See the crafty, thrifty winners of our Value Village costume contest

Dear Minding the Store readers, the Halloween spirit is alive and well amongst you!

A big thank you to everyone who entered the Value Village gift certificate contest! Your entries were clever, hilarious and spooky and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

I chose the two winning entries based on their creativity, inspired use of a wide variety of materials (both used and new), and for having a spark of inventiveness and humor.

Winner number one is Chris Shindle from Renton, who created a Mad Hatter costume a la Tim Burton, using new and used materials to such resounding success that I think he looks like Johnny Depp himself, no?

His jacket, collared shirt, vest, pants and tea cup are all used and his scarf, handkerchief and wig are new. He created his impressive hat from poster board, foamcore and fabric and borrowed a leather belt, yarn and 13 spools of thread to create a “thread arsenal.”

The other winner is Twila Zard from Snohomish, who included the whole family in her evil plan. Dad was transformed into Frankenstein by tattering an old suit and adding face paint and green monster hands. Twila (mom) took a used white coat and splattered it with fake blood and gore to become a Mad Scientist. One daughter was the Mummy wrapped in a shredded tea-dyed sheet, and another daughter was Igor, assistant to mom’s Mad Scientist, with a torn men’s shirt tied with rope, green-and-black tights and spooky face paint.

Runners-up included a pile of laundry (genius), a pair of enthusiastic Sea Gals and the female characters from the board game Clue.

Thanks again to everyone who wrote in and I hope you all have a frightful Halloween.

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