Search results (tags) for: "costumes"

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T18:25:00Z

Hey, if you're wearing a great handmade or vintage Halloween costume, post it to our Etsy in Action flickr group. You can check out the latest from the group pool right here in the Events section of the Etsy blog.

See more Halloween blog posts.

Steampunk Halloween Ideas, from Etsy & Instructables.com

2008-10-28T17:00:00Z

Etsy is partnering with Instructables.com for the DIY Halloween Costume Contest, and we've both noticed the Steampunk trend. Members of Instructables are offering up some mind-blowing costume ideas — feats of DIY engineering, really — and Etsy sellers are making some creative items that would suit these costumes and theme parties. Here are 5 picks for Halloween-related projects, along with some related items from Etsy. And hey, remember to enter the contest — entries due November 9th, 2008!

Steampunk chicken-walker mech by Bug

For the Star Wars fan/steampunk in all of us.

Some items you might need:

A white blouse by adarie

Vintage black boots from ZucchiniFlourVintage

Raygun — Steampunk Defense by aintMichael

If you like this project, you will definitely love buildersstudio's sweet raeguns. He makes them in both tiny pendant size and full prop size. There's quite an array of choices.

Haunted Ouija Board by askJacob

Spooky! TwinPondsFarm offers an original Spirit board in case you need one.

Low Cost Jacob's Ladder Made From A Salvaged Oil Transformer by bloomautomatic

Another marvelous, ingenious prop for a killer Halloween party. If you're not confident about your playing with electricity skills, you should check out sksullivan667's shop, offering lamps with that raw metal, gear-clad look, perfect for a mad scientist's laboratory.

Realistic Steampunk Airship Goggles by greensteam

There are some very cool Steampunk goggle options on Etsy too, such as these by NEVERWAS.

If you want to learn more about the fashion sense behind Steampunk, check out this slideshow on the New York Magazine site. It features photos from a recent fashion show organized by Etsian Kathy Malone aka fofolle. We blogged about the event here.

Steampunk & Twilight Gift Guide | Posts about Steampunk | Costume Contest Info

A Very Steampunk Halloween

2008-10-23T19:24:00Z

Steampunk style is hot this season. We've seen the Trend grow on Etsy, ever since we first noticed it. People gotta have their gears, brass, and leather, and Etsy artists, jewelers, designers are happy to oblige. (In fact, we just launched a Steampunk Gift Guide for all you fanatics!) If you dip into Alchemy, Etsy's site feature that enables buyers to request custom items, custom Steampunk Halloween costumes are all the rage. Indeed, Steampunks are a creative breed, yearning for a yesteryear overflowing with homespun engineers, tinkering up fantastical inventions.

Kathy Malone aka fofolle of the Brooklyn Indie Market will be hosting a Steampunk themed day on October 25th, 2008 here in Brooklyn, NY. She said the idea was sparked from seeing Steampunk items flourish on Etsy. The event, sponsored by Brooklyn Based and Bust, promises to be steamy (in that anachronistic way), with lots of handmade creativity. Fashion show, tarot card readings, music and cordials — sounds good to me!

Search for handmade "steampunk" items

See Storque posts by Kathy

Get Halloween costume ideas

Read all "Steampunk" Etsy blog posts

Give a shout-out in the comments if you love steampunk!

Featured Etsy Team: EtsyKids

2008-10-22T11:23:00Z

The EtsyKids Team is one of Etsy's largest Teams, with about 500 members! We are thrilled with their ability to stay organized, support each other and hold fun events and promotions. For instance, The EtsyKids Team is having a BOGO (Buy One Get One) sale, which will be Friday, October 24th and Saturday, October 25th, 2008. With over 175 EtsyKids shops participating, there's sure to be tons of great deals! For a list of all participating shops, see the EtsyKids blog. Each participating shop will have its own BOGO offer, so be sure to check individual shop announcements for the details. Check it out!

[EtsyKids with their kids, L to R: thecleverkitty, bfbeads, chalkydoodles]

With Halloween just a few days away, we thought we'd show you some of the great costumes and accessories the Team members have created.

Spooky the Sock Dog

doodlebugfinery has a great selection of handmade kid's products like sock dogs, felt food, blankets, bibs, burp cloths, onesies and tees! This sock dog would be a great gift for the little one this Halloween!

View item | View Shop | More kid's toys by the EtsyKids Team

Pirate Girl Tunic and Black Bloomers

RaeGun's Pirate costume is too cute! She also has a french fry costume! Her bloomers are so sweet.

View item | View Shop | More costumes by the EtsyKids Team

Sweet Owl Hat

pinkalligator's crochet hats (and models) are scrumptious! Check out the Pig, Brown Cow, and Elephant!

View item | View Shop | More cute hats by the EtsyKids Team

Pumpkin Pillowcase Dress

Check out this little pumpkin eating a banana by seworiginal! Jennifer, the artist behind this shop, wants to let you know how much she enjoys being a part of EtsyKids: "So many great original items that you would never find elsewhere! Also this group of artists are so inspirational to other artists and mommies and children as well. We are all so different..but we help each other and even collaborate on ideas."

View item | View Shop | More costumes by the EtsyKids Team

Baby Skeleton Costume

smallthreads skeleton baby costume is amazing! These appliquéd bones could turn the chubbiest tyke into a bony little skeleton.

View item | View Shop | More costumes by the EtsyKids Team

Kitty Cat Baby Costume

My favorite part about shopping the EtsyKids Team tag, is getting to see all these adorable munchkins. Look at this little number by mytreasuredheirlooms. What a fur ball!

View item | View Shop | More kid's costumes by the EtsyKids Team

Glow in the Dark Halloween Dress

This glow in the dark dress by sarahbearoriginals would make part of a great (and safe) witch costume. Quite a steal for only $22.99! Aimee (the artist behind this shop) loves being a part of this Team; "I had to take an early maternity leave and they were super sweet to let me hang on as a member until I was able to get back on my feet. I feel that the Team is there not just to support our businesses but also to support each other on a personal level. I'm just excited to be a part of this talented group!!!"

View item | View Shop | More kid's costumes by the EtsyKids Team

Felted High Top Baby Shoes

These awesome little booties were made by the leader of the EtsyKids Team, thecleverkitty. Shannon writes, "The glue that holds our team together is that our members all love to create things for children. Many of us have children (or grandchildren) of our own, so we love to share pictures, tell stories, and give and receive advice from one another."

View item | View Shop | More cute hats by the EtsyKids Team

Glow in the Dark Viking Hat

How smart is this? rsislandcrafts used glow in the dark yarn for the horns on this viking hat! Now you can easily keep an eye on your little viking while he or she goes door to door on Halloween night!

View item | View Shop | More cute hats by the EtsyKids Team

[EtsyKids' sewing away L to R: RaeGun, Odannysgirl and smallthreads]

Thanks, EtsyKids Team, for banning together to make our kids cuter! Want to learn more about the EtsyKids Team? Be sure to check out their blog or this Storque article! Want to see a full interview with this Team? Sign up for the Teams Mailing List here.

Open Studio Tour: Master Mask-maker CrimsonSpark

2008-10-17T12:29:00Z

In this Open Studio Tour series, we'll be snooping around artists' creative spaces, how they set them up, when, why…even how often they clean them! We really want to know all about our artists, and maybe get a bit of inspiration!

Today I knocked on the studio door of CrimsonSpark.

What's your name and what kind of craft do you do?
Hello, my name is Bertem Rene. I partake in the old world craft of leather mask making and create hand sculpted leather masks, suitable for many a gala or whatever suits your taste.

When did you decide that you needed a studio?
The minute I sat down and started making masks and noticed that time had flown by and I enjoyed every minute of it! So then I had to act on this euphoria so I could indulge when I wanted with no interruptions.

When and how have you set up your studio?
The studio was set up a little over a year ago, and I must say there's no definite way of how I have it set up; it's a mish-mash of everything entertaining in there.

How big is your studio?
My studio is an extra bedroom in my home so, I guess, it's standard room size, which is perfect for what I do.

Which is your favorite tool in your studio?
Hands down it has to be my horn hammer. It's my most favorite and least used tool I have. I made this tool myself, but I rarely use it for leather work, my hands do most of that duty. This is the classic leather mask making tool, but for me I mostly use the tip of it to scratch my head. But none the less, every mask maker has to have one just for general purpose.

Do you want to share with us one secret of your studio?
For some strange reason, if I'm working in my studio, the studio itself seems to distract me from what I'm doing and before I know it I'm playing the slot machines, or reading a book, or even shredding paper that doesn't even need to be shredded (don't we all just love to shred paper?). Maybe it's just me not having focus and I'm just blaming the room, but nonetheless, I think the studio made me do it.

How many hours do you normally spend in your studio?
I don't spend nearly enough time in there as I should, but on a good day I can burn about 10 hours, give or take a distraction or two.

Do you share your studio with someone or would you like to do so?
I currently do not share my studio with anyone, but my wife looks at it differently. For some reason I keep seeing things that weren't there the last time I was there, like a knick knack here and there. Slowly but surely she's taking up my space with nonessential mask making studio material, if there is such a thing? But to answer the second part of the question, I don't mind her company at all.

Is there anything you would add to your working space?
Hmmmmm. I'm thinking of a dorm fridge but that would be too easy on me, or would it??

If you had to choose one synonym for your studio which one would you pick: atelier, family room, lair, lodge, nest, playroom, retreat, sanctuary, shelter, darkroom, or showroom and why?
I would say playroom/retreat, just for the simple fact that I'm always goofing around in there playing with this and that. As for the retreat part, sometimes I use it just to get away from things and re-calibrate the re-calibrators in my head, and that's a good thing.

Oh yeah, and I make my masks in there too.

And last but not least, how often do you clean it?
I hardly clean it very much. Everything seems to fall into place; I mean, I do have to take the trash out, and that's only because I leave food items in there. My wife tells me to put a fairy door in there and they will clean it for me..........hmmmm, imagine that.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Remember people.......It's all about your persona. Thanks again for stopping by my studio!

Thank you, until next studio snooping, ciao!

If you have an interesting studio or workspace and some tips to share, comment below and you may be next in our Open Studio Tour series!

Costume Ideas

2008-10-14T15:02:00Z

Are you having a hard time figuring out what to be for Halloween? You could always go with Buttonhead's tattoo idea above! (Speaking of temporary tattoos, click here to see a selection.)

Check out these items from Etsy sellers. You can collaborate with a talented Etsy artist if you're not up for making your own costume this year.

RunzwithScissors reconstructs vinage slips and dresses, and she will do a custom costume for you.
This purple number is perfect for a ghoulish zombie prom queen! Or a Dirty Dancing zombie, for that matter. Heck, you can be pretty much any kind of zombie, as was pointed out in this post.

callidora made this beautiful shimmery, rust-colored fr ock as a custom order. The occasion? No, not a swanky dinner party or evening at the opera, but a Halloween party, my friends! Who was the masquerader supposed to be? Zuul aka the Gatekeeper — Sigourney Weaver's character in Ghostbusters. Ah, such a classic film.

Halloween is really just an excuse to buy this art dress by Toolgrrl from her "Dream Anatomy" series. This amazing dress truly is an exquisite piece of wearable art. Check out her Scapular dress, made from vintage slips.

Find out more about the Halloween Costume Contest with Instructables!

Etsy Finds: Un-Dead Can Dance

2008-10-14T09:00:00Z

Being a Halloween baby, All Hallows Eve has always been my favorite holiday. What a perfect opportunity to masquerade as the living dead: Why dress as a sexy nurse when you can be a zombie nurse?!

Going as a zombie "fill in the blank" is the easiest costume to transform into a new outfit for the rest of the year. I've been many variations of zombie: bride, ballerina, cowgirl, mod Martian, farm girl, biker chick, geisha, golfer, and on and on. All you need is a great theme outfit, white make-up, black eyeliner and fake blood! I make my own fake blood from honey and red food coloring. Darken those eyes, make a fake wound if you like, or just have the faux blood dripping from your nose and mouth, and voilà! You're the living dead. Trick or treat...

[Weirdwolf in previous zombie incarnations!]

[Weirdwolf's pal Lisa Corson as a zombie waitress]

[Mermaidclaire as Zombelie]

Lace Up Tutu Dress

For your zombie ballerina costume, a lovely delicate handmade tutu. By ouma, $198.

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Ballerina Bamboo Dress medium -free US shipping

This empire waist dress would make for a lovely zombie ballerina...or zombie wood nymph (see Michelle's Etsy Find for fairy ideas)! By Makool, $64.

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Flesh Necklace

Stitched and painted leather necklace which gives the appearance of repaired beheading. From mirrorsformooses, $20.

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VTG handmade gingham print ROCKABILLY dress

Red gingham makes for the perfect zombie cowgirl. From honeybeevintage, $48.

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Bullet Hole, Gunshot Effect Prosthetics

There needs to be way more gory handmade latex prosthetics on Etsy. By handpickednecklaces, $6.95.

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NOS 60's Vintage Space Age Silver Metallic Mod Mini Dress Pat Sandler

This mod Martian dress only needs antennae and a raygun to be ready for space travel. From AvantGarb, $150.

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purple veil Victorian style hat

This Victorian style hat will make for a great Sweeney Todd costume. By SistersOfTheMoon, $55.

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DEAD FLESH Mineral Eyeshadow by Coffin Color - makeup for your rock and roll lifestyle

Don't forget the perfect shade of "dead flesh" eyeshadow to complete your look! By coffincolor, $5.00.

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Vintage 70s White Textured Nurse Dress size Large

Everyone loves a sexy zombie nurse! Don't forget to take vital signs. From OurLadyoftheUnderpas, $25.

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Looking for more Halloween Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Halloween Gift Guide | Halloween Category | Vintage Halloween | Halloween Storque Posts

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Etsy Finds: Woodland Fairy

2008-10-08T09:20:00Z

The ethereal and gentle woodland fairy makes a beautiful Halloween costume. Start with a drapey brown dress and natural accessories you'll want to wear again and again, and add a bit of fantasy with a floral crown or fairy wings.

Evergreen Fur Crown Garland Headpiece

A gorgeous satyr crown. I could see this looking lovely on a nymph or fairy, too. By SEStudio, $68.

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Leaves of Change Capelet

Stay warm in the autumn air with a capelet in woodland tones. By NandaHandcrafted, $36.

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Solitary Acorn earrings

Cute! Acorns are the new-new, by the way. Of course, you'll wear these every day... By BlackStar, $15.

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Baroque SHAWL green-orange

A shawl with enough drama to be wrapped around your fairy garb, but will keep you warm and lovely until next spring. By laslopezlas, $96.

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Woodland Fae- Costume Horn Hair Barrettes

Now this one is probably for October 31st only, unless you are one of those strange and beautiful people who do things like wear faerie horns just because they feel like it. If so, I salute you! By ViolentBelle, $8.

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New Chameleon Wrap Dress- Dark Brown

A brown, drapey, goddess dress is perfect for the woodland fairy look. By isadoraclothing, $145.

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eve

Natural loveliness. If you hold your arm out ever-so-gracefully and whistle while wearing this crown, birds will land on your shoulder and deer will come nuzzle at your side. Try it, it works! By whichgoose, $35.

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Eco Friendly Furry Fairy Hood in Tan and Indigo Number 281

I swear by these hats — warm, fuzzy, oh-so-cute, and goes with everything! Perfect to top off your fairy look. I had one that I wore everyday, until cruel fate stole it from me (er, I lost it). Sorry to use Etsy Finds as lost and found, but if anyone finds my hat, I miss it very much, please give it back! By fairytalefibers, $49.

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Autumn Necklace

A little drop of jewelry with natural motifs like leaves finishes off the look! By laurrose, $36.

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Looking for more Halloween Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Halloween Gift Guide | Halloween Category | Vintage Halloween

If you liked this Etsy Find, you might like this Storque post: Observe the Autumn Equinox.

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

DIY Halloween Contest '08

2008-10-07T17:43:00Z

Whether you're a costume creator, spooky chef, decorating diva or gadget whiz... Halloween lovers: it's time to show off your skills!

Instructables has teamed up with Etsy, PopSci, MAKE, Craft, Core77, Threadbanger, IndyMogul, Hack n Mod, Toolmonger, Lion Brand Yarn, Plaid, Quirk Books, Singer, American Science & Surplus, Think Geek, and Ponoko to bring you a contest worthy of your creations! See complete details here.

There are lots of contest categories to choose from and lots of ways to enter!
- Post your Instructables, photo slideshows, or videos on Instructables.
- Enter individual photos and videos through the diyhalloween08 flickr group and YouTube group.
- List your finished contest entries on Etsy. Tag your item with "HalloweenCon08" for possible inclusion in the featured Halloween Gift Guide. Don't have an Etsy shop? Sign up for one here.

Key Contest Dates:
CONTEST STARTS: Nov 5, 2007 (Yes, that's 2007; anyone that entered projects to Instructables after last Halloween is eligible.)
ENTRY DEADLINE: Nov 9, 2008
VOTING STARTS: Nov 10, 2008
VOTING ENDS: Nov 16, 2008
JUDGING STARTS: Nov 17, 2008
JUDGING ENDS: Nov 24, 2008

Prizes:
Many prizes! Everything from craft supplies, cool tools and books to shopping sprees and more. So many prizes! More info will be posted here.

Instant treat:
Contest partner Quirk Books is offering a 25% discount for Storque readers! Just type "ETSY" at checkout when asked for a discount code.

For more Halloween fun, check out these Halloween posts on the Storque.

You should also take a look at the Halloween Gift Guide for decorating ideas, costumes and all sorts of Halloween-themed items.

Halloween Treats: Costume Ideas for Kids

2008-09-30T13:36:00Z

Cuteness! Little children can so easily be transformed into a pumpkin, a monster, a witch — a piece of sushi! (Such as this one by tiachia, $45.) They're so cute, you could eat these babies right up. As Etsy admin mermaidclaire said, "Pass the wasabi!" You may be interested to know that tiachia's baby shrimp won 2nd place in last year's Costume Contest.

Many Etsy sellers make custom Halloween costumes: Check out the Alchemy section of Etsy or click "Request Custom Item" when you're on a seller's shop page.

What is your little one dressing up as for Halloween? Post in the comments below!

Halloween Gift Guide | Baby Gift Guide | Holidays: Halloween Subcategory | Autumnal Showcase

Etsy Finds Vintage: Getting Jackie O's Look

2008-09-26T09:08:00Z

Jackie O: What an icon! Whether you're a fashionista who loves 1960s style or simply looking to get political with your costume this Halloween, today's Get the Look (Vintage edition!) is devoted to the style maven of the Camelot era, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Jackie had many signature looks throughout her life, all of them fashion-forward and iconic. For the sake of today's Find, we're focusing on her period in the White House. This First Lady had it goin' on!

Vintage 50s TEAL Wool Twill Pillbox Hat w/ Hatpin

Jackie's look was always topped by a pillbox hat. So chic. From RetroWear, $28.99.

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SALE Cerulean Blue Vintage Mod 2 Piece Skirt Suit Set

This skirt suit is pure White House. From shopgoodgrace, $58.

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Pearly Pin Grouping

A tasteful brooch for your suit lapel is essential. From sugarbeans, $10.50.

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Stranded - Plain Vanilla - Fabulous Vintage Four Strand Plastic Bead Necklace

Jackie was known for her casual cool strand of pearls. Everyone can benefit from a little elegance! From OldWaysforTheseDays, $14.

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Pointed Stiletto Heels Size 10 AAA

These suede stilettos are amazing. From daisytoad, $27.

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Audrey Hepburn

A lady always wears gloves. From whichgoose, $15.

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60's Eyelet Leather Clutch by Theodor of California

A clutch adds a formal element to any outfit. Jackie would approve! From VerseauVintage, $17.

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VINTAGE MOD light blue MINI shift dress S/M

When all of her social duties were completed, Jackie would change into her trusty shift dress. Keep the summer alive with this baby blue mini. From DuchessVintage, $60.

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1960s Vibrant Yellow Shift Dress and Jackie O Jacket Medium

This bright dress and jacket combo gives the best of both worlds: casual and formal, simultaneously! From enigmavintage, $58.

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Looking for more vintage Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Vintage Category | Vintage Showcase | Vintage Gift Guide

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

Etsy Finds: Perfectly Purple Fairy Dress

2008-09-21T09:00:00Z

Playing dress up? Looking for the perfect Halloween costume? If you have a little girl in your life that loves all things pink, frilly, and princess-like, the Perfectly Purple Fairy Dress by Frogprincesscouture might be just the thing for your little princess. Don't forget the hairpiece and a wand for the full look!

On the practical side, this adorable dress is made with soft tulle and an elastic waistband, and works as a skirt as your little girl gets bigger.

For other Halloween ideas, check out our Halloween Gift Guide.

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox daily!

Etsy Finds: Pet Costumes

2008-09-15T08:22:00Z

Ah, the time-honored practice of dressing the family pet in an embarrassing and oft-ridiculous outfit! Those of you who are lucky enough to share your household with an animal friend know that this is truly the best thing about Halloween. (Unless you are me and have a Baby's First Halloween on the horizon*. Hello, tiny beer can.) I went searching around Etsy this weekend for the top nine costumes that are guaranteed to win admiring looks from other pet owners and cause your lil princess to hide under the sofa all night in sheer mortification. Enjoy!

Dragon Costume

This one has pretty much everything you could want in a pet costume: it's unique, it costumes your pet as a big scary monster that he is definitely not, and has an opening at the tail end. By nomorenekkiddogs, $20.

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Pedro Cowboy Vest and Bandana

This is so, so cute. You can complete the look with a doggie cowboy hat, also from Etsy. By daleydoolittle, $15.

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Wee Wittle Jack OLantern sweater - 2 to 20 lb dogs

Pumpkins = classic. By DianaDesignsNY, $18.99.

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Dog Hoodie with Zipper with your choice of Crystal Designs

This really falls under the category of "everyday wear" — if that category exists in canine fashion. Your pooch could totally pull off [insert name of Juicy-Couture-wearing celeb you'd like to make fun of here] as their costume in this. By miascloset, $22.

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Custom Made Frankenstein Dog Costume for Halloween

No words. Okay, one word: hilarious. By sewsweetfinery, $15.

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Halloween Witch Hat Pets Puppy or Kitty Sz. Small

Aw! Add an orange ribbon and this puppy is ready for Halloween. By SparkleberryCrafts, $14.

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The Green Polka-Dot Tie

Add a doggie sweater and this guy is business casual. I mean, look how fresh this kitty looks rocking the same vibe. By dogties, $8.

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SAVE 20 PERCENT...........Pink Rhinestone Frilly Scarfette

The first step towards a really good "sad clown" costume. By thevintagedog, $6.40.

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Custom order Tutu for Dog or cat

Cats are usually not so stoked to wear clothing of any form, and a black cat like this lil guy is a Halloween icon as is. However, putting your cat in a tutu still seems like a great idea, and I can't wait to see how adorable/miserable my two look in these. By jiniaj, $15.

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Looking for more animal Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Pet Category | Pet Lovers Gift Guide | Items tagged "pet costume"

Need a daily fix of Etsy Finds? Sign up for the Etsy Finds e-mail! Conveniently delivered to your inbox!

* Send your hilarious baby costume ideas to anda@etsy.com, the more funny and inappropriate the better. Thanks!

Halloween Treats: Goth Costume Ideas for Everyday

2008-09-11T19:14:00Z

It's just barely September, but I wake in the middle of the night, having sleep-walked to my closet, daintily fondling my black lace gloves by the light of a drippy candle. How did this kohl find its way round my eyes? From whence are these faux cobwebs in my hair?

All I can do is put Sisters of Mercy on the stereo, gurgle some warm milk (with fake blood), and put myself back to sleep with visions of skeletons jumping over tombstones.

Below are some delightful Neo-Victorian and gothic lolita trappings for the spooky ones amongst us. Maybe it's that time of year for some, while you bold ones make it an everyday look. C'mon, who is excited for Halloween???

Halloween Gift Guide | Etsy Items Tagged "Halloween" | More Storque Halloween Posts

Etsy Finds: Amazing Masks

2008-09-08T08:37:00Z

Halloween may be more than a month away, but you need time to shop for your costume on Etsy — or perhaps request the perfect custom-made item with Alchemy! Don't panic just yet; Etsy has created a special Gift Guide for all the handmade and vintage Halloween goods you need to DIY the best costume on the block. To give you a little inspiration, we've found nine amazing masks on Etsy for today's dose of Finds.

Leather Mask...Sparkle Glitter Owl...or Fox...

Halloween means scary. And maybe you make adorable owl onesies by day and have a houseful of big-eyed ceramic sculptures, but for All Saints' Night you need this mask. By teonova, $48.

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Loch Ness Monster - Nessie - Halloween Mask

None of your friends are going to dress up as the Loch Ness Monster this year. We promise. But even if they did, no one can definitively say for sure what Nessie really looks like. So this blue and purple mask should guarantee uniqueness. By sashafiero, $5.

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A Kind Of Pale Jewel

This is so gorgeous. Can we get away with wearing this any old day? By TotusMel, $73.

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Small Unicorn leather mask

Everyone loves a good unicorn costume. The unicorns are basically the funnest people at the party and you should join their elite, party-loving ranks. By TomBanwell, $39.

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Lion Mask

At this point, we are having a hard time not writing "Holy moly! This mask is so great! I want to wear it all time like a 5-year-old with a favorite Batman cape! Can I go to work in this thing?!" for every single mask today. By OtherThings, $18.

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Black and Tan Paper Mache Wolf Mask

Completely incredible, and almost too nice for Halloween. This is for the serious theatre crowd and people who think dressing up on Halloween is only for amateurs. By sanssoucistudios, $325.

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Old Man River

What's that? The only thing your costume needs is a purple felt fake beard? By bornlippy, $14.25.

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Reptile

These are all rather terrifying. Didn't we just say Halloween was all about the scary? Pretty much any of the handpainted masks at secondskinmasks will do nicely. $60.

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Arlecchino Commedia Mask - Custom Made

Another elaborate and beautiful mask that probably deserves a place on your wall or on a stage, not perched on your candy-eating gourd and lost behind a couch at the end of the night. By alyssaravenwood, $170.

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Looking for more Halloween and costume Finds? Try these Etsy links:

Items tagged "Halloween costume" | Halloween Gift Guide

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Handmade Weddings: St. Patty's Day & Other Themes

2008-03-17T14:54:00Z

Themed weddings are amazingly entertaining, and we thought they deserved a nod from the Handmade Wedding Series. What's more "handmade" than DIY zombie bride costumes?!

Or how about a steampunk or neo-Victorian wedding? Here's a pretty awesome custom bustled dress by Countessa.

Ah, so many more options when you get past that whole "white wedding" thing. Any St. Patrick Day nuptials taking place out there, fully kelly green?

Some themes go along with settings (nautical or beachside wedding with a seashell cake), but some couples decidedly veer off into the realm of fantasy, such as this Legend of Zelda wedding or this Stars Wars themed wedding (check out the whole "shenanigans and other trifles" set).

Comment below with your stories of creative theme weddings you've attended or planned!

Wedding Gift Guide | Wedding Category | Wedding Showcase | Handmade Wedding Series

Idiotarod: More to a Shopping Cart than Meets the Eye

2008-02-15T11:13:00Z

How often do you see five guys streaming through wintery streets dressed in homemade...Q-tip costumes? Well, in New York, it's about once every winter. The following is a photo essay about the Idiotarod, New York's answer to the call of absurd and frigid sports challenges.

The Iditarod is the famous long-distance race in which yelping dogs tow a sled across Alaska. The Idiotarod is pretty much the same thing, except that instead of dogs, it's people, instead of sleds, it's shopping carts, and instead of Alaska, in my case it's New York City. To enjoy the madness you need only a shopping cart, five friends and a creative flair to trick out your cart based on a theme.

[Ear & Q-tip Team by Kelly Kwedar]

However, participants had to go through much more to finish the race.

[start of the race, photo by Mary Ann Wall]

This year on January 26th, caution and sobriety were thrown to the wind as brave New Yorkers and world travelers demonstrated their athletic prowess in the pursuit of life-long glory.

["Refs" at the start of the race, photo by Mary Ann Wall]

This 6-hour battle of man vs shopping card vs. pavement vs. each other, culminated in music and a panda-mediated love fest in Red Hook.

To win the race, each team must navigate through various boroughs to secret checkpoints, avoid sabotage by other teams and make it through feats of strength demanded by the race organizers along the way. This year's race was a success — over 125 teams, many using their craft skills to make themed carts that were built with materials such as found objects, particleboard, and the occasional sound system. Some teams started working on their carts months in advance, pouring heart, soul, and sometimes an entire savings account into elaborate designs. Katie Jones of team Mobile Mommas stated, "Your cart is an extension of yourself, in our case, we all dug deep down into our inner trailer-trash selves."

Not only must each team complete the race, but they must do so with their carts intact, thus requiring some inventive solutions to fortify potentially flimsy designs.

[Run to the Checkpoint - photo by Tod Seelie of suckapants.com]

Careening across the Brooklyn Bridge at 10 MPH definitely separates the wheat from the chaff as far as made-to-last carts are concerned. The racers had to find and then complete 3 checkpoints while pushing their carts through the streets of the city.

[cruising at the Finish Line - photo by randy isley]

Another Mobile Momma, Brooke Pennypacker stated, "It's a chance for grown adults to define victory not by getting a degree, but in finding the perfect sabotage and making irresistible bribes that will put you one step ahead of the rest. It really is a thing of true genius."

[Finish Line Fun - Teams break into a dodgeball game and fun - photo by randy isley]

[The organizers collected all the carts from the Red Hook finish line and recycled them at a local salvage yard - photo by Dino A. Dai Zovi]

[Finding better Karma through the Idiotarod - photo by Michael Short]

The original Idiotarod started in San Francisco, and other cities, including Washington DC and Chicago, have also held races. Post in the comments below and tell us about your town's crazy winter athletic antics! Have you ever participated in a race like this? A polar bear swim, perchance?

Further Resources:
See the NYC's Carts of Brooklyn Idiotarod website for more info and great pictures.
Videos too!

More photos on flickr.
More info on Wikipedia.

Mardi Gras Costumes from the Locals

2008-02-04T15:01:00Z

When Etsy admin ErinHaldrup went to New Orleans last year, we had the pleasure of taking a peak at gurlygirl's jeweler's bench, as part of Erin's series on New Orleans-based sellers, post-Katrina. This year, we decided to touch base with gurlygirl again, this time to revel in some of the amazing Mardi Gras costumes she's seen while living down there. It's pretty grey and well, while we are pretty interesting dressers here at the Etsy Labs, the ensembles below are guaranteed to blow your mind. Are any of you readers making a costume? Post in the comments below!

It's Carnival Season again in New Orleans! Grand ballroom celebrations, parades with floats, and lots of parties! Mardi Gras is technically only one day, but Carnival Season begins much earlier. The revelry heats up about 2 weeks before Mardi Gras day (which falls the day before "Ash Wednesday," a Christian holiday; this year it's February 5th).

Maybe you've heard a little bit about it? Bourbon Street, people with beads, "Girls Gone without T-shirts"? That's not the real fun.

Although, this little Dandy is my lovely sister Ann Marie (superduper.etsy.com), who is a local whose quite bold and well placed suspenders miraculously remained in place!

Simplicity was the name of this costume. The fake bananas, in this Josephine Baker tribute costume, were made of hand cut and painted foam.

Found objects created this mountain of a bizarre idea. This costume had a very tactile quality and just asked to be touched.

Locals have celebrations all during Carnival season and these aren't just your garden variety beer keg blow out...They span from elegant formal balls to the frivolous costume parties.

Families join in the fun on Mardi Gras day. This group costume was mesmerizing.

Sometimes these costume parties are themed "Come as your favorite cocktail" or "Pirates" or "Love" or "Voo Doo."

These guys are dressed as traditional Voo doo dolls in the St. Ann's parade Mardi Gras morning.

The creativity to fulfill the theme (or get close to it, or even ignore it entirely) is astounding. People build a new costume for most of these events but they bring out their finest creations on Mardi Gras day. Sometimes the ideas are simple, other times they are complex plans that took weeks or months to construct.

Talk about RECYCLING! This spectacular creation was composed of drinking straws.

I love the ingenuity people have. I spend most of my day on Mardi Gras gasping in wonder and giggling like a school girl at what someone will build for just one day's outing.

During the time leading up to Mardi Gras you will hear conversations about people's inventions: "My costume is gonna be..." "or "I'm not telling anybody what it is!" or " I haven't started my costume yet!" can be overheard in a grocery check out lane.

Everyday objects turned into artful costumes.

Pan himself made an appearance at Carnival!

When the day finally arrives, it's an explosion of color and glitter and everywhere you look there's another reason to Ooo and ah over somebody's interesting take on a costume.

See Etsy admin ErinHaldrup's posts from last year's celebrations in New Orleans. Here's a post with a photo of gurlygirl dressed up and ready for Versailles. Erin also bumped into gurlygirl at a party and then made plans to visit her jewelry studio (see video in this post)!

Are you dressing up for Mardi Gras? Have links to photos of your costumes to share? International folks, how does your country celebrate "Fat Tuesday"? Comment below!