Hooray, it’s time for our first Halloween costume tutorial! And ALSO-my son’s blog debut!! This guy turns ONE in just a few days (somehow), so it’s about time he get in front of the camera for AJR :D
And, really, it couldn’t be for a more-fun post, I just love this costume idea! We’re a litter of balloon dogs! Now, I can’t fold a balloon animal to save my life (to be fair-I’ve never even tried…) but I sure can dress me and my babies like one. This costume is so easy, and I was so happy to have a little photoshoot of my kids and I, even if we’re dressed as colorful dogs haha!
Originally, it was just going to be me in these photos, but then I realized how freaking cute little kids would be as balloon animals and I just had to incorporate them. It sure was harder to make the photos happen, but luckily I had help from my mom (I always have to use a Grandma for costume photos!) and sister in law. And the work was totally worth it-if nothing else, I just get a kick out of my daughters posing and twirling.
A year sure does make a big difference in a toddler! Though the threes have, in general, been rougher than the twos, getting these pictures was so much easier than her costume last year. You’d never know it from the pictures (cus, again, I had Grandma magic) but girl was a little pill that day. This year, she sat still while I drew on her nose and pinned on her tail. Then she happily danced around for a bunch of smiling pictures. I didn’t even have to bribe her with chocolate once! And I mean, Otto is always such a delight, it’s not hard to get some happy photos of him!
Materials
- solid color clothes //
- matching twist balloon //
- hand pump //
- headband //
- tape //
- scissors //
- glue dots //
- facepaint or lipstick in matching color
Instructions
- Use face paint/halloween makeup/lipstick in a matching color to paint your nose and add some doggy dimples.
- Blow a twist balloon up with a hand pump almost all the way till the end has a little left. Here is a clipart image of a balloon dog for reference :)
- Cinch about 6-8 inches down (depending on length of tail you want) and let the rest of the air out.
- Tie a knot and cut off the rest of the balloon.
- Tape or pin this tail above your bum.
- Tie off one of the ends of the remaining balloon. Fill this 8-12 inches depending on how big of ears you want. (I did smaller ears, and tails, for my kids than me). Tie off the other end of the balloon.
- Twist this balloon right in the middle and bring the two ends together. Tie them together.
- Tie this around the middle of a headband and/or tape it on.
- Either snip off the tip of this balloon or another matching color.
- Add a couple glue dots to the back of this and stick onto the tip of your nose.
I love that this costume idea is infinitely expandable! Would be a great girl gang costume, a big family, just a couple, or as a single like I originally planned! And any color goes! As long as you have the clothes, you can find the balloons in that shade (almost guarantee). I grabbed my balloons at Zurchers, found my simple orange dress at Forever 21, and both my kid’s outfits at Old Navy. Simple costume, PLUS the clothes can be used for a regular ol’ day woohoo! I love doubling costume clothes as regular wardrobe staples.
