5 Reasons to Choose Homemade Halloween Costumes Over Store Bought

Did you trick-or-treat in a store bought or homemade Halloween costume as a child? Like most kids, mine were store bought.

In October 2008, after I made my daughters first homemade Halloween costume, I knew I would never buy another one off the rack. With Halloween 2009 around the corner, we are both excited about the kangaroo costume she wants me to make.

Here are my five reasons why you should break out the sewing machine this October:

You're not limited to what's on the rack. When my daughter insisted she wanted a cheetah costume, with a long tail, ears and paws, there were none to be found (or the material was too hot). The only choice was a homemade Halloween costume. I found one in the McCall's pattern book that was exactly what she had imagined.

Quality is my number one reason for choosing homemade Halloween costumes over store bought. My daughter's cheetah costume has been worn at least weekly since October 2008 and washed frequently. It's still looks like it did when it was made. When it does need to be fixed I'll be able to quickly repair it because I'm so familiar with its construction.

Lasting memories. We will never forget the Halloween when she was a cheetah. When she is an adult she'll have it to show to her kids. It'll also be something Grandma made. That's a basket full of memories in just one homemade Halloween costume.

A sense of pride. For the first few weeks the finished cheetah costume was worn daily. While I watched my daughter pretending to be a cheetah, I was so proud of my first homemade Halloween costume. She may not realize it now at five years old but someday when she looks back it will be aware of the love that went into making it.

You require different material. I did find some cheetah's on the rack but they were made out of fleece material. It's always a toss up what kind of weather will come with Halloween in northeastern Louisiana. To bet on fleece as a good choice would be a bad idea. For her homemade Halloween costume, I chose a lightweight cotton cheetah print. I could always add more layers underneath if we had to trick-or-treat in the cold.

Where to find Halloween costume patterns. Simplicity offers many different costume patterns. Creativity Made Simple might have just what you can't find in stores.

I won't tell you it's easy to make a homemade Halloween costume but I will tell you it's worth every moment you might spend ripping out sewing mistakes. The kangaroo costume my daughter wants this year is from the same pattern as her cheetah costume and I know it's more complicated.

But when she hugs me, smiles broadly and squeals, "thank you mommy", it will all have been worth it.