Prize-winning, corny creations

Molly Shore

Local artist Holly Cleeland has some unique ideas for children’s

Halloween costumes and her ideas are so good that Sterling Publishers

of New York has commissioned her to write a book, “How to Build

Prize-Winning Costumes.”

“I would do costumes for my nieces and nephews and neighborhood

kids that would win contests,” Cleeland said. As the youngest of five

children, Cleeland said she has been an aunt since she was 10.

“As each one has a kid, I’ve done all the costumes,” she said.

Her creations include a lobster, a box of popcorn, a race car, a

cupcake, a spider, and fireworks.

“The stuff I’m doing now, I wanted to do when I was a kid,” she

said.

Cleeland’s artistic bent began early. She designed yearbook covers

for what was then John Muir Junior High School, and for Burbank High

School. She continued her art education at L.A. Trade Tech where she

learned signage and graphics.

Cleeland, who appeared on “The Rosie O’Donnell Show” two years ago

with some of her designs, said the costumes are made out of ordinary

household items, such as paper cups and plates, metal tomato screens,

tortilla warmers and even marshmallows.

“I did this corn on the cob that was really popular on Rosie. The

marshmallows are sprayed yellow, and they look like [corn] kernels.”

After the show, a woman called Cleeland to tell her that she used

the designs to outfit her family when they rode on a float in their

hometown Harvest Festival. The woman and her husband were black crows

and their children were scarecrows and corn on the cob.

The artist is looking for an ethnically diverse group of children

from 5 to 11 to model the costumes for her book, which will be

published in different languages and sold throughout the world.

Anyone interested in modeling Cleeland’s costumes should call

845-9868.