FUN STUFF

Don't Buy Your Halloween Costume -
Make It!

By Lauren, age 19, California
Sweet Designs Featured Writer

The leaves are changing, days are getting short, and time is pressing for a costume for the upcoming Halloween party of the year ... but you are broke. Or maybe you just don't want a costume that everyone else will have or everyone has seen. Don't fret. Just open up your closet and you will be surprised at what you can come up with.

Each year my university has an event called Superhero Bowling. Everyone is always pressed for money with school just starting up and with many other events around the corner. Spending tons of money on a store bought costume isn't an option. So here are a few of our tips. I even have a few costume ideas for you and a few group ideas for you and your friends to do together.

Tips

1. First decide what you want to be.

2. Search on the internet for a picture of your character, person, or item you would like to be, or use your imagination if this costume is a fiction of your imagination.

3. Open your closet and pull out items that you feel match or symbolize the costume you are creating.

4. Try things on, especially if you have friends around. Someone may realize they have something that you don't have that would work perfectly with your costume.

5. Be creative - think outside of the box.


This year my friends and I did just this when as a hall we decided to get creative with the Batman characters and villains. We got so creative that we had 12 different characters and had run out of bodies for more characters. We had everyone from Batman to Alfred Pennyworth (the butler). We even changed Mr. Freeze to Ms. Freeze to fit a girl.


I myself chose to do Harley Quinn (aka the Joker's love interest). She is a later villain in the Batman series. Making my costume was actually fairly cheap. Many of you will realize the items I used are things you probably have lying around your house, and if not they will cost you very little.

My Costume Item List

Red dress
Black leggings
Black heels
White and black face paint
Black lipstick
White gloves
White ribbon
Black felt
Black eye shadow
Deck of cards
Safety pins
Black and white necklace

Cost of Items

Black leggings, heels, red dress, safety pin, black eye shadow, ribbon, necklace: Free
White gloves: $7.00
Lipstick and felt: Each under $1.00
Face paint: $6.00
Total: About $15.00

Costume Design Needs

Cut 4 diamonds
Safety pin diamonds to lower part of dress
Paint face white
Paint black circles around eyes
Apply black lipstick

Total Group Outcome

(All costumes were closet-owned items, minus paint, felt, and a few accessories.)


Top: Pennyworth, Riddler, Ms. Freeze.
Bottom: Catwoman, Batgirl, Robin, Harley Quinn (me), Joker


Top: The Huntress, Batman (minus mask), Ms. Freeze, Joker, Robin, Batgirl.
Bottom: Riddler, Poison Ivy, Harley Quinn


Left to right: Poison Ivy, Joker, Joker, Ms. Freeze, Robin, Riddler, Batgirl, Harley Quinn



Here are some other cheap costume ideas people I know have done that can be made by either guys or girls or even a unisex group:

Super Glue

White shirt paints cardboard hat with cotton ball top to look like glue is coming out.

Captain Planet and the Planteers

My friends did this and found all their needed items at a thrift store and their closets, minus rings and face paint

Risky Business

White shirts, black shorts, white socks, red lipstick, and sunglasses.
Money spent: $1.00 on bright red lipstick

Pacman and/or Ms Pacman and Ghosts

Large cardboard boxes, paint, string, and black leggings or pants.

A Who from the Grinch and Mr. Grinch

Who - Hair spray and crazy outfits
Grinch - Green face paint, green hairspray paint, green clothes, and red lipstick


So now that I have given you some doable-at-home costumes, let's get creative! Don't be the one at the party without a costume because of money or lack of ideas.

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