Viking Boy

In the past, I've droned on about the Swedish heritage I've inherited through marriage, friends, and associates. It's a love/love relationship, really, even if it might not sound like it. I've also talked about my hate/hate relationship with Halloween. It's a holiday I've always avoided, but with a kiddo in the mix, you just can't be a Halloween scrooge, as much as you'd like to be.

Last year, I committed to making kids' costumes so that I would be prepared and enjoy the holiday. Sawyer as a mummy was a success last year...and a cheap one at that. This year, we upgraded to something actually sewn and preconceived.

My little half-Swede was a VIKING!

As the base layer, I used a white undershirt, brown shoes, and brown leggings. I bought a plastic viking helmet for $3 on Amazon which I figure will grace a dress-up box for years to come. At JoAnn Fabrics, I bought some faux fur for his tunic and boots (sewn onto the base layers), some canvas ribbon to "wrap up" the boots, some black suede for a belt, and some Nordic buttons to add to the belt.

Keeping the helmet on was obviously some pie-in-the-sky, rookie mom idea, but he kept it on for about ten seconds at a time, so we got a few pictures in his full-on gear.

He and his bunny friend "trunk-or-treated" and had a grand old time. He had to get used to the action first, so looks a little unsure of things/miserable.

After a round of bags, he warmed up to the idea.

Once he realized candy was involved, he was intrigued.

Worn out after an evening of pillaging!