Free Online Photo Contest Winners!!
Check out the free online photo contest winners for Halloween 2012! This year it was a difficult decision. It also took me longer to post this than I expected due to my family recently moving to a new city and with three kids this has been very challenging! Unfortunately, one winner did not leave an email address. Please contact me if you have not been contacted about winning.
Look for more free online photo contests coming in 2013!!
Halloween Costumes 2012
1st Place Winner
Katy Perry in her "Cupfake" Dress
This is my daughter Alaina. Her absolute favorite recording artist is Katy Perry and so it was a "duh" moment when I knew she would want to dress as Miss Perry for Halloween. But... she wanted to be Katy Perry in her cupcake dress, specifically.
So... I made that happen.
The skirt is styrofoam rings, with plain white fabric sewn on, and then sewn together. Ribbon and tulle were then sewn on for the band and the ruffle. (All hand sewing!) The "cupfakes" are plastic ornaments and ping pong balls, painted and glued into liners, and the frosting is a mixture of air dry clay and glue, which I then painted and glittered and attached to the skirt.
The top is lycra, and has rhinestone and sequins sewn on, with an attached ruffle.
The wig and headband are the only pieces that I did not make.
Alaina adored her costume and it made her feel like a princess. The pride and joy she had wearing it made the week's worth of work I put into it completely worth it.
2nd Place Winner
Legomen for kids
This year I decided to make Lego men costumes for my kids.
I used cardboard for the bodies, which I covered in joint compound. I sanded them, primed them, and spray painted them w/ a gloss finish. Then I painted each design by hand.
For the heads, I cut circlular poster board, and wrapped it around w/ a thick poster paper for the face. The mouths were cut out as eye holes and covered w/ a black mesh. They were spray painted.
The hands were cut out from foam board, wrapped w/ foam on the sides. I also did joint compound and primer. Then the wrists were made from cereal boxes w/ pencils stabbed through them, then covered with foam and painted.
The legs were a nightmare for the kids to walk in! They move VERY SLOW in them. They were made from styrofoam that was covered in poster paper and spray painted. I rigged old shoes to the legs because the legs kept twisting sideways! I hot glued velcro straps to the legs that strapped in the back.
The hat & spiked hairdo were made from cardboard.
These were inexpensive to make (lots of hot glue & spray paint = burns, blisters, and paint fume buzzes/brain damage). They took a ton of my time and sanity.....but my kids really enjoyed the
outcome. They got to be the center of attention and they won a radio disney contest vs. 300 other kids. It was all worth it!
Voter's Choice
A Pirate and His Parrot
Every year my kids and I go shopping at the thrift for our costume ideas. This year my 3 year old is a pirate and my 9 year old daughter his parrot.
For the pirate costume we already had alot of pirate items like the hat, we only bought a few accessories,a brown vest and made a wooden leg and small parrot for his shoulder. The wooden leg was made with foam cusion wrapped in brown cloth made to resemble wood.
The small parrot on his shoulder made with a red sock filled with foam and wings made from different color material and a added pirate hat(pet costume hat bought). My daughter's parrot costume took a little time to accomplish with the layering of colors.
We made different color material to resemble feathersand attached to a poncho we had laying around.we used a skirt from the thrift store to add some feathers to for the bottom and a blue fuzzy hat with added feathers for the head.
The beak was made from the pointy part of a witch's hat adding a pipe cleaner under it to shape it. The brim of the hat used around her neck for the purple feathers it had on it.
Summer Trip 2012
1st Place Winner
My What Big Eyes You Have
As the 1st place winner of the free online photo contest for summer 2012, it was by far the most unique picture. It was sent in by Sue Dewald of Kansas City, MO while hunting butterflies at the butterfly palace in Branson, MO. Very cool photo!
2nd Place Winner
Fun in the Sun
This photo won 2nd place in the free online photo contest for summer 2012. It was sent in from Hobart, IN by Melissa of her son Eli on a trip to the beach. What a cutie pie!
Voter's Choice
Cousins/Best Friends
This photo was entered into the free online photo contest for summer 2012. It was sent in by Dawn from Florida on a family trip to Wisconsin of two girls that are cousins/best friends that hadn't seen each other for a year. So precious!
Now check out the free online photo contest winners for the Halloween costume contest 2011! The decision for judges was difficult as there were many great submitted photos.
After much deliberation the first and second place winners were very well deserved. Not only were the costumes unique, creative and elaborate, they also happen to be homemade. This of course was not a requirement, but definitely added some value to their photos. There also appeared to be a lot of thought involved in where the pictures were taken.
You can check out all entries at Halloween Costume 2011 Free Online Photo Contest Entries
Halloween Costume Contest 2011
1st Place Winner
Wonderland Red Queen (Star) and Mad Hatter (JR)
I made the Red Queen dress and then added the details using dollar jewelry. Her scepter was my sister in law's wand from prom. I added a red heart in the center. Her crown was made from poster board and then spray painted gold.
I left it on top of the car's dashboard pressed against the window so the top could curve. Then added chains from fake jewelry and red jewels. Her hair I parted in two pony tails. I teased it and fixed it to form two balls. Then I spray painted red and placed the crown in the center using bobby pins.
Her makeup was lightest foundation and powder. I covered her whole face including her eyebrows which I then painted a bit higher. She had blue eyeshadow and formed a heart on her lips.
Also made her a mole by cheek. The Mad Hatter hat was also made from poster board. I found a dress at the thrift store which I used to cover the hat. Then added the different color patch from another cloth. I used the wire from a witch's hat to make the rim from hat and sewed it. I added the peacock feather and needles inside the ribbon.
The ribbon I made from a cloth as a scarf and then tied it around hat. The 10/6 card I made from poster board and burned from the edges. His coat was bought at a thrift store and I added the lace and buttons. I also added two buttons on the outside to hand the thread belt.
The vest, pants, pink shirt, shoes and socks were also bought at a thrift. The pants were made pin striped by gluing tape and using cloth spray to pain them purple. I bought them a smaller size so they could be capri and made them a bit bell bottom. His gloves were made by outlining his hand on a cloth and then just sewed them.
His belt was made by threading the spools and tying at the end. Then made a loop to hang from button previously sewed. His bow was made from cardboard and covered with cloth. I bought different colored ribbons and used a safety pin to put them from coat.
He also had different thimbles on and I made him a ring cushion. The pocket watch was bought as well as his eyebrows. For the hair I bought scrunchies that are made from hair at dollar store. I cut them open, teased the hair, and spray painted them orange.
I placed them on his hair with bobby pins. His face was painted using the same foundation and powder as Star and then made one eye pink and one purple. Also put pink under both eyes and pink lipstick.
2nd Place Winner
This is such a unique costume, which is partly why it won 2nd place for the Halloween free online photo contest 2011.
The submitter wrote: "My daughter requested a "Mother Nature" costume for Halloween this year. I went to work brainstorming how to execute something magical and fantastical. I wanted it to really capture the presence of beauty and the spirit of nature.
I made my first shopping trip to the thrift store. I purchased some adult nightgowns (which were cut and sewn, and bordered with ribbon) to make the base of the cloak. I also purchased a used prom/evening gown. This was an adult size so it required so tailoring to fit.
Next I headed to the local craft store. Here I purchased many embellishments. I got some butterflies in different sizes and colors. Some of the more authentic looking flowers and vines. I got a bird and a nest. (She insisted she must have a bird) I also purchased little jewels from the scrap-booking section to add some color and dazzle to her face and make-up. After cutting apart, placing, arranging, stitching on, hot gluing some, and bending and twisting, I created the head piece and then adorned her cloak.
In the end I did her make-up to look extra magical. Using false eyelash glue I fixed one fake leaf to her forehead, and outlined her eyes with the scrap-book jewels.
In the end, we were both very happy with all the hard work.The costume took me about 12-15 hours of construction (after collecting all materials) which probably would have been a little shorter had I had more experience with the sewing machine.To get a nice scenic photo worthy of Mother Nature herself, I simply sought out a green path of grass and sat her down, draping her cloak around her.
Voter's Choice
This was the voter's choice winner for the Halloween 2011 free online photo contest. The submitter wrote: "At the last minute my daughter made this cute little scarecrow. She couldn't figure out what she wanted dress my grandson Logan up as for Trick or Treat. She called me and told me she was going to make him a scarecrow costume and boy did she ever. She did such a great job everyone we walked by was impressed. The costume even has a little crow sitting on his shoulder. She did an amazing job with this costume."
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