The time finally arrived. It could not be put off any further. If this thing was to happen on time, the time had come. To get started, that is.
I refer, of course, to the beginning of making Cub's Halloween costume. He had decided several (if not 12) months ago that he wanted to be R2D2 for Halloween this year. I scoured the internet looking for a costume I could buy, to no avail. The only costumes labeled R2D2 were for toddlers and were only a sack with blue lines painted on it. That would not do for my pre-schooler who knows a thing or three about his favorite robot.
To make a long story short, I found a website with somewhat specific instructions on how to MAKE an R2D2 costume. Was I really going to have to go that route? Might I be able to talk him into something different, easier, purchasable? No, he would not be deterred. Shoot.
I realized that this being creative with my hands thing, not food-related, does not come easily to me so I had better get a move on. About 2 months ago he and I went to several stores in our city looking for a specific type of trash can, one with a domed lid. Once it was acquired we went to our local home & garden store and purchased the appropriate color spray paint and took it all home and promptly painted the entire thing white. Feeling quite proud of myself for accomplishing two large tasks so early on, we went inside and allowed them to dry.
It was when they were dry that I remembered that the dome that is R2's head is silver, not white. Shoot. Ok, paint over it, right? Wrong. When I did that the paint crackled and wrinkled and didn't look right. Ok. So we went and bought another trash can and also realized we needed to do all the cutting of holes and whatnot in it before we painted it. Huge props to Camera Guy's construction dept. on his TV show for doing all the cutting for us! I wouldn't have been able to accomplish any of that on my own. They rock!
Then came the sealing on the flippy part of the trash can lid so it would look like a solid dome and not a trash can lid. Camera Guy handled that task with some latex putty. Now that the whole thing had been prepped, the rest was up to me to make it look like the famous robot.
Following a pattern Camera Guy was given (again, by members of the construction crew, you rock!) I cut out contruction paper and double sticked tape it all over the place, including the domed head.
About the time the project came to the point that it landed in my court, I realized that while Halloween and trick-or-treating happen on Oct. 31, Cub's school Halloween party was Sat., Oct. 27. And even earlier than that was my church's Mommy Group Halloween party on Thurs., Oct. 25. Holy robots, Batman! I'd better get the lead out!
Anywho, I all got done, a full 1.5 days early, too! I just wish he'd been allowed to wear it to the school party, though, but their rule about no masks, faces must be visible rule excluded this particular costume.
Here is the final result. I'm a little proud, actually.
Thankfully he has chosen his next 2 costumes, Spiderman and an astronaut, and I'm fairly certain I'll be able to buy those off the rack!
Happy Halloween, everyone! Stay safe!