Frugal Halloween Costume Ideas
Halloween is a magical time of year when...oh...isn't that how Christmas is supposed to be? Actually, Halloween is the second biggest holiday in North America. When I say biggest, I of course am referring to overall, not just the cash we spend.
A very big expense at Halloween is the costumes. While I have a lavish supply of costumes from all my years living in New Orleans, LA, not everyone is so lucky. So, here are a few ideas for easy peasy lemon squeezy costumes that are fairly low cost and appropriate for all age groups.
Mummy - Old TP works well here. But you can upgrade it (read spend more money) and use rolls of streamers made from crinkled tissue paper. Try alternating between white, off-white and light grey for a great effect. (unisex, ageless, low-cost)
Psycho - So easy. Just put on normal cloths and stick one of those "Hello My Name is" stickers on and fill it in with Psycho written as insanely as you can muster. (unisex, ageless, low-cost)
'80s Pop Star - Simply sling on some skinny jeans and ...oh my, today's fashions are '80s fashions. Makes that easier. Then for gals, tease the hair and get it big. Clunky bright colored jewelry is a must. For guys, a fauxlette (fake mullet) is fairly easy to accomplish with some hair gell or slick back to go for the old Yuppie look. (Male/Female, ageless, low-cost)
Greek/Roman - If you are willing to part with a plain, solid colored sheet, you've got a toga! More people will recognize your costume if you go for the white fabric. But all colors were used so go crazy! Here is how to make a toga, just ignore all the frat/sorority references.. (unisex, ageless, inexpensive)
But for those of you trying to score points with me, go with my time-held favorite, the Zombie.
Zombie - Dig out your junky clothes, the ones you save for cleaning or heavy working. Feel free to splatter fake blood and mud on the clothes. This should be done beforehand to get the realistic Zombie feel. Now, muss up your hair. Nice right? Might want to use a bit of hairspray to get it to stay that dead way. Last, but not least is your make-up. Everyone has their own skill with makeup. But the easiest is a bit of the palest face powder you can get liberally applied to all your exposed body bits. Grey eyeshadow is your next best friend here. Experiment by adding little amounts around the eyes using a makeup brush. Now, using a blush brush, create some drama and hollowed out cheeks by sweeping the grey eyeshadow under your cheekbones. The optional grey eyeshadow mixed with some petroleum jelly for the lips is completely optional. For gals, whom are really into the Zombie look, I have found doing my makeup as normal save for the paling myself out and then smudging my eyeliner and lipstick to be very dramatic and Zombie-ish. For the more adventurous, slashing oneself artfully with fake blood really adds to the Zombieness. More adventurous sorts can also secure fake wounds that are adhered to the body. (unisex, ageless, inexpensive)
So, what will you, your kids (if you have any) be dressing up as this Halloween?
A very big expense at Halloween is the costumes. While I have a lavish supply of costumes from all my years living in New Orleans, LA, not everyone is so lucky. So, here are a few ideas for easy peasy lemon squeezy costumes that are fairly low cost and appropriate for all age groups.
Mummy - Old TP works well here. But you can upgrade it (read spend more money) and use rolls of streamers made from crinkled tissue paper. Try alternating between white, off-white and light grey for a great effect. (unisex, ageless, low-cost)
Psycho - So easy. Just put on normal cloths and stick one of those "Hello My Name is" stickers on and fill it in with Psycho written as insanely as you can muster. (unisex, ageless, low-cost)
'80s Pop Star - Simply sling on some skinny jeans and ...oh my, today's fashions are '80s fashions. Makes that easier. Then for gals, tease the hair and get it big. Clunky bright colored jewelry is a must. For guys, a fauxlette (fake mullet) is fairly easy to accomplish with some hair gell or slick back to go for the old Yuppie look. (Male/Female, ageless, low-cost)
Greek/Roman - If you are willing to part with a plain, solid colored sheet, you've got a toga! More people will recognize your costume if you go for the white fabric. But all colors were used so go crazy! Here is how to make a toga, just ignore all the frat/sorority references.. (unisex, ageless, inexpensive)
But for those of you trying to score points with me, go with my time-held favorite, the Zombie.
Zombie - Dig out your junky clothes, the ones you save for cleaning or heavy working. Feel free to splatter fake blood and mud on the clothes. This should be done beforehand to get the realistic Zombie feel. Now, muss up your hair. Nice right? Might want to use a bit of hairspray to get it to stay that dead way. Last, but not least is your make-up. Everyone has their own skill with makeup. But the easiest is a bit of the palest face powder you can get liberally applied to all your exposed body bits. Grey eyeshadow is your next best friend here. Experiment by adding little amounts around the eyes using a makeup brush. Now, using a blush brush, create some drama and hollowed out cheeks by sweeping the grey eyeshadow under your cheekbones. The optional grey eyeshadow mixed with some petroleum jelly for the lips is completely optional. For gals, whom are really into the Zombie look, I have found doing my makeup as normal save for the paling myself out and then smudging my eyeliner and lipstick to be very dramatic and Zombie-ish. For the more adventurous, slashing oneself artfully with fake blood really adds to the Zombieness. More adventurous sorts can also secure fake wounds that are adhered to the body. (unisex, ageless, inexpensive)
So, what will you, your kids (if you have any) be dressing up as this Halloween?
0 comments:
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. Stay frugal!