This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Jones Soda. All opinions are 100% mine.

Above is a picture of my daughter posing with her new turkey hat. The hat was a free thank you gift from IZEA, a company I have done a couple of sewing related posts for. They had emailed me a week ago asking me if I would like to get the hat along with a bottle of Jones soda. My daughter happened to be with me at the time when I was looking at a picture of the hat and said she wanted it. To be honest with you I had no intention of getting the hat or the soda but my daughter changed my mind.

Today the packaged arrived and I surprised my daughter with the hat when she got home from school. She loved it. In the box with the soda and hat was an offer to write a post with my reaction to the free gift. At first I thought no, but then my business side took over and I realized that someone not only had to design and sew the original hat but is probably making out like a bandit selling these things to IZEA. Of course IZEA is also having their logo embroidered on the front. An embroidery company got that job. Top that with the fact it looks goofy enough to be loved by my very picky daughter.

The soda will be heading to school with my daughter as she wants to give all of her friends a sip of the Tofurky and Gravy Jones Soda . She has tasted Jones' broccoli flavored soda and the one word she used was - yuck. She wants to see her friends reaction to this soda. She has tasted the Jones soda called Sweet Victory and loves that one so she is not unfamiliar with Jones.

I would again like to thank IZEA for the free stuff, It made a stir at our house today.

Here is a list of Halloween costumes that you can get some design ideas from. There are about 5+ pages to browse through. I am sure you can find something that appeals to your sewing talent. All of the costumes are ready made but you can get a good idea of colors and shape.

Edited to add: I just checked Google Trends and found out that one of the top 50 searches today on Google was for Halloween costumes for couples. It looks like people plan on spending some money this Halloween, even in a tight economy.

As a crafter I am sure you are well aware that the pet industry is flourishing right now. Even in this depressing economy, stores like Petsmart are opening up new stores. I find it ironic that people are spending as much as they do on dogs when times are hard. That is great news for us who want to cater to the pet business.

Just looking at all the opportunities there are to make and market that you can whip up on your sewing machine. Check the company that is offering these dog costumes, they have done a fantastic job of designing their own costumes. The taco dog costume below is on the page that I just put the link to. The detail of the lettuce sticking up and the fact it was modeled on Chihuahua was brilliant.
As you can tell, presentation of a product or design will make or break a sale. If those costumes were just presented on a coat hanger or some other way that the customer could not get a good idea of what it looked like without handling it then they might lose a sale. They took the extra step to photograph a dog wearing what they make.

Halloween is now one of the biggest celebrations in the USA and Canada. What use to be a night of mischief making 40 years ago is now a big dress-up party. Not only are the costumes becoming more and more elaborate but pets are now joining in on the fun. This little guy below is wearing a ready made costume found at this site where they have 11 other equally cute and idea generating dog costumes.


So after seeing that page I decided it was time to look around for some pet costume patterns for you to sew. I found a few and added them to my sewing supplies store. You can find them here. McCall's, Simplicity and a few others also make dog costume sewing patterns. What I can tell you is the difference between the mediocre and great pet costume is the accessories that are added to them. Let your imagination run wild.

Are you ready for Halloween? How about the local Renaissance Fair, which normally takes place in the autumn. Could you sew or design an outfit like the ones pictured above? You probably could with a little practice. Many of the major sewing pattern companies make such elaborate patterns with very detailed instructions. I have also run across an online store that has 3 pages of period costume patterns for women. It is called Ladies of the Realm and they even have Japanese noble costume patterns.

A mannequin or a sewing form is an absolute must have if you plan on displaying jackets, dresses or tops for sale. I have seen some wonderful items on eBay that would have sold for higher prices if they were only displayed better in the photos.

Here is an example of a nice item that was displayed wrong.

Don't make a nice dress like this look cheap by hanging it over a door. If you don't have a mannequin then get a live model (a good looking one please). The dress will sell better if your customers have a better idea of what it looks like on a person.

Here is a good example of how a dress can look so much better.Dress forms cost about $100 and used mannequins can be gotten for free or very cheap if you look on Craigslist. I have them in my store with a wide selection to choose from, just click here for dress forms.

If you are lacking in the idea department for unusual Halloween costume ideas, I have a few. First up is a Dracula that sits on your back.

Next is the witch/vampire version.


Both of them are interesting and could be worth your while to make. The prices on both of them at HalloweenMart are a mint. Just click on the photos to find out how much they are asking for those costumes.

Next up is a puppet - a zombie puppet but you get the idea, just match up a costume with any type of puppet and make them mother and child or father and child.


Here is an old idea but worth the effort. A one person costume made to look like 2.

Another great idea, shark eating man.



Then there are the "couple" costumes:


Let us not forget the kids ones:



There, I hope I gave you some ideas. Also you can click on any of the photos to take you to the store that I got the ideas from. Look around and you can get more ideas on what to make. The same place also sells the accessories that can't be made easily like shoes and rubber masks.

Of course we have all seen someone in a Halloween costume that was totally outrageous. At the same time we thought "why didn't I think of that". I have found an interesting website that people have submitted their outrageous Halloween costume ideas and how-tos.

Outrageous Halloween costume ideas

Some of the ideas have pictures with them. Just click on the link under the idea to view the photos.

Here is a list of links to free Halloween costume patterns:

Animal costumes for kids

List of movie costumes to make - some with complete how-to's

Costumes for babies

One company has started their Christmas sewing early. They tailor fit their own naturally bearded Santa's with 2 outfits each year. Their story is in the article below.

If you have done any shopping in the past for Halloween costumes you will know that they are made cheaply and often do not last more than the one day without a rip or tear. Your sewing business could not compete with the prices of the cheap store bought costumes for kids. Notice I said "kids", there lies the clue in where the money is made on costumes, it is NOT with kids costumes but with higher quality adult sized costumes.

Children outgrow costumes fast parents are not willing to pay much for them. On the other hand a well made Renaissance costume can cost up to the thousands of dollars and people will pay that for true craftsmanship.

If you make high quality costumes and can market them correctly you can expect some interest from the smaller movie companies for costumes. Word travels fast when you are producing high quality items.

It is never too early to be thinking about Halloween costumes, in fact the earlier you start thinking about them the faster you can design them. I am betting that with the just released movie Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skulls there will be a demand for costumes from the movie. Of course there will be a demand for costumes other than Halloween such as the offerings at Leg Avenue, a strictly adult fare.

Now if you plan on designing, sewing and selling your line of costumes keep in mind the prices that the above links are selling costumes for. Your costumes would either have to be unique or custom sized for the individual to be worth while selling them for a profit. The Halloween website I have listed links to does have a great selection for you to get some ideas from.