Halloween Costumes Archives - American Greetings Blog

Adorable Pet Halloween Costumes

October 21 by American Greetings Leave a Comment

People go all-out on Halloween with awesomely creative costumes, and we’re not just talking about the costumes they create for themselves, but for their pets! If you have a fur baby at home (or a feather or scaly baby), then you probably align with the many thousands that like to get their pets in on the Halloween act, too.

If you’re trying to come up with that just-right costume for your pet, we’ve collected a few of our faves that will help you make your best buddy the hit of Halloween.

1. Chef Cat via HGTV

2. “Up Pup” from BRIT + CO

3. Pup Latte via Coolest Homemade Costumes

Pet Halloween Costumes - Pup Latte 4. Sven and Anna from Frozen from Frozen via Horse Crazy Girls

5. Bat Cat via HGTV.com

6. Supertoad from Fancihorse via Etsy

Harry Potter Pup via All Free Holiday Crafts

Harry-Potter-Dog-Costume_Medium_ID-1146507

Guinea Pig Baked Potato via Buzzfeed 9. Flying Saucer Turtle via Neatorama

Do you dress your beloved furbaby up for Halloween? If so, we’d love to see pics! Share in the comments!

Halloween Safety Tips

October 29 by American Greetings Leave a Comment

Trick-or-treat! It’s just about time for everyone’s favorite fall holiday, Halloween! By now you’ve probably got your decorations up, costumes ready and your candy purchased, but there are still a few last minute details to keep in mind for both you and the kids. After all, trick-or-treating is not only an evening event, but an outdoor one, too, so we’d like to share some Halloween safety tips for keeping the night frightfully fun and safe.

Costume Check: Double-check your child’s Halloween costume. It should be visible in the dark, but if not, add reflective tape, sold at craft and hardware stores. Have them carry a flashlight or bright glowstick, too, and if they have a mask, make sure they can see out of it clearly. And most important, check the weather report to make sure your little ghosts and goblins are dressed appropriately. This year, you may need to consider an indoor back-up plan depending on the path of Hurricane Sandy–be smart!

Stick Together: It’s best to have an adult go along for the evening, but if your kids are old enough to trick-or-treat alone, remind them to stay together with friends at all times. It’s more fun that way, too! Everyone should have a cell phone tucked in a safe place, and arrange for them to check in with you at pre-set times—you can even download spooky ringtones for fun. Be sure to map out a route in advance, too, so you know where they’ll be and remind them to only go to well-lit homes.

Candy Audit: As tempting as it might be, have your trick-or-treaters wait until they’re home to start in on the candy. Make sure all of it is wrapped and safe, and check for any food allergy issues. Then let them have fun trading, sorting and most of all eating their goodies!

Happy Haunting, Everyone!

Halloween Safety

Halloween Kick-Off

October 22 by American Greetings Leave a Comment

Boo! It’s almost Halloween, but don’t be scared if you’re still not ready to haunt. We’re here to help with these spooktacular Halloween hints:

Creative Costumes

It looks like some of the most popular costumes in 2012 will be inspired by the movies. Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, the superheroes from The Avengers and Princess Merida from Disney’s Brave are sure to make the A-list. In addition, you will see plenty of zombies, vampires and yes, Obama and Romney look-alikes, too!

However, if you’re on a budget, start with your own closet! For example, take a matching color shirt and pants and pair them with fun accessories: black with cat ears and a tail, red with a pitchfork and devilish add-ons, or white with a halo and wings. You can easily find the extras at a craft or costume store.

The duct tape craze is another great help for Halloween costumes, with the sticky stuff now coming in every color and pattern imaginable. Use it to make something simple like a road sign on your shirt, or go crazy and tape your way to the ultimate duct tape costume.

Devilish Decor

It’s easy to set the stage for a frightful night with homemade decorations. Make your own gravestones out of cereal boxes, monster luminaries out of plastic milk jugs or boo-tiful ghosts out of tomato cages. Keep some black poster board on hand to cut out those bats, cats and witches hats. And don’t forget to download some creepy music on Halloween night to add the finishing touch to your ghoulish ambience.

Thrilling Treats:

If you want to be the favorite haunted house on the street for trick-or-treaters, be sure to stock up on the super-sized candy bars and remember, only one per little monster. The most popular candy in 2011 was still Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers and M&M’s. If a party is on your calendar, surprise the ghosts and goblins with some Halloween concoctions so easy, even a zombie could make them — things like Monster Claws and Eyeball Tacos. Now that’s some scary stuff!