Crafty, Thrifty Gypsy - My Halloween costume

Thrifting was non-existent this weekend, but I do have a thrifted, crafty costume to share. 

First off a thrifted item from a few weeks back, used for Halloween decor.  This is more than what I would normally want to pay for a small item, but I had a Halloween use for it in mind.  Candle holder from local thrift shop, $2.99.  It's very Charles Dicken-ish....don't you think?  Add a candle, and drip some red wax from another candle, and viola you have a bleeding candle.  Idea courtesy of MarthaStewart.com.

Mystery fabric turned into a skirt (lazy style)

My costume in mind this year was a gypsy, and I figured I could throw one together rather easily.  It was actually easier than I expected.  I had two yards of mystery fabric I bought last Thanksgiving at Garden Ridge.  Price $5.99, Thanksgiving day sale 1/2 off $2.98.  It's been sitting here so sad. So I made it into a gypsy skirt.  Cutting the two yards in half length wise, sewed together at the edged to make a 4 yard long piece, then sewed the other two ends together.  Sewed a hem at the top and inserted a rope(cord), and bunched together to fit around my waist.

A very lazy way to make a skirt if you ask me, but it met it's purposes, and if I decide to use the fabric for something else down the line I haven't compromised it much.  It's very Gone with the Wind(ish) since this mystery fabric is heavy,like curtain material.  (Mame just whip me up a skirt from those curtains.)

Bed skirt and XL man shirt

Bed skirt slip

A thrifted XL man shirt, and a bed skirt $2.99 each. The shirt shoulders were cut off from the pocket up, and sleeves were cut just a bit from wrist opening down.  Removed pocket, hemmed along the top, and treaded with some elastic to gather.  Same with the sleeves.  Viola once more, you now have a pirate wench top....which is the same look for a gypsy.   

Now you might be asking yourself what the bed skirt is for.  Well it's for under my skirt.  Ugh!!!  For the life of me I can't remember or find what that is called.  It's not a slip...is it?  Ugh! I pretty much cut the bed skirt in half and sewed the ends together and gathered the top once again with elastic.

back scrap used for gypsy head wrap, 10 cents

Do you ever have those garage sale purchases you wonder what you'll do with, but don't pass up because they're so cheap?  Well I had that happen a few months back.  I purchased some fabric scraps for 10cents each, but  didn't know what I would do with them.  The time has now come to make use of that silly purchase.  Fabric scrap cut equals gypsy head wrap. 

Gypsies need large dangling earrings right?  Well thrift shops didn't have what I was looking for, and I wasn't gonna spend a lot on this accessory, so onto Joann's I went.  Purchased 7" worth of trim, $1.29, cut in half to make two earrings and just poked my earring stud through the fabric to create my earrings.

The spooky glowing eyes just add that Halloween touch. 

I originally wore my costume last weekend for my sisters Halloween party and at that time I used a tank top as my under-bust vest, just pulled the tank top down and pinned in place.  It kinda worked but since I had an XL man shirt underneath it  all bunched up and made me look wider than what I am.  So I free styled a vest/corset thingy by using my tank top as a template then held the fabric up against me and drew a line under my bust and got my pattern that way.  Sorry I have no pictures for this.  Most of my random sewing attempts don't work out so I don't even try to document them. Fabric from stash, no additional out of pocket expense.

Bracelets from daughters Cleopatra costume from a few years back...not an additional out of pocket expense.

Total cost of costume, just over $10.  Not bad if you ask me.  I spent 6 times that, combined, on my kids store purchased costumes, but getting them what they want is almost priceless, right?  I wasn't gonna attempt Swamp Fire from Ben 10, and my daughter was back and forth on her costume not knowing what she wanted until we went to Party City.  Plus I've had plenty of costume flops in my past, as I posted about last week.  I didn't want to disappoint myself again.

Hope you all had a safe and happy Halloween.