Karneval is a big thing in our family! We celebrate in Cologne where my mother's family is from, and it can mean serious business for some, but lots of fun at our level!!
It's the time of year where I get my thinking cap on to come up with our costumes. I usually like to find a family theme and I don't like to necessarily
buy new costumes. The fun thing about "Karneval in Kölle" is that anything goes! Some of the simplest costumes are the best!
In 2010 Karneval Sunday, which is the day the parade comes through our part of town, fell on the same day as Chinese New Year. Having grown up in Hong Kong of course I'm quite familiar with our Chinese Signs and thought it'd be fun if we each went as our Chinese sign - I like a bit of a challenge! So here we are the 5 of us:
Me - the Rooster
Hubby - the Rabbit
Misha - the Dragon
Lara - the Pig
Ilya - the Ox
Now you see some costumes don't take much...but let's zoom in on Ilya's Ox head:
Basically it's a warm woolly dark brown hat into which I cut two little holes at the top for the horns. The horns are actually two little nozzles from those suction things you use to "blow" little tot's noses. I painted them white with white-out!
I used the same white out on two big buttons I had and with two smaller black buttons on top that made for the eyes!
The nose is another two smaller brown buttons and the nose ring is an old keychain ring that I just slid through the hat. To give the nose some depth I folded in the front part of the hat and stuffed some cotton inside to pad it out before sewing it by hand.
And voilà a costume - plus one that kept his ears nice and warm on such a cold and snowy day!!
What is your favorite costume?? Do you make or do you buy....
