DIY Costume Awards

We have a fall / Halloween party every year and everyone comes in costume although it's not mandatory.

Our Halloween parties started as a children's Halloween party when my kids were little but it has now evolved into a kids-adult-family party.

Back then I would give out prizes for the top-voted costumes but we haven't had a costume contest in years.

                                 

Well my daughter Alexis asked me to revive the costume awards tradition. So this year we had a costume contest, complete with voting jars for each category, and slips of paper and ink pens for everyone to pick their favorites.

We also decided that if you win an award in one category, you could not win in another.  That rule just allows more families to take home an award, but feel free to make up your own rules.

Vampire me and Spider granddaughter

                            
The costume categories ideas:

1. Best Girl's Costume
2. Best Boy's Costume
3. Best Man's Costume
4. Best Woman's Costume
5. Best Group or Family Costume
6. Most Original Costume
7. Funniest Costume

Skeletons are hot glued into a pose, then glued onto the base, and are ready for painting

I wanted to come up with something fun to give out to the winners so decided to make awards.
I found this idea on Pinterest and just love it and we got so many wonderful compliments!

Spray painting them gold

Skeleton Costume Award or Trophy

What You'll Need:

• A bag of plastic skeletons
• Hot glue gun and glue sticks
• Pieces of wood for the platform
• Gold spray paint
• Scrapbooking paper
• Sticker embellishments (optional)

Mason jars to place votes in and the award trophies

I used a 2 x 2 square piece of wood to cut 2-inch stands for the base.  You can use a round rod to cut out the bases or just purchase wood cutouts at a craft store.

I started out posing the skeletons.  To do that I snapped or broke the arms and/or legs at the joint, then hot glued them into a position I wanted the skeleton to stand in.
I then hot glued any joints that moved to make the skeletons stiff.
Last I glued the skeletons onto the base.
Once the hot glue dried, I made sure to remove any strings of glue or large glue clumps.

Our friend Ashley's trophy (and her  photo)
for Most Original Costume!

To make a group trophy I positioned 2 skeletons on one base.
For funniest, I glued the skeleton in a funny position.
I took all the completed skeletons outside to give them a good coat of gold spray paint.  After the first coat dried, I checked for any spots I missed and repainted.

Cute little sashes made from scrapbooking paper and word doc

Once the paint dried I use Microsoft Word Doc to create the sash lettering and then printed.
I cut a piece of scrapbooking paper to drape around the skeleton and hot glued in place.  I used paper that had little skeletons on it so it looked really cute.
I then cut out the word doc wording and glued them onto the sashes.
Add a little sticker to the base if you want.

Done!

Click here for more Holiday Ideas

Here are a few of the winners:

Voted Best Group or Family Costume, so adorable!

Voted Best Boy Costume!

Voted Most Original Costume

I hope you're enjoying the festive season as much as we are!

Elizabeth


Other Posts:

Fall Decorated Christmas Tree

Thanksgiving Placecards

Sausage Corn Chowder

How to Make a Quilt Label