PacMan Family!

My son, a wheelchair user, wanted to be PacMan, so the idea
evolved into a family costume theme since PacMan needs ghosts! I (mom) made the costumes 100% from
scratch. It was a challenge to get
PacMan to sit above the wheels of the chair and just right enough for my son to
see in front of him. My husband (red
ghost) had an opening cut out that he could reach through to help push the
wheelchair. The back of PacMan had a
small opening for the wheelchair handlebar to fit through. It was so much fun for all of us to do this
as a family! We had the game music and
sound effects playing while we handed out candy in our driveway and danced
around. Then we went Trick-or-Treating together for a while, bringing the sound
effects with us. The yellow eyes and mouths on the blue side of the ghosts
glowed in the dark!

I used the pink accordion-folded foam material for the main
pieces. It cuts easily and takes paint
really well. The sides of the ghosts are
out of a roll of more flexible foam. All
pieces are held together with duct tape.
I used foam brushes to paint the pieces once they were assembled, using
satin latex paint, and then sealed with a clear sealer. I used a glow in the dark paint to coat the
yellow features on the blue sides of the ghosts. PacMan had to be attached to the wheelchair
in just the right way in order to give my son a view, and to keep it from
rubbing on the wheels. He was able to
wheel himself, but needed some help, so dad's costume included an opening in
front to reach through to help push when needed. The ghost costumes simply rested on our
heads. The right side of each ghost was
cut a little higher to allow one hand free.
We wore coordinating tops that matched our ghosts, and black pants to
give the illusion that we were floating.

We were a hit in the neighborhood! The best was the reaction from kids, which is
what it's all about! Lots of people
wanted our picture and had their children pose with us. We enjoyed wearing our costumes, but the
looks on people's faces and the reaction from the kids are the best!

So many people tell me I'm super creative and that they'd
never be able to do something like this.
But I say anyone can do it - you just have to have the patience and the
desire. I find I get lost in the
process, enjoying every second of figuring it out. I am not an engineer, or a professional
painter. My design shows obvious amateur
skills, but I think that's what adds to its charm. Happy Halloween!