloween music or ghost sounds can make some of your Halloween decorations come to life.

Step 10: Party Guests Arrival: today is the day – Halloween party Night, and your guests are about to arrive. Have a quick look around to see if all is in order and that your house is a safe setting. Keep a porch light on so everyone sees any steps or other obstacles, and make sure all your guests have a way back home after the Halloween festivities come to an end.

Final note: Remember that your Halloween party does not need to be elaborate, the main component of a great Halloween party are a few willing participants that want to have fun, a few simple Halloween decorations and props, toss in some spooky music and ghost sounds, and definitely the Halloween food – and you will have a smashingly and howling Halloween Party. So when the party starts, enjoy yourself! It will be a spookily great time.

Daryl Plaza is the owner of spooky night.com a website with reviews and resources on Halloween recipes, costumes, music and decoration

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daryl_Plaza

Every year in the United States, around 100 people die as the result of their clothes catching on fire.

Burn injuries are one of the leading Halloween injuries but also the easiest to prevent. Here are some tips to keep you and your child safe this Halloween.

Decorations/Indoor events:

-Place all lit pumpkins on a flat stable surface. If possible use a flashlight instead of a candle.

-If the pumpkin will be indoors, keep it away from any flammable material and never leave it unattended. -Sweep your porch of debris. If an accident occurs, dry leaves and brush can quickly spread a fire.

- Use flashlights instead of candles/flames for any lighting or decoration. With a little creativity you can make your decorations more festive and safer for visitors.

-Keep in mind that paper, dried flowers, and cornstalks are highly flammable and keep them away from any heat source.

-Make sure none of your indoor decorations are blocking exits.

-Check to make sure your smoke alarm is functioning properly. Every year 50% of fire related deaths in the United States involve homes without a working smoke alarm.

-This is also a good time to make sure you and your children have a developed an escape plan in case of a fire related emergency.

-If your children will be at another house or a school sponsored event, make sure both of you know and can easily locate exits.

Costumes:

-Try to purchase costumes and accessories labeled flame resistant or retardant.

-Make sure your child’s costume doesn’t have extended or trailing features. In addition to being a tripping hazard they can ignite easily.

-Look over every part of the costume and make sure that it doesn’t include anything highly flammable. It’s easy for a child to become distracted and a costume can catch fire in a matter of seconds.

-Tell your children to stay away from any open flames and other heat sources. Make sure they know the “stop, drop and roll” procedure. If you need a quick refresher:
Stop and drop to the ground covering your face with your hands and roll on the ground to extinguish any flames.

These tips were brought to you in part by The Burn Recovery Center who reminds you to have a happy and safe Halloween.

-William Gallahue

If you or a loved one has suffered a serious burn injury, we may be able to help you. Please visit Burn Recovery Center for more information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=William_Gallahue

Halloween traditional colors are black and orange. Purple, green, and red are recent additions. Pumpkins and scarecrows are the symbols of Halloween.

One of the elements used in order to make Halloween a uniquely memorable occasion is make-ups and costumes. Pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns are one of the symbols of Halloween, so use a large number of carved pumpkins to decorate your Halloween party. Stenciled pumpkins will give the visitors to your party a scary feeling, as will creepy decorations.

Hang Halloween magic mirrors at the entrance of your home. Watching people get scared looking at their own terrifying reflections will be quite comic. Use dark decorations like a Halloween beacon with a pumpkin, Halloween clocks, Halloween candle holders, and Halloween wreaths for creepy Halloween parties. Use Halloween flags and banners in front of the party hall.

Decorate your car with Halloween stickers, posters, and symbols. Display all spooky Halloween toys in a table. Glue all the scary Halloween photographs in a frame, and hang it in the centre of the party hall. Decorate and light up your party with Halloween lights. Play Halloween music and videos that give off a spooky effect.

Arrange Halloween games like ‘Finding a Monster’, ‘Make a Mummy’, ‘Halloween Pictionary,’ and ‘Build a Monster’ for kids and adults to boost the enthusiasm of the participants and to enhance the enjoyment at the party.

The Internet has an incredible number of Halloween decorating ideas. A number of websites offer useful and unique decorating ideas for your Halloween party.

Nicely decorated Halloween parties will make the experience memorable not only for your visitors, but for you as well.

Decorating provides detailed information on Decorating, Home Decorating, Bedroom Decorating, Bathroom Decorating and more. Decorating is affiliated with Web Site Design.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Damian_Sofsian

Ghosts and ghouls will be about this October 31. But you must protect your little goblins from the real dangers that are out there on Halloween. Keep your kids safe and your holiday fun with these Halloween safety tips.

Safety Tip #1: See and Be Seen

It’s usually dark when kids go trick or treating, and in their costumes, they can be very hard for drivers to see. Your kids will be crossing the street and walking along the sidewalk, so keep them safe from traffic by making sure they are clearly visible to drivers. You can do this in two ways. One, keep their costumes light. Dress them in light colors like white, or orange, or yellow. However, this only works for kids dressed as ghosts, pumpkins, or bananas. You can also outfit your child with a reflective vest or tape that will light up in drivers’ headlights. Make sure your children won’t be left in the dark – keep the little monsters visible.

Safety Tip #2: Arm Against Animals

Your neighborhood is probably full of pets, raccoons, badgers, and opossums. Protect your children from loose dogs or angry raccoons with animal repellent. Security Stores sell canine repellent that will fend off smaller animals and even stronger bear repellent that will get the big guys.

Safety Tip #3: Arm Against Bad Guys

Dogs and bears aren’t the only living danger children can run into. When it comes to Halloween safety, protecting your child from people who mean to do harm to them is parents’ number one concern. We sell pepper sprays that can effectively disarm a criminal and give your child time to run and scream for help.

Safety Tip #4: Make Some Noise

Personal safety alarms will draw attention to your child’s situation immediately. If a stranger approaches and tries to attack your child, they can set off their personal safety alarm, which will emit a high pitched siren to call for help. Often, the criminal will run away.

Safety Tip #5: Go Along for the Fun

The best way to protect your kids during Halloween trick-or-treating is to accompany them on the adventure. Younger children should always be supervised by an adult, and older kids, though they may not want a parent tagging along, will be safer with mom or dad around. You don’t have to ring to the doorbell for them. You can just hang back a little and observe, increasing the Halloween safety of your children.

Safety Tip #6: Examine Before You Eat

Your Halloween safety vigilance doesn’t end when you get home. Before your children eat any of their treats, inspect the candy for anything that looks suspicious. Homemade candies, though they can be a thoughtful effort by a well-meaning neighbor, are dangerous because you don’t know what is in them. The same goes for unwrapped candies – they may have been tampered with. Once you have confirmed that your child’s candy is safe, then you can let them go nuts. You’ll feel better knowing that all they’ll get is a bit hyper and maybe a sick tummy.

Safety should be your number one concern this Halloween, but once that’s taken care of, you and your family can have a spooky, scary, fun holiday filled with all the treats – and none of the tricks.

About the Author

Let’s face it, not everyone can afford to spend a lot of money on elaborate Halloween costumes, especially if you’re living on a fixed income. Likewise, not everyone can afford to spend a lot of time making them either, especially those without sewing abilities. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could create your own costumes with little time or money invested? Well you can. In fact, there are numerous costume ideas that can be created yourself for next to nothing. Better still, there’s little or no sewing involved. All you need is a little imagination and some creativity, something most of us already have tucked away somewhere inside us. And if for some reason you don’t have it, I’m sure the kids do.

An interesting way to come up with ideas for costumes is to keep a trunk or box somewhere handy and fill it with miscellaneous items. This can help spark the imagination. For instance, load it up with old clothing, fabric of varying lengths, pantyhose, fashion accessories, artificial flowers, pipe cleaners and other craft supplies, aluminum foil, yarn, old sheets or curtains, etc. Nearly anything can be used. Instead of traditional Halloween bags for candy, use other items related to your costume and store them in the ‘imagination box.’ For example, you can implement items such as old pocketbooks, pillowcases, garbage bags, baskets, doctor’s bags, small backpacks, or even diaper bags.

Ever since my kids were old enough to participate in trick-or-treating activities, I have made their costumes. Once Halloween approaches, I begin asking them what they would like to be. Then I scour the house and our box of goodies to find whatever I might already have on hand, making a list of the items with which I need. Generally, these few items can be purchased at the local thrift shop or dollar store so there usually isn’t too much money invested in the project.

For safety reasons, I prefer to use make-up or face paint as opposed to masks. You can easily make your own out of food coloring and corn starch. This is not only safer than using masks, but it’s also cheaper, easier to apply, and comes off just as easily with mild soap and water. A simple cream can be made with one part corn starch and two parts food coloring to create the desired shade for your costume. Apply to the face with your fingers just like foundation. And with a few drops of red food coloring and a little corn syrup, you have home-made blood for those ghoulish costumes.

One year my daughter went as a witch. It isn’t as difficult as you might think to come up with creative ways of putting this outfit together. In fact, they can be as easy or difficult as you can handle. For the witch ensemble, I simply used a tattered black dress and a witch’s hat my daughter already had. I mixed up some green face paint and added a wart with an eyeliner pencil. For her hair, I used some fiery, red-orange yarn that I attached to the hat with Velcro. Add a small broom and there you go.

Another year, she was a butterfly. The butterfly was fashioned together by cutting a pair of wings out of some cardboard, which I decorated with multi-colored pieces of felt (you can also use aluminum foil and decorate with sequins, glitter, etc.). The body of the butterfly consisted of nothing more than a black sweat suit; however, a dark-colored leotard should work just as well. Wings can be attached in whatever way is easiest for you. They can be sewn onto the back of the sweatshirt or fastened with elastic bands fitted around the child’s arms. You could also try using Velcro for felt-covered wings. This not only sticks to the felt but to the shirt as well. Add an antennae headband and, if desired, some face paint. The headband can either be purchased from the dollar store for a couple bucks or put together yourself using an ordinary black headband with black pipe cleaners attached.

I transformed my son into a lively jack-in-the-box one year. This idea came about through my own childhood memories. My mother also made a lot of our costumes growing up. Aluminum foil would incredibly become a tiara, a wand, or antennas. Lacy curtains would suddenly become flowing gowns. Her creativity was amazing, and one costume in particular stood out above all others—a kitchen table. She had taken a simple cardboard box, cut out a hole in the bottom, and slipped it right over my head. After draping a tablecloth over the box, my protruding head became the centerpiece with a carefully placed ‘hat’ made from a pair of pantyhose and artificial flowers.

And from this kitchen table costume, another one was born—the jack-in-the-box. It uses the same ‘box’ concept and originality. I simply took a box, decorated it, and attached it to my son with suspenders (can use elastic as well). On one side of the box I fashioned a handle. He wore dark sweatpants and a regular long-sleeved shirt that I attached ruffles to. I painted his face to mimic that of a joker.

A few years back, my kids decided that they wanted their costumes to match. We looked around the house and soon enough found ourselves with a cowboy and an Indian. For the cowboy, my son donned a cowboy hat and boots, a western shirt, blue jeans and a denim jacket. All of which we already had. To accessorize the look, I tied (loosely) a red bandana around his neck and fastened the holster (complete with toy guns) around his waist. Once again, these were items that we already had on hand.

My daughter, of course, was the Indian. Her costume was also something we had just lying around. I took an old brown pillowcase and cut a v-neck hole in the bottom that was large enough for my daughter’s head to fit through. I then cut two more holes in either side for her arms. I hand-stitched designs around both the neck line and bottom of the ‘dress’ and with a pair of scissors, I carefully cut slits along the edges to give it a frilly look. If you don’t sew, that’s ok; you can easily use fabric paint to decorate the dress instead. To set off the dress, my daughter wore braided pigtails with a feathered headband around her forehead. The only item I purchased for this was a pair of moccasin slippers from the dollar store. To hold all their candy, my son carried a pillowcase ‘loot bag’ while my daughter used an old harvest basket lined with an orange towel.

Ever had the option of dressing up for work with the most original taking first prize? This one worked for me. Once again, I borrowed the idea from my mother, giving it my own twist—a tomato plant. For this costume, I wore a dark green leotard with green hose and slippers. I found a dark green table skirt and simply cut out holes to allow me to both slip it over my head and run my arms through. I pinned some green artificial leaves onto the leotard and table skirt along with little tomatoes made from Styrofoam balls that were painted red and topped off with green stems (you can also use tomato pin cushions found in craft stores). I finished it off with a green beret full of leaves. By the way, I took the prize.

I have found balloons to be quite useful for costumes; however, they should only be applied to those of older children or adults. Once again, safety is important and balloons tend to pop easily and small children can accidentally try to eat the balloon pieces. Balloons are inexpensive and come in a wide variety of shapes, colors, and sizes. You can create one-of-a-kind costumes with hardly any work involved. Imagine a bunch of grapes (like that from Fruit-of-the-Loom). Choose a purple sweat suit or leotard and attach purple balloons carefully with small safety pins. Add some ivy vines and top it off with a matching hat full of ivy leaves. This could also be used for other berries as well with appropriate colored sweats and balloons. For instance, you could try raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries.

Then again, why not go out as Mr. Bubble? Wear white and use some white balloons to instantaneously become soap suds. Accessorize with a scrub brush and a hat or bag made up of bath materials such as sponges and empty shampoo, bubble bath, or soap containers. When you apply balloons to any costume, however, try not to put any on the backside. This could make it difficult to sit down.

Other interesting costume ideas might include a scarecrow using denim bib overalls, a plaid or flannel shirt, rope or twine for belt, a straw hat, gloves and boots. Stuff all the pockets with straw. Turn an old sheet into a ghost. Create a hobo from some old clothes and add a hat. Paint the face with a five o’clock shadow and fashion an old hankie to a stick. What’s autumn without leaves? Use a dark-colored sweat suit (with hood) and pin silk leaves all over it. Walk around carrying a rake and gather candy in a leaf bag.

Remember, a little imagination can go a long way; and best of all, it’s free to use.

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