Halloween, ah my absolute favourite time of the year. For me as an adult who's children are now adults, Halloween signals more of the change of seasons then anything. I live in the Arizona desert and Halloween means cooler temps (insert HUGE sigh of relief here from myself and my poor air conditioner)

Now, as a kid, it meant so much more, the fun of the night, the belly-ache the next day from all the candy, but most importantly, I couldn't wait to sit down my my mother to discuss what I was going to "be" each particular year.

My mom was great, amazing, creative. She had to be, we existed on a one income, more then that, a military mans pay. So I learned all the frugalness I now exhibit from her. My ability to sew and how important that has become in my life and profession I owe to her. Anyway enough waxing poetic, the one costume I remember from my childhood, the one I had the most fun making, and wearing happened when I was about 8 I think and here is how you do it, it also helps if you have a best friend (I think these days they are referred to BFF's)

Pair of Dice

what you need:
2 large cardboard boxes must be square, not rectangle or any other shape, large enough to fit over the torso with arms and legs and head showing.
lots of white paper. Can be construction paper, though that is hard to work with. As I recall my mom used cheap wrapping paper she had around the house and turned it over so the white was visible
several sheets of black construction paper
something round ( to use as a guide when cutting the dots on the dice)
tape, glue, scissors.
A standard pair of dice to use as an example

Instructions:
Assemble the card board boxes and make sure that on one of the flap sides, all flaps are cut off. The opposite flap side, tape flaps securely and then cut a hole large enough for the head to pass through. Also cut small holes on sides where the arms should pass through (large enough for arms to pass through of course).
Begin to completely wrap the box in white paper using tape or glue to secure the paper to the box.
Cut all the black circles (total of 21) and glue them on each side according to the representative dice.

I and my best friend went shopping and we bought ourselves some black tights and leotards as well as black shorts, just for modesty sake. My mother also made us black and white head bands, and attached to the head bands were 2 dangly ribbons and at the end she had made miniature dice made of dsyrofoam and little black dots.

We won the local school costume contest and trick or treating we were a hit.

Learn more about this author, Pamela Rodriguez.
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