Wacky Wednesday #34: Candy Cane

Have we met? My name is Ms. Candy Cane. My name and my costume match. Would you like to know how my outfit came to be? A few months back I decided that my December costumes would be wintery/Christmasy. I realize that not everyone celebrates Christmas, but I hope that the festive feel of my costumes will appeal to one and all (or most). My preparations for this week’s costume started at the thrift store, where I scored a red and white striped shirt. Next stop: fabric store, where I bought half a yard of striped fabric for my skirt.

First curve ball: at home, a young artist cut a sizeable piece out of my half yard of fabric. She had a great art idea, and who am I to stop a creative snowball as it grows in size and momentum?

I could have insisted on having the piece back but instead, I assured myself that I could still use the remaining fabric and it all would work out. Even if I had to make the skirt a little different from how I’d envisioned it, all would be okay. Lots of times I piece together something from several different fabrics and often times it turns out more interesting than if I’d had a larger amount of just one fabric.

Second curve ball: I discovered that another creative youngster who lives here in our artists’ colony drew on my skirt fabric. Solution? A well-placed pocket covering the drawing.

(Both little artists here at home are very talented, and I often frame their art rather than covering it in pockets. But sometimes I like to stick to one theme, in this case candy canes, rather than mix and match candy canes with hieroglyphics. Although that could be a fun twist.)

I’m sharing these two curve ball stories because I want to encourage others to find a way to keep going with a project even if something unexpected has popped up along the way. See if you can find a way to work with the unexpected rather than become derailed by it. Of course, I’m not sure if I should dispense advice on this matter as I have many, many unfinished projects here. I’m human. Very.

Back to Ms. Candy Cane and her stripes-on-stripes costume. Running with a theme like candy canes is so much fun. Candy canes need no translation. They are recognizable to people of many different walks of life, diverse backgrounds and various ages. I love the idea of a costume that most people would recognize and enjoy. Because candy canes are available only this time of year, they instantly set a Christmasy tone. Their look hasn’t changed throughout the years, so they are a familiar symbol whether you’re celebrating your first Christmas or your 100^th Christmas.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think my hat’s shadow is really fun. My shadow looked like a walking, talking weather vane.

Sometimes I share what I spent to bring a costume to life. I always try to get a lot of bang for my buck and to create something memorable without breaking the bank.

 

Shirt (thrifted)                                                          $2

Fabric for skirt                                                          $3

Zipper (on sale)                                                        $1

Felt, red and white                                                  $2

Candy cane ornaments on hat                              $1

Beads for necklace (gift from neighbor)              $0

Buttons for necklace (already had)                      $0

           _____________________________________

Total spent                                                                $9

Thanks for tuning in, folks. See you next week with more seasonal costumes!

 

 

 

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