When I was little, Halloween didn’t come from Amazon Prime, Shein, or Spirit Halloween. It came from my mom’s sewing machine. My amazing mother hand-made all my costumes entirely from scratch — a true wizard with fabric, thread, and an endless imagination. My wish was her command. Whether I wanted to be Piglet, a little bumblebee, or Puff the Magic Dragon, she made it happen with love (and probably a lot of late nights)!
As I got older — somewhere between elementary school and middle school — I started to shy away from the homemade costumes. I wanted to fit in with the “cool girls” in prepackaged pirate outfits from Party City. My mom’s hand-sewn jumpsuits suddenly felt uncool, even though they were anything but. I rolled my eyes at the fabric scraps, not realizing how much love, creativity, and care went into every stitch. Looking back now, I cringe. How lucky was I to have a mother willing to handcraft such amazing costumes, yet how bratty was I to turn them down?!
Fast forward to college. I’m now a junior, missing my mom’s homemade costumes more than ever. As I frantically piece together my Halloweekend outfits with thrifted skirts, safety pins, and random accessories, I finally get it. My mom wasn’t just sewing costumes — she was teaching me that creativity doesn’t need a price tag!
Now, I’m trying my best to keep that old magic alive as I DIY my way through the spooky season. I just want to make my mama proud. If I could talk to little Mia, I’d tell her to twirl proudly in every hand-sewn costume — because nothing store-bought could ever compare.
There’s truly nothing better than wearing something made with love. So, thanks, mom. You may not know it, but every time I thrift, sew, or glue together a last-minute costume, I’m just trying to be a little more like you.