Is it normal to make your own hallowe'en costume?

I don't know if I've told this story on IIN but it serves as a cautionary tale for those making their own costumes. Aged about seven or eight, my mum made me an octopus costume for a school fancy dress thing. It was a huge green tube with eyeholes cut in it and green foam rubber tentacles hanging off the bottom. I looked like one of the ghosts from Pacman.

It looked okay but it came with three downsides. There were no armholes, so my arms were rigid by my side, it was very difficult to hear anything inside it, and the eyeholes were about a foot apart (and my eyes aren't a foot apart).

There was a podium set up at the front of the playground with a steep ramp leading up to it. When they announced the prizes, I thought I'd heard "octopus", although it was difficult to hear anything inside that thing. I looked around through one of the eyeholes and couldn't see anyone approaching the podium so I started making my way through the crowd. When I got to the top of the ramp, the real prizewinner was already there and everybody was laughing at the idiot octopus who was inexplicably climbing up to the podium. I tried to beat a hasty retreat but lost my footing on the ramp. Having no arms free to steady myself, and being in what was effectively a cylinder, gravity took hold and I started rolling down the ramp, before barrelling into a small group and knocking them over. The laughter became hysteria. Even worse when I found I couldn't stand up (again, no arms). I finally managed it after about ten minutes of concerted efforts and repeated falling over and, my humiliation complete, I ran off home.

Next day at school, everyone was talking about it but nobody knew who was in the octopus (they couldn't hear my voice from inside it). So I did what anyone would do. I spread the rumour that it was my best friend (who was off sick that day) who'd been inside it. To this day, nobody knows it was me.

This year my mom is making my sisters costume. She's being "Thing 2" from cat and the hat. Using a one piece pajama, white felt as the circle in the center with black writing in the middle and some funked out blue hair it all works out. Good Luck with your costume. Happy Halloween everyone!!

Throw a bed sheet over your head and cut 2 holes for your eyes :P

I won a Halloween costume contest one time at my elementary school. My mom made me into a scarecrow, suspenders and everything. She stuffed hay into my sleeves and a few other nice touches. I was the talk of the school :)

I think a woodland fairy would be super cute. Get some earth tone toulle to make a tattered outfit and some raffia and fall leaves to put in your hair

Store bought costumes are for tools and squares anyway! :)

I don't understand the mentality of about 90% of the users posting their stories here. Have you REALLY never heard of people making their own costumes? Did you think someone was gonna say "You're a sick freak, get help you fucking lunatic, no one makes their own costumes"?

Yep normal, I put together my costume. The only thing I bought was the wig. Lol @ Dappled's story, and the first comment with the carrot and parrot costumes. :) I'm a Snooki this year, so maybe next year I'll be a cookie. ;)

I just cried laughing at dappleds story. I think I drooled a little. As for your costume idea, I can't think of anything but octopus at the moment. Sorry

My mom was always brilliant at making costumes. Once I went as a parrot, but I can't remember how the costume was made and another time I went as a carrot. Very effective but simple to make. Just an orange tube gown with shoulder pads, orange face-paint (don't forget the hands) and the hair was taken up on top of the head and coloured with green hair-spray.