Given the red and green festivities of this time of year, I made an elf costume. This how-to is no-sew. Not a single needle was used in the making of this ensemble.

Here’s what you need:
Turtleneck in green, red, or holiday pattern
Over large T-Shirt in a contrasting color
3 or 4 pieces of felt each in red and green
Festive ribbon or bric-a-brac
Pompoms
Colored or sparkly tights
Scissors
Fabric glue or hot glue
Paper and pen

Start by creating a fringe on the bottom edge of your t-shirt. I made a small triangle pattern from construction paper and traced it onto the inside of my shirt. I didn’t want any ink on the right side. Next I traced the pattern onto the sleeve edges. To finish the edges, simply cut out your pattern.

Next I cut out some of the width of the shirt. Since this is no sew, I glued the seam. It worked just fine. Then I cut up the middle of the front, but you don’t have to do this. You can make a 6-7 inch cut from the bottom. It’s to give the illusion of a jacket. Glue your ribbon down the center of the shirt. To accentuate the open jacket, make sure to attach the ribbon along the cut. Give it the elf whimsy by adding pompoms.

Trace a pointy elf shoe on the red square of felt. You may need two joined together to be long enough for your foot. My foot barely fit on one square. Trace the same pattern on the green felt. Cut out the shoe. Glue the pointy toe bit and sole together. Leave the ankle top open. It’s also good to leave the ankles open about an inch or two down so you can easily slip into the shoes. Add a little trim or pompoms if you’d like.

Last step is the hat. You have a couple options here. I went with a basic three point hat. All it takes is a cut from one side of a square of felt to the center of the same square of felt. Slide the edges over each other to create a little pointy hat. Or you can cut out large triangles from your squares of felt. Stick the pieces together to form a conical shape.

Voila! Once again all you need is some trim and pompoms.

Put it all together. Pull on your tights, turtleneck, shirt, and shoes. Have some fun with the makeup if you’d like. When I was a kid my mom would paint red circles on my cheeks. Grab your hat and you’re an elf.

Here’s the gallery of the finished elf costume.

Now go out and spread some holiday cheer.

Pushing Daisies is the most beautiful show on television. High Definition was made just for this show. It’s visually stunning. Each week I look forward to seeing what costume designer Robert Blackman has made for us. It’s not just Mr. Blackman, the entire creative team is outstanding: art director Kenneth J. Creber, set decorator Halina Siwolop, and head makeup artist Todd McIntosh. Bryan Fuller put together the best crew a show could have.

Unfortunately for the viewing public Pushing Daisies is not renewed for the third season. It suffered a downward turn in ratings during election season. The good news is the first season is available on DVD. I encourage all of you to watch this show while you still can. Not only is it entertaining, but you’ll see great ideas for costumes in every episode.

Here’s a small gallery of some of the great costumes from Pushing Daisies.

Every now and then we learn a great truth from the Simpsons. One such kernel is in The Fat and the Furriest: the suit closet. Homer has worn a lot of strange suits and costumes over the years. Marge thoughtfully stores his crazy outfits in special closet. There’s the zoot suit, astronaut outfit, southern belle, renaissance dandy, country western octopus, and the bear suit.

It is my opinion that we all need a suit or costume closet. I keep most of my costumes in the office closet. They’re organized by style and era. For instance, all of my 60s costumes are grouped together.

Your costumes should be properly stored when you’re not wearing them. It’s a good idea to have costumes dry cleaned before you store them. Hang them neatly in a closet. Reuse dry cleaner bags to keep the dust off them. However, extra closet space is not always available. Store your outfits in under-bed boxes or a trunk. List the costumes on the outside of the box so they’re easy to find.

Have fun organizing your gear.

Project Rooftop announced the winners of their 2008 Fights, Flights, & Tights contest. The winner is the cutest Robin I’ve ever seen. Lucky for Batman she’s around to take care of the bad guys.

The runners-up were Joker Hefner and a playful Harley Quinn. I like when people have fun with the characters. The Joker even has a more formal suit for the big showdown with Robin and Batman. Head on over to the Project Rooftop site and check out the notable entries. DC characters ruled the list this year. Does that mean their designs are bad or are they just popular characters? Hrm. There’s another Robin and Harley Quinn, as well as a Riddler. Supergirl and a female Blue Beetle round out the honorable mentions. Very cool.

One of the more impressive entries is the Steampunk Justice League group. They’ve made over Superman, Powergirl, Green Arrow, Catwoman, and even the Joker. Check out their flickr page to see all the creative costuming.

New Year’s? It’s only December 8th, you say. True, but you’ll need the rest of the month to mail invitations and make costumes. Begin planning your New Year’s Costume Party today. New Year’s Eve is the perfect stage for costume parties. Plan for general costume frivolity or think of a theme for your extravaganza. Hit the costume shops and thrift stores to find your fun outfits. Here are a few ideas to get your brainstorming session started.

Favorite Decade: Flappers from the 20s, Bobby Soxers from the 50s, and Disco Dancers from the 70s.

Space Invaders (Fictional or Real): Star Trek, Old-school Buck Rogers or Flash Gordon, Firefly, Aliens, and NASA.

Future Life: Plastic Dress, Aluminum Jacket, Spacesuits, and Purple Jumpsuits.

Great Lovers: Cleopatra and Antony, Romeo and Juliet, Porky and Petunia Pig, Chocolate and Peanut Butter.

Gods and Goddesses: Greek Zeus, Roman Apollo, Nordic Freya, and Egyptian Osiris and Isis.

Pick invitations with a clock or hour glass on them to let your guests know there is a theme for the evening. For a Time Travel party, put an era or decade on each invitation so no two invites are the same. Give the Smiths the Renaissance, the Joneses the Roman Expansion, the Browns the Old West, and the Williams the year 2525. The costumes can be as general as a Roman citizen or as specific as Caesar. One of the first party games can be guessing everyone’s costumes. Throughout the evening play games like identify the quote or charades about time movies.

The menu on New Year’s should be light and varied. Finger foods and hors’dourve are best for mingling. If a plated dinner is more your style, serve no more than three courses. Pick two special cocktails that match your theme, like a Sidecar or Mead. Set aside Champagne or Sparkling Cider for the midnight countdown and toast. Make sure you have at least one noise maker for each guest. If your city ordinances allow it, plan a small firework display to wow your friends and neighbors.

New Year’s isn’t just for the grownups. A children’s party can be a lot of fun. Fill a trunk or box with play clothes. As the children arrive, let them select one costume from the trunk to wear during the party. If cost is a prohibitive, set up a craft table to allow the children to make their own era accessories. They can make cardboard knight’s shields and newspaper hats. Perhaps have supplies to create noise makers: rice maracas and milk jug cymbals. Lead them through the neighborhood in a New Year’s parade. Add some whimsy with sparklers.

Please party smart by limiting alcohol, taking car keys, or calling taxis for your guests. I hope you New Year’s celebration is fun and fantastic.

Costumes pictured from Costume Craze: Robin Hood, Lady in Waiting, Jitterbug Girl, Disco Fever, Gangster.