disney weekend halloween craft

There are a lot of good things about living in Florida.  It is almost always sunny.  It doesn't snow.  There are palm trees and flamingos and alligators.  There are about 150 amazing beaches within driving distance. There is no state income tax.  Half the population doesn't live here most of the time.  I could go on and on.

But the best thing about living in Florida has got to be Walt Disney World.

I'll admit it:  I'm a Disney Dork.  I love it.  I love everything about it.  If it were up to me, we'd be there every weekend.

I know this will probably come as a shock, given our history of always agreeing on everything (note heavy sarcasm here), but my sweet husband is not really that into WDW.  He is, however, a fabulous daddy (and husband), so he humors my obsession, knowing it will make ALL of his girls happy.  He even consented to my [brilliant] idea of purchasing a Florida Residents Annual Pass this year, despite the fact that it cut a significant chunk out of our annual vacation budget AND knowing full well it would mean far more Disney trips than he could stand.  What a guy.

So this weekend we are off to WDW for Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Bash.  I can't wait!  Last October, when we were still living in Seattle, I took the girls to Disneyland for a few days at Halloween time.  M., who is obsessed with all things Halloween, hasn't stopped talking about it since.  It will be fun to get into the spirit a little early this year (not to mention to beat the crowds!)

I wanted something cute & festive (but also comfortable) for the girls to wear, so I decided to attempt 2 different craft projects I've been wanting to try for some time:  freezer paper stencils and tulle tutus.  The girls were very excited about their new "Hallorina" (halloween ballerina) outfits and happily modeled them for me!

They were very easy and the total cost for the whole project--shirts, leggings, & tutus--was less than $25.

Supplies Used:
(purchased)
-2 T-shirts, $3.99 each (Old Navy)
-2 pairs of leggings, $4 each (Old Navy)
-3 rolls of tulle (used 3 40% off coupons), $5.40 (Jo-Ann's)
-1 package 1/4" black elastic, $1.14 (Wal-Mart)

I also used black paint, freezer paper, & orange dye that I already had on hand.

Total cost: $22.52 ($11.26 per daughter)

Instructions:

For the shirt:

1. Tie-dye a white shirt with orange dye, (I used a kit I had leftover from a summer tie-dye project.), following instructions on kit.  Wash and dry shirt.
2. Trace your chosen design onto a piece of freezer paper (waxy on one side only!) I did a Google search for "mickey mouse bat" and found this design.
3. Using an Exacto knife and a self-healing cutting mat, cut out design.
4. Lightly iron freezer paper onto shirt.
5. Blot black paint onto shirt using stencil brush.  (I used black acrylic paint.)
6. Carefully peel back paper; let dry.

For the skirt:

1. Cut a piece of elastic to fit around your child's waist.
2. Place elastic around a large book or cutting board.
3. Cut 2 16" pieces of tulle from a 6" wide role.
4. Tie onto elastic.  Repeat, spacing knots 1-2" apart until skirt is complete.

Have a great weekend!