Last Halloween Husband and I went a Halloween party. The
theme was Childhood. After mulling over the costume possibilities, I realized I
had the perfect costume on my Halloween costume idea list. It’s something I’ve
been wanted to build for a long time School House Rock's Bill from Capital Hill! Husband got in on the School Rock costume action too.
He was the Engineer from Conjunction Conjunction.
My American readers are screaming with joy (or if you aren't, you should be.) My non
Schoolhouse Rock was a series of educational songs and cartoons
teaching basic math, grammar, and history that ran during the commercial breaks
of children’s Saturday morning cartoons. The songs were catchy like TV commercial jingles. They ran for 20+ years because they held up (and
still do.)
I can personally vouch for School House Rock teaching lessons without you realizing it because I aced writing the Preamble to the US Constitution on a history exam because I had the School House Rock song running through my head. In fact, you could hear most of the class humming it under their breath during the exam. Thank you School House Rock!
How to make a School House Rock Bill from Capital Hill Costume
I'm just a bill, yes I'm only a bill...
I considered cutting a hole for my face from foam and
rolling it around myself to look like Bill’s scroll. I priced upholstery
foam (OMG! Highway robbery!)
Then I remembered I might need to go to the bathroom, sit down on furniture, and need to fit inside a car to go to the party although Husband offered to strap me to the roof of the car if I didn't fit in it because he’s helpful like that. I looked for other options.
Not to mention, wrapping myself in a swath of petroleum based foam has never been on my To Do List.
Plan B. A white bath sheet.
Then I remembered I might need to go to the bathroom, sit down on furniture, and need to fit inside a car to go to the party although Husband offered to strap me to the roof of the car if I didn't fit in it because he’s helpful like that. I looked for other options.
Not to mention, wrapping myself in a swath of petroleum based foam has never been on my To Do List.
Plan B. A white bath sheet.
You will need:
A white bath sheet
Scissors
Pins
Thread
Velcro
Plastic straps from a paper box, etc or cord
Red fabric or wide ribbon
Tailor's chalk or pencil
Black embroidery floss
Needle
Bottlecap
cotton ball
Red, White, and Blue paper
Black pen
glue
Oatmeal lid (or similar)
safety pins
White pants, shirt, shoes, and gloves (I had the shoes and gloves. I bought the white pants and shirt at a thrift store)
Make it:
1. I cut a white bath sheet to wrap around me like Bill’s paper. I sewed Velcro on the top and side to keep it closed and shoulder straps from a box of copy paper at the top.
A white bath sheet
Scissors
Pins
Thread
Velcro
Plastic straps from a paper box, etc or cord
Red fabric or wide ribbon
Tailor's chalk or pencil
Black embroidery floss
Needle
Bottlecap
cotton ball
Red, White, and Blue paper
Black pen
glue
Oatmeal lid (or similar)
safety pins
White pants, shirt, shoes, and gloves (I had the shoes and gloves. I bought the white pants and shirt at a thrift store)
Make it:
1. I cut a white bath sheet to wrap around me like Bill’s paper. I sewed Velcro on the top and side to keep it closed and shoulder straps from a box of copy paper at the top.
2. I drew Bill’s face in tailor’s chalk and embroidered it
with a running stitch in black embroidery thread.
3. I made Bill’s nose by hand sewing a small scrap of towel
around a bottle cap and cotton ball and hand sewed it onto the towel. Hot glue will probably work too.
4. I eyeballed cutting the strip of red fabric, folding the
edges over and sewed them to the towel for Bill’s ribbon. Wide red ribbon would be easier but I used what I already had.
5. I made Bill’s BILL pin by cutting and gluing red and blue
paper on a white circle and gluing it to an oatmeal container lid. I pinned it to the costume with safety pins.
6. I wore a thrift store white long sleeve sweater and pants under the costume, I found a pair of white color guard gloves in our prop box and wore
those too.
School House Rock I'm Just a Bill and Conjunction Junction Costumes
How to Make a Conjunction Conjunction Costume
Husband’s costume was so easy I could have slapped him. But
it saved me a lot of work so I didn’t. Slap him I mean.
1. Husband lucked out and found the hat new with tags at the
thrift store about 2 minutes after he walked into the store. Lucky duck. It took me awhile to find the pants and shirt to wear under my Halloween costume.
2. Husband shopped the back of his closet (stuff he hangs on
to but I won’t let him wear because it is out of style or butt ugly) and
grabbed a denim shirt from an old job. He printed AND BUT OR on paper, cut them
out, and pinned them to his shirt,
3. Husband wore a pair of jeans and air of boots he already had and borrowed my red banana.
We had a blast! Husband and I won the costume contest for Best Theme. The party turned into an impromptu
Schoolhouse Rock sing along after we tried to explain to a Canadian guest what the heck School House Rock was and how everyone knew all of the songs a zillion years after childhood.
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