What are Hilary Erickson's top tips for creating family-themed Halloween costumes?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse. I’ve done family-themed costumes since 2004, so I have a lot of thoughts on this one!

Here are my top tips for family theme costumes (pulled from years of trial and error):

• Start with media you all love: favorite movies, shows, or books (Star Wars, Peter Pan, Flintstones, etc.).
• Think about your skills: you absolutely don’t have to sew; use separates, thrift finds, and hot glue.
• Plan for the weather so kids can layer or not overheat.
• Make sure there are enough characters so everyone is happy (or at least mostly happy).
• Browse thrift stores early; they’re gold mines for costume pieces.
• Consider a time period (20’s flapper and gangster was a favorite).
• Think about what events you’ll attend and how the costumes will function.
• Use fleece when you can; it doesn’t fray, so no hemming.
• Let kids help decide colors, characters, and details.
• Most important: have fun with it—play theme music, be silly, make it a family memory, not a chore.

Do you already have a movie or book your family loves that we could build a theme around?