Submitted by Susan Simandle and Caryn Mears, Kentucky; Kennewick, Washington

Idea posted November 8, 2005

Idea #1

  1. One year we had t-shirts made. On the front of the t-shirt it said, "North Pole Express" and the back, "Midnight Delivery Guaranteed." We stamped holly and present images on the front to individualize each shirt. The total cost was $11 per shirt. In addition to the t-shirts, students wore brown fuzzy antlers.
  2. Last year, we bought men's undershirts - plain white ones - from a dollar store. We sponged the front and back of the shirts brown and wore brown fuzzy antlers.
  3. This year, we're thinking about undershirts again but this time with a reindeer design stamped on the front. We'll also wear brown fuzzy antlers. (You can get holiday stamps at craft stores. You use a flat brush to paint the stamp, then press it on the material. Be sure to practice first.)

- Susan Simandle, Kentucky

Idea #2

When I needed the entire chorus to be in reindeer costume, I made a bib pattern cut on the fold of brown felt. It was probably about 18 inches long, but you can measure a student to get an idea of how long you need the bibs to be. Then I cut a semi-circle out where the neck would be. Each bib was pinned at the neck. I bought three different shades of brown, beige, and tan, so that each class was a different color. Then I used red or green construction paper and cut out bows, added glitter, and used a hot glue gun to put a bow at the top of each bib. The students wore white t-shirts and dark pants, and they looked adorable!

- Caryn Mears; Kennewick, Washington