Subscriber Bonus: A Handwoven Halloween

When we think of weaving for the holidays, often people imagine table runners for big family dinners or décor for the home, or even an extra-special shawl perfect for parties. They think Thanksgiving, Christmas, Passover, etc. But what about Halloween? Why aren’t we weaving more costumes, or at least accessories, for Halloween?

If this idea has piqued your interest but you’re not sure where to go from here, allow me to give you some ideas using past projects from Easy Weaving with Little Looms. As an added bonus, at the end of this article, subscribers will find downloadable PDFs of all the projects mentioned. (Not a subscriber yet? Learn more about the benefits here.)

Paul Bunyan Plaid Scarf by Yvonne Ellsworth. Photo by Matt Graves

Paul Bunyan

For a simple costume, pair the Paul Bunyan Plaid Scarf by Yvonne Ellsworth (Winter 2023) with a flannel shirt, some blue jeans, a coordinating beanie (or a toque, for our Canadian friends), and a beard. Now you’ve got yourself a perfect Paul Bunyan or generic lumberjack costume. If your Paul Bunyan is a child, a toy stuffed blue ox would make an adorable addition. The rigid-heddle scarf is easy to warp and weave, and you even have an option to simply weave the check pattern in plain weave instead of the twill that Yvonne used. Best of all, this classic scarf looks so good you’ll want to wear it long after Halloween.

Jennifer Chapman’s Child’s Basketweave Capelet. Photo by Matt Graves

Little Red Riding Hood and the Wolf

I love a good duo costume, so here’s a fun one for all you pin-loom weavers. First, we have Jennifer Chapman’s adorable Child’s Basketweave Capelet (Holiday 2021). What you’re going to do is weave it in all red. Doing so means you can also opt to weave it using a larger square pin loom so you’ll have fewer joins. (If you’re weaving the project for a grown up, make a muslin first, see how big you need to make your fabric, and size up accordingly.) Voilà! You now have the perfect Little Red Riding Hood costume. Pair it with a cute dress and a picnic basket, and you’re ready to go.

For the wolf, look no further than Margaret Stump’s brilliant (Not So) Big Bad Wolf Scarf (Summer 2019). Don’t let the name fool you—this project is a hat, scarf, mitten combo piece. Even better, it’s all made with a 4" pin loom. Wear this fantastic accessory with a gray shirt and pants. Easy peasy!

As a bonus, you can always weave up the Paul Bunyan Plaid Scarf mentioned earlier for a woodcutter costume to add a third to your party. If you want to add a grandma, just weave any shawl pattern and wear it with a nightgown, glasses, and maybe a bonnet, and you’re good to go!

Pinocchio’s Suspenders by Joan Sheridan. Photo by Matt Graves

Pinocchio

Finally we have everybody’s favorite wooden-puppet-turned-real-boy, Pinnocchio. First weave up Joan Sheridan’s Pinocchio’s Suspenders and pair them with a white button up shirt, some long shorts (or pants, if it’s cold), a jaunty vest, and a cap with a feather in it. A fake long nose with a leaf glued to it rounds out the costume. Also, speaking from experience, these suspenders look super cute on kiddos at weddings or for picture day, and they’re super-adjustable, so you can get years of use out of them.

So there you have it! Four costumes that will give you a good excuse to weave. Remember, subscribers can scroll down for free downloads of each project.

Happy Halloween!

Christina