This Family Goes All Out for Their Yearly Halloween Costumes!

Families love Halloween, and that's just based on the number of Halloween-related messages we’ve received these past few weeks on costume ideas, from DIY to store-bought.

One family, in particular, caught our eye when they started sending us themed Halloween costumes where every member of the family gets to have an outfit! According to the mom, Elaine Ledesma, it all began in 2011 when her daughter, Lexine, who was 6 years old at the time, told her and dad Lee she wanted to be a cockroach. Her family's reaction was priceless. 

“We were so surprised, but then we thought of joining her. Her dad suggested that he can be an insecticide while I could be a slipper,” Elaine recalls. 

Lee, who graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, started on the costumes as a labor of love. They debuted the outfits at a party with Lee’s childhood friends, and naturally, it was a big hit! They decided to make it an annual tradition, even incorporating Elaine’s second pregnancy in one of the themes.

Elaine decided to carry on with the yearly DIYs because she saw it as a great way to bond with her children and create beautiful memories. It allowed them to be creative and learn hard work.

Brainstorming for a theme usually occurs in September, and the family starts the project each October. “It takes us three to four weeks to finish everything in time for the trick-or-treat events,” Elaine explains. “This includes designing the costumes, sourcing out and purchasing materials and actually putting everything together.”

They set aside a maximum of Php5,000 budget for all the costumes. Most of the costumes are DIY, but once in a while, Elaine and Lee purchase a few items that will complete the whole ensemble. Check out the different costumes they’ve made since 2011!

2011 – Cockroach Theme

Who would have thought that a cockroach could be so cute?

2012 – Volkswagen Beetle

Elaine says this was the least expensive costume set to make. The actual VW Beetle for Lexine was a papier mâché made with chicken wire, newspaper, and paint. The traffic light and orange emergency triangle were made with basic art materials. The most expensive item was the sports jacket, which they had to buy for Lexine.

2013 – Refrigerator Family

Dad and mom were the socket and plug, respectively while Lexine was the fridge. Admittedly, this was the most expensive single costume they had to make. Aside from basic art materials, the family purchased grocery items to fill the fridge. They even bought dry ice to create smoke and mimic the cold air inside the real thing. So extra!

2014 – Intergalactic Theme

Elaine was pregnant with her second child, Evanna, so they decided on a solar system with mommy’s tummy as the center a.k.a. the sun. Lexine was an alien on a spaceship complete with sounds and lights, while daddy was a character from the movie “Men in Black.”

2015 – Environment theme

Now with two girls in tow, making costumes posed an extra challenge. They used Evanna’s stroller and transformed it into a crane to depict the destroyer of the environment, while Lexine was an “Envirogirl” with a costume made mostly out of recycled materials. Mom and dad represented the four elements: earth, water, wind, and fire!

2016 – Pinoy na Pinoy theme

To date, this is their most expensive theme. Lexine was a ‘dalagang Filipina’ inside a kalesa, while mom was a kutsero riding an inflatable horse. Dad was a 3D sari-sari store (complete with the paninda!), while the youngest was the lechon de leche. So cute!

With Halloween just a week away, we can’t wait to see what the Ledesma family has in store for this year’s celebration.

What do you think of their costumes, moms? Do you also make themed outfits? Share it with us in the comments!