Last-minute ideas for Disney Halloween celebrations

It’s less than a week until Halloween! If you’re like me and you’re wondering where the month of October went, don’t worry! We have some last-minute, time-saving ideas from Disney to get you and your family ready for the big night.

Costumes

Who said costumes have to be elaborate or store-bought? Disney Family shows readers how to make a Stitch costume in no time:

“Put on some Elvis records and get down to crafting to create a Stitch costume headband that is truly out of this world. (Directions and template can be found here.) Complete the look with all blue everything, a lei, and, if you’re feeling wild (as Stitch so often is), some blinged-out sunglasses.”

Prep time: 25 minutes

Star Wars costumes are especially popular this year because of the new movie, The Force Awakens, coming out in December. If you didn’t pick one up in time, here are two easy ideas for creating Jedi knight costumes for boys and girls. Disney Family offers at-home printable templates to make a quick and inexpensive Star Wars lightsaber.

Prep time: 20 minutes

When my children were little and they wanted to dress up for Star War Weekends at Hollywood Studios, I came up with a no-sew option. I purchased one cut of fleece — white for my daughter and brown for my son — that was double each child’s height. Then, I folded it in half and cut an opening in the top for the child’s head. Once on the child, I secured the fleece with funky ribbon or cording to tie around the waist. On my daughter, we styled Princess Leia buns.

Another easy alternative if you can’t find a pre-packaged Star Wars costume but don’t mind spending some money is to purchase a lightsaber toy and a solid brown or white bathrobe for the padawan costume.

Pumpkin-carving tips

Lon Smart, a creative concept artist for Disney Parks, is responsible for many of the themed jack-o’-lanterns guests see on Main Street, U.S.A., during the Halloween season. He recently spoke with Jennifer Finkley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog and offered these tips for carving pumpkins at home:

** Draw the face with a dry erase marker. It’s easy to wipe off if you make mistakes!
** Parents should use real kitchen knives rather than the kits sold in stores because they are sturdier.
** Instead of sawing with the knife, “chug” it across for more control. Make sure you position the knife away from your body for safety.
** Undercut your shapes of your design because it’s easier to take away than to add.
** Don’t use real candles to light your pumpkin. Tea lights, glow sticks and even flashing bicycle lights are safer alternatives.

See Lon’s video and find templates of pumpkin faces featured at the Magic Kingdom here.

Disney Family also offers print-at-home templates of beloved Disney characters for pumpkin carving here.

Haunting music

Finally, want to set the mood for trick-or-treaters or a Halloween party? Oh My Disney has created the ultimate Disney Halloween playlist on Spotify that is available for you to save to your library. It includes playful tunes, spooky villain songs and everything in between:

“They Don’t Scare Me” by Mickey Mouse
“This Is Halloween” by The Citizens of Halloween
“Jack’s Lament” by The All-American Rejects
“Grim Grinning Ghosts” by Ghosts
“Oogie Boogie’s Song” by Ken Page and Ed Ivory
“Monster Mash” by Goofy
“Poor Unfortunate Souls” by Pat Carroll
“I Put a Spell on You” by Freak on a Leash
“999 Happy Haunts” by The Happy Haunts
“You’re Only Second Rate” by Jonathan Freeman
“Friends on the Other Side” by Keith David
“I want to Scare Myself” by Tigger
“Be Prepared” by Jeremy Irons, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, Jim Cummings

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