We’ve been watching all the Star Wars movies, getting ready for Rise of Skywalker in December. I had thought that Juniper was a little too young to really follow what was going on. Me and Otis watched and talked about the plot and June just chattered to herself excitedly.

Then I realized that she was breathing heavily and grinning like a maniac every time Vader was on screen. June’s Halloween costume was decided right then.

I made the main helmet structure out of cardboard and painter’s tape. Then I added a layer of papier-mâché:

Added bonus: one of the newspaper strips had my name on it! I pasted it on, front and center:

Then we got some high-gloss black lacquer spray paint:

Everything was coming together! I bought some black clothes from the thrift store, made a cape out of a black fleece blanket, and constructed a chest plate out of project foam. The only thing left was to put the helmet on the kid:

This was easier said than done. Though intrigued, June was pretty reluctant to stick her whole head inside the “scary mask.” Otis tried it on to show her that there was nothing to worry about:

Mom took a turn too:

(Not sure that helped…)

In the end, the helmet went unworn:

It served a brief but honorable career as a candy bucket when June and I braved the torrential rain to trick or treat next door and across the street. When we got home, though, it was replaced with a “thas a my punkin bucket!”