Much as I admire the elaborate, complicated Halloween costumes on this site, I'm too busy and never organized enough to plan more than a few hours before trick or treating. I've already posted an instructable with general tips for the reluctant costume designer. This is a more detailed description of one last minute costume I threw together with scaps of cardboard and paper I had lying around.

I hope it will inspire you!

Step 1: Wolf Mask

The shape for this mask is roughly a Gaussian "bell curve". As my son hurried to finish his homework, I cut out the rough shape with poster board and adjusted it for his head. This mask did NOT cover his face, it is more like a baseball hat with a giant rim -- which is much more comfortable to wear and perfect for the wolf's long nose.

After getting the shape and size correct for the head and nose, I cut out a pink poster board tongue and the lower jaw (I did all this freehand, I did not use a pattern -- but by looking at the photos you should be able to reproduce my mask).

I lined the board with some brown landscape fabric, a step I could have skipped if I'd had the correct color paper.

I made the teeth by rolling out regular printer paper into cones and stapling them to the jaw.

I stapled the lower jaw, with the tongue pre-attached, to both sides of the upper jaw, which formed and secured the curve of the jaw.

I used the black reverse side of the landscape fabric to fold a nose, which I stapled to the tip of the mask.

I cut out ears and eyes and stapled those on too (no time for glue!)

I used an eyelet to secure the gold rubber band (salvaged from a box of marzipan)....

...done! In less than 30 minutes...

Step 2: The Wolf's Costume

The whole inspiration for this costume was a piece of sheepskin we have. I pinned that to my son's clothes, added a synthetic throw we had to give him more coverage, and this wolf in sheep's clothing was ready to go trick or treating.

Step 3: Wait for Me!!

At the last minute my older son decided he DID want to go after all -- but I wouldn't let him beg for candy without a costume. Luckily by combining my old jacket, his dad's sun hat and a stick with a duck tape hook he turned into a fairly convincing shepherd. Not the most loving, nurturing shepherd in the world, but I'll blame THAT on the sugar.

If you'd like to see other things I make, visit my website www.makepopupcards.com