The Polar Express Costume

It feels like Christmas everyday at our house, thanks to Gehrig's LOVE for the Polar Express. From daily viewings of the movie, car rides with the soundtrack, and our bedtime routine revolving around the book, it's safe to say our family is obsessed! It's been the theme for every birthday and we hum the tunes in our sleep, and dream of train whistles! When we asked Gehrig what he wanted to be for Halloween we should have known his immediate response was going to be "the Polar Express." My husband and I immediately put our heads together and knew we had to go big or go home with this concept! Especially with Gehrig knowing every single detail of this train!

We started with making a trip to the local liquor store (classy, I know), we knew that we could get free left over boxes from them. After lots of duck tape and careful cuts, we had our base to work with! We used poster board for the rounded sides and top flap. The front grill was perhaps the trickiest part, but thankfully my husband is handy with cardboard and an exacto knife, and has the patience of a Saint! We attached it with more tape and carefully braced pop-cycle sticks! The wheels are paper plates facened with brads, and the wheel connector is just a paint mixing stick! The "face" is made from paper cups and even has a working led flashlight for the headlight in the middle!! After we had it assembled, we spray painted and spray painted! Once it was dry, we added the gold letters and straps! Nothing beat Gehrigs face when it was done! His clothes were the easy part! It only took one trip to the local thrift store for the suit and shoes! My dad lent him his beloved John Wayne pocket watch, we added a hole puncher, the glasses, and the only "big" purchase, was the $9.00 Amazon conductor hat! Last but not least, the penciled in mustache!