Aladdin Halloween Costumes

We went to our Mexican grocery store to buy giant, inexpensive pumpkins. We walked out with a bonus: a Disneyland flyer.

Trick or treating! Costumes! Severely discounted admission! Free parking! Special fireworks!

Totally worth an afternoon off work.

We just needed costumes. We decided to go as Disney sidekicks, assuming (correctly) that the park would be full of princesses and Mickey Mouses. We brainstormed a list of potentials and headed to the thrift store for accessories. Fancy small rugs are hard to come by, it turns out, but by the time we left, I’d already figured out how to make my carpet costume. We just needed to buy Greg’s brown shirt and red vest — or sleeveless Ann Taylor shirt that he split down the middle.

Greg’s ears and tail were a little $3 set from JoAnn Fabrics. Greg just cut the ears off the top of the headband and moved them to the sides. On top, he attached his hat — a felt-covered sour cream container.

For my Magic Carpet costume, I used a purple throw blanket, some Elmer’s glue and a ton of felt. I attached elastic loops (hair ties) to the top corners, and wore those around my wrists. I used binder clips (painted purple) and a ribbon to hold the blanket around my neck. The tassels were a key element of the costume, and we made them by fringing a long strip of felt, rolling it up sleeping-bag-style, and securing with glue.

We had a fantastic time at Disneyland! I’ve never seen the “Happiest Place on Earth” happier than with tons of adorable kids in costumes, free candy by the handful and no lines for the roller coasters. We also loved hearing people figure out what we were — “She’s the Magic Carpet” was echoing around us all night!