Halloween was my favorite holiday growing up, and having a creative, homemade costume always made the night more memorable. 

 

In first grade, I was a tree. I don’t know why I was intrigued by this idea, but a ton of work went into that costume. My mom hot-glued over 50 felt leaves onto a jacket and figurines of birds and squirrels covered my shoulders. I wore a floppy hat with a nest perched on the top. As I went door-to-door, I remember a few moms stopping me to ask for a picture. 

 

As a fifth grader, I went as a jack-in-the-box. About an hour before trick-or-treating started, I took a big cardboard box and quickly cut out holes for my limbs and neck and decorated the sides. Unfortunately, the weather had plans of its own that night and pouring rain took to melting away the soggy cardboard. I had to throw the box away halfway through trick-or-treating, but was relieved to drop the weight. 

 

In eighth grade, I was a mime. I painted my face, threw on a beret, and had a blast doing the ‘I’m in a box’ skit throughout the night. 

 

Junior year, my friend and I dressed as members of the Blue Man Group. We painted our faces blue and hauled around recycling bins and PVC pipes the whole night as props.