Prices of Halloween attire are scary. A set of false teeth, long hair wig and face make-up adds up. Elaborate disguises can range anywhere from £15 to £150 per outfit. There is no reason why the annual day of spookiness and treats have to drain the bank account. For adults or children, there are a plethora of options to make a unique Halloween vision on the cheap side.
Take a look around the household and you may be surprised how a box or discarded clothing can make an amazing outfit for a Halloween event. Here are a few ideas on how to transform everyday recycled material into a cost effective costume.
Human Lego
Remember playing with Legos as a child? The Lego Movie was a huge hit and quite popular with the young and older crowd. Take a cardboard box and cut holes for the head and arms. Find craft circular shaped boxes. Paint boxes any color. Wear same colored shirt and pants as boxes.
Bubble Gum Machine Person
Who could forget begging mom for a quarter for a sweet treat? The anticipation of the hard candy dropping in the dispenser and wondering what color would pop out. To achieve this look, blow up left over multi-colored balloons from a birthday party. Put in clear garbage bag and tie around torso or glue on a white shirt. Wear a red skirt or paint a cardboard box and add tin foil for the coin slot. Find a red hat to complete the look.
Babe Magnet
Many men enjoy dressing up for Halloween in funny themed costumes. Do you have left over containers of old Barbie Dolls? Any old shirt will work. Secure the dolls on a shirt with glue or tape. Make lipstick kiss marks on face and shirt to finish the charming cad vision.
Tin Man
He didn’t have heart but the Wizard of Oz character is heartwarming. Paint a worn out pair of jeans and shirt a shade of silver. Find kitchen funnel and paint same shade of silver. Take tin foil and wrap it around arms.
Audrey Hepburn
She is a beautiful starlet of the silver screen. Breakfast at Tiffany’s is still iconic. Do you have a sleeveless black dress that hasn’t been worn in years? Wear it and add a string of pearls. Put hair in a fancy bun and add a tiara.
Tissue Box
Invited last minute to a party? No fear! Take a cardboard box and make an opening for head and arms. Paint the box a blue or pastel shade. Use a black marker write out the word tissue. Glue tissue wrap around the box.
Clown
This is for the funny person in your crowd who doesn’t want to be a sexy kitty or terrifying monster. Use an old pillowcase with a wild pattern and cut holes for head and the arms. Use lipstick on cheeks and nose to create a funny blushing clown.
If these examples don’t strike your fancy, here are some good strategies to help the creative process.
1. Go thrifting. A second hand store is a gold mine of odds and ends on the cheap. From vintage clothing to old toys the possibilities are endless. There are ugly sweaters and donated costumes.
2. Dig through closets and basements. The house needed to be cleaned anyway. Sort through boxes to find material to reuse for costume parts.
3. Gear up for next year. Keep boxes, foil, paper, etc aside for another Halloween. It is never too early to start planning out the next masterpiece. Help a relative clean out their closets. It is a wonderful way give a hand plus there may be hidden gems to be unearthed.
4. Use YouTube for instructional videos on how to create costumes. There are a variety of tutorials available for the crafting novice.
Halloween is a day for tricks, treats and scares. However, being creative for the party doesn’t have to scare money from the wallet. Every amount saved could be put towards something more important. The extra benefit is recycling items that may have been tossed away. Showing how innovative and financial savvy you can be is always a treat for everyone.
