Believe it or not, with our favorite day of the year still several months away.... recently, I've been getting lots of e-mails about homemade Halloween costumes. It seems that a lot of us out there aren't real fans of the store bought costumes. And not everyone wants to be a sexy maid or devil, am I right? Or maybe you don't have a lot of spare time to sew or craft a Martha Stewart-worthy costume.
Remember when making your own costume was fun? After all...we just want to get a few oohs and aahhs when we walk in to the party.
Ok, so I'm gonna help you out. Here are my "Top 10 To-The-Rescue Costume Ideas":
Hit by Lightning
Just wear jeans and a sweatshirt. Make a with large yellow felt zigzag pinned or sewn to the back, blackened zigzag tears here and there, hair gelled to stand straight up, black burnt marks on cheeks.
Another idea: Be a “Jogger Hit By Lightning” by wearing a sweat suit or running shorts instead of jeans.
Fairy Godfather
You can buy cheap fairy wings and a wand and that’s all! Ok guys, just wear a pair of jeans, a black or white tee shirt and a baseball cap. Put on the wings and carry a cigar, and put your magic wand in your back pocket! I have to admit, The Count has used this costume a few times, and it was a hit!
Bag of Trash
This is one of the "fastest" costumes you can make in no time...and be out the door to the party. Make two leg holes is a large sized trash bag. Then step into the bag, then add balls of crumpled newspaper to hold a round shape. Make two armholes in each side and secure around the neck.
Tourist
Just dig in the closet for a few things. A Hawaiian shirt or other loud clothes, camera, hat with pins all over it, maps sticking out of pockets, sunglasses. Easy. Good as a couples costume, too.
Titanic Survivor or Passenger
Pin plastic seaweed and fake aquarium plants to your clothes and wear long strands in your hair. Shred the arms and pockets of an old shirt, overlay with a shredded vest and wear over tattered trousers or a long skirt with a torn hem. Wet look fabric is a bonus. Make a long necklace or belt from a thick length of hemp rope; unravel the rope ends for best effect, and attach a toy sailboat. Hot glue polished pennies or fake gold coins (bags of gold chocolate coins are great) in strategic places. A fake fish or two sticking out of a pocket completes the ensemble.
To be a Titanic Passenger: Wear the costume described above, but add ghost or skeleton face makeup.
Miss. America
Finally! A use for those brides maids dresses! Use a old bridesmaid or formal dress, add a pair of gloves, a tiara, some over sized jewelry, and heels. For the banner, use a piece of wide ribbon, and write "Miss. America" in glitter with glue.
A Spy
For this quick Halloween costume, wear a trench coat, dark glasses and a hat pulled down over your eyes. Carry a small camera and pretend to take pictures surreptitiously. How fun and you’ll get lots of great party pictures!
This one you might need to be a bit crafty....but not too much. Just go to your favorite thrift store, get a jacket and skirt. Then head over to the craft store and buy a few black birds. Attach the birds to the outfit with hot glue and a glue gun (or sew them on for added strength) Put on some torn nylons and a pair of pumps. Add a bird to your hair with some bobby pins and put some fake blood on your cheek, your knee and splash some on your suit! If you add a blond wig.....you could be Melanie from “The Birds”!
Pizza Delivery Driver
Wear a matching color hat and tee shirt and carry a pizza box. So easy, it’s not even funny..... If you have time, make a pizza logo out of felt for your hat and shirt, and attach with fabric glue.
Butcher
All you need for this is a few props you probably have around the house. Wear a white tee shirt and jeans, get a white apron, and splash some red paint on the apron. Carry a meat cleaver (be sure to tape off the blade with gray duct tape.... to be safe) and maybe a string of sausages around your neck. (But don’t be out too late, you might start to get smelly!)
Now that you can breathe a sigh of relief, make yourself a cup of tea and relax... we got this covered!
