What’s Halloween without a jack-o-lantern or two? I tell ya, though, the jack-o-lanterns of my childhood aren’t quite so fancy as what you find these days. Take a look at some of the creative pumpkin carving from Martha Stuart’s site:

Pretty cool, huh? Keep in mind, though, that you don’t always have to carve a pumpkin to make a fantastic looking jack-o-lantern. Instead of scooping out messy pumpkin guts, pull out your paint, markers, craft foam and costume accessories to dress up your pumpkin!

Turn your jack-o-lantern into piratical perfection (see picture at top) with a pirate hat and eye patch or paint your pumpkin green, use a black marker to draw a face, attach a green foam nose and top it with a witch’s hat.

With a little creativity, some craft supplies and costume accessories, your jack o’ lanterns will go from pumpkin bore to haut couture!

Of course, if you’d prefer to be a pumpkin rather than carve one, skip the pumpkin patch altogether and check out our fun pumpkin costumes and accessories!

Pumpkin Spice Wig

Inflatable Pumpkin Costume

Pumpkin Make-Up Kit

Every holiday season I look forward to watching the Sound of Music and I find myself humming or singing along to the film’s soaring music. So I was most interested to discover recently that the Hollywood Bowl hosts an annual Sound of Music sing-along event.

The evening, traditionally a sell-out year after year, is a favorite for long-time devotees of the beloved family musical, which is subtitled so the whole audience can sing along, but also attracts fresh new audiences as well.

There is a pre-show costume parade, which is open to all audience members. Past costumes have included the Von Trapp children, brown paper packages tied up with string, a human gazebo (representing the one where Rolf and Liesl dance) as well as Marias and nuns in all shapes and sizes. Everyone receives a complimentary Fun Pak filled with interactive props to brandish at appropriate points in the film and the audience warms up their vocal cords during the pre-film activities.

Sounds fun, doesn’t it? If you need a unique group Halloween costume theme, take a look at some of this year’s fun and creative Sound of Music sing-along costumes (the nun costume above is my favorite!):

Want to dress like your favorite Sound of Music character? See some of our world culture costumes below:

Deluxe Nun Costume

Bavarian Yodeler Costume

Octoberfest Girl Costume

[photos via LA Times]

Now hear this…

It’s time for aspiring witches and wizards everywhere to impress friends and family with real magic.

The Kymera Magic Wand is a functional, universal remote in the clever guise of a spell-conjuring stick.

The Magic Wand cost’s about $83 and lets you control home electronics through the stick’s movements. Simply point it, perform the instructional gestures and voila…the lamp flips on, or the TV changes channels! A green LED on one end and a built-in accelerometer inside help the Kymera wand manage everything that a standard universal remote can do.

The device comes with 13 pre-defined gestures, including drawing circles in the air, each with its own function. It also includes an integrated practice mode. But wait, there’s more, my magical friends. It’s a learning remote, too.

So throw on your wizard costume and conjure up some new gestures to teach your wand…you’ll be performing various magical tricks with your household devices in no time. In fact, make it an activity at your next Harry Potter party and let your friends experience the magic of the wand too!

Harry Potter Costume

Gryffindor Costume Robe

Fiber Optic Harry Potter Costume

[via Cool Things]

Clorox has come out with some really clever commericals that appeal to kids of all ages.

In this captivating video, a young boy experiences the adventure of a liftetime while playing among the billowy curtains in the household bathroom.

Just goes to show what a costume and a little imagination can do for you.

Speaking of pirates and imagination, this Saturday, September 19th, is “Talk Like a Pirate Day”, a worldwide celebration of all things piratical.

Join the swashbuckling fun with some of our New for 2009 pirate costumes. Don’t miss the boat, check out our convenient next day shipping option now!

Teen Pirate Princess Costume

Buccaneer Pirate Costume

Captain Cutie Costume

In this new trailer, we get a magical glimpse of the fun that’s in store for us with Disney’s new hand drawn animated feature “The Princess and the Frog”.

This unforgettable tale of love, enchantment, and discovery, opens in theaters on December 11th. But you don’t have to wait until then to enjoy the magic….

Get the Adult Princess Tiana Costume (a Costume Craze exclusive) now!

Adult Princess Tiana Costume Dress

Ever wonder what it would have been like to be a gladiator during the time of the Roman Empire? More than a thousand civilians in togas got a chance to find out last month as they gathered around a reflecting pool in a New York City park to witness a gladiator-like battle on water.

In Ceasar’s time, it would have been called a “naumachia”, a type of nautical bloodsport in which prisoners and slaves fought against each other. In this modern day naumachia, however, it was the spectators who splashed in knee-deep water and destroyed the floating artwork that took five months to create. Ripe tomatoes were used as projectiles, hurled between warriors and spectators.

The event was called Those About to Die Salute You — named after the traditional, and final, salute shouted to the presiding emperor by the naumachia combatants.

Want to stage your own mock battle? You’ve come to the right place! Costume Craze has a fierce collection of Roman and Gladitor costumes…

Those about to fight, we salute you!

Roman Gladiator Costume

Roman Hunk Costume

Centurion Armour Set

[via Wired]

Have we said it before?

We’re proud of Costume Craze and its CEO, Kate Maloney!

Recently, Costume Craze was named one of Utah’s Fastest growing businesses and was recognized at the Utah Business Fast 50 awards luncheon on Thursday, Aug. 27.

The event was an opportunity for the 50 fastest growing and revenue-generating companies to take a minute out of their busy schedules and celebrate their accomplishments.

Derek Miller, executive director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, spoke to the group of honorees, saying that Utah has been ranked the “No. 1 most dynamic economy in the nation,” seeing a 50% growth since 2007. He attributes this success to its values and work ethic.

Well, we know Kate Maloney is definitely guilty of long hours and hard work. That’s why Costume Craze is listed as #39 on the Utah Fast 50 list!

Way to go Kate!

Apparently Australian police have nothing better to do than arrest monkeys.

Or, rather, people in monkey costumes.

Police arrested a young man in a monkey suit who claimed his only motive was to bring some fun and happiness to city shoppers.

“Basically me and my friends decided we would go into the city dressed in the monkey suit to bring a bit of fun and happiness to the place.

“As soon as we got off the train we could see people smiling and heaps of people started following us down the street,” he said.

“Girls were coming up for hugs, guys were coming up for photos, some guys were coming up for hugs, everyone loved it.”

Everyone, that is, but the police. When they requested the young man’s info, he simply made squeaky noises (like a monkey, I assume) which didn’t go over well. After paying a visit to the East Perth Police station, the young man went back to the city to catch the train and was arrested for a second time by the same police officer.

Man, I guess it was just a bad day to wear a monkey costume!

[via Yahoo]

What’s the perfect way to have a rockin’ marriage ceremony if you’ve already been married before and you don’t want a traditional white wedding?

Get married as the lovable Bedrock cartoon characters, of course…which is precisely how two couples from Norfolk, England, recently started their new life together.

One couple dressed as Fred and Wilma Flintstone, the other as Barney and Betty Rubble. Their wedding pictures were snapped at a dinosaur park with 165 guests dressed as cavemen and women and two best men dressed as dinosaurs.

While the ceremony started with the traditional organ sound of Wagner’s Bridal March, it quickly morphed into an organ version of The Flintstones theme tune and the couples had a tiered wedding rock cake.

Sounds positively pre-historic…and fun!

Fred Flintstone Costume

Wilma Flintstone Costume

Barney Rubble Costume

[via Nothing to do with Arbroath]

As a kid, I loved the idea of the existence of mermaids.

According to dozens of “eye witnesses” in the town of Kirvat Yam, Israel, my belief in mermaids is not just a child’s far fetched fantasy.

Recently, believers swear they’ve seen the mythical creature…in the flesh. A $1.2 million reward is being offered to anyone who can prove, by photo or capture, that mermaids do exist.

Many of the sightings have occurred at sunset, attracting crowds of tourists, and locals, hoping to snap a picture of the half girl, half fish who jumps like a dolphin, does all kinds of tricks, than disappears.

The town council, which is offering the reward, maintains that the mermaid craze is not a marketing ploy to draw tourists, though it hopes they’ll come to their town anyway and try their luck at the million dollar prize.

That town may get more than they bargained for. I, for one, hope the mermaids get the better of them.

[via Impact Lab]

Sexy Mermaid Costume

Mermaid of the Sea Costume

Sea Goddess Mermaid Costume