A Family of Garden Creatures: Halloween Costume DIY
By Maria Kalita
For the past five years, dressing up has been a little family tradition for us. We love joining community events, and Halloween has become one of those special occasions where we can get creative, have fun, and make memories as a family.
Before our youngest daughter, Tamara, was born, I was already thinking about what her first Halloween costume might look like. By the time she had turned one and was still finding her confidence on two feet, I knew I wanted something cute and practical—something that would still look lovely even if I ended up carrying her for most of the event.
Our family leans toward a crafty retro look, so when I came across a garden-inspired theme online, I thought, “I can make that.”
With three children and a full-time job, finding time for crafting isn’t straightforward. So I started work on my mushroom hat in August, fitting it in whenever I could. It was a labor of love. I used around six meters of cotton to create it, and while the hat came out beautifully, it was also surprisingly heavy.
Once the hat was taking shape, I started thinking about who might live in our little family garden. A mushroom clearly needed a garden creature of its own, and I settled on a snail for Tamara.
The snail backpack was actually the easiest part to make, but I had to be careful with the weight. With a newly walking one-year-old, the last thing I wanted was to give her a backpack that was more impressive than practical. The final version was light enough for her to carry, and with me beside her in the mushroom hat, she made the sweetest garden creature.
For our older boys, Nikita and Kosta, I wanted to keep things simple and, wherever possible, use what we already owned. DIY doesn’t always have to mean starting from scratch, and I loved the challenge of making costumes out of things already in the house.
That’s how the idea of garden gnomes came about. I found some fun T-shirts with mushroom designs, paired them with pants from their closets, and suddenly my boys became the cutest little garden gnomes. To complete their costumes, I turned simple red umbrellas into oversized mushrooms with a few paper stickers. They were easy to make, added a playful touch, and, best of all, meant we didn’t end up with a closet full of single-use Halloween props.
Looking back, I think that is what I love most about making our family costumes. It’s not really about creating something perfect. It’s about the process: the ideas that evolve along the way; the late-night crafting; the things that don’t quite work the first time; and the small compromises you make when a costume needs to survive an actual toddler. And, of course, there is something incredibly special about seeing your children wear something you made yourself.
Our little garden family may have started with a mushroom, a snail, and a couple of gnomes, but it has become another chapter in our family tradition. A tradition I’m sure we’ll be adding to for many Halloweens to come.
Our garden creatures made their debut at Trunk and Treat, an event we look forward to each October. Instead of decorating houses, families decorate their car trunks and then gather in a parking lot where the children can visit the different cars, play games, and collect treats. What I appreciate most is the opportunity it gives children in a city as busy as Bangkok to enjoy Halloween among families who already know one another.
This year, we are taking our Halloween inspiration from Tove Jansson’s Moomin stories. I plan to be Moominmama, while the children are deciding between Moomintroll, Snorkmaiden, Snufkin, and Sniff. We also plan to turn our car into the Moomin house. I’m looking forward to slowly putting the costumes together. For me, these are the details that make Halloween memorable—not the finished costumes or decorations, but the anticipation, the creativity, and the time spent making them together as a family.
About the Author
Maria Kalita, a Ukrainian mother of three, founded Bangkok’s Soap Opera in 2016. What began as a kitchen startup has grown into an FDA-approved manufacturing facility and six stores across Thailand. A passionate advocate for sustainability, Maria transforms used restaurant cooking oil into soap and donates 100 kg of soap each month to local communities. Beyond her work, she finds joy in homemaking, fermenting, baking, and art.