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A frugal Halloween: homemade costumes
Author: Ashley7 Oct
Not the Jet Set wrote about how to save money on Halloween today. I left a comment about how I loved to have homemade costumes as a kid. If done right they are way cooler than store bought plastic masks and ill fitting thin fabric jumpsuits.
Here are some things I’ve been over the years…
Pipi Longstocking: This one was my favorite. I had long hair and my mom untwisted a wire hanger and made a frame to braid my hair around. It went over my head like a head band and then straight out at the sides. She braided my hair around the wire so I had a braid sticking out the each side of my head. Then she used the spray on hair paint to paint it red. I wore a plaid skirt, a misbuttoned sweater, and mismatched socks. It was a big hit!
A UFO: I went through an alien loving stage in about second grade. What can I say? I cardboard box painted like a UFO was all I needed that year.
A clown: A clown wig, big shoes, crazy clothes, and lots of face paint. Easy enough.
A Hobo: Some mismatched dirty looking clothes, some paint to make your face look dirty, mess up your hair, maybe even a stick with a bag tied to the end for the final touch.
A lamp on a table: I made this costume myself. I took two half circles of cardboard and put them around my waist to make a table. A long table cloth to cover the cardboard and my legs. I wore a big sweatshirt that I stuffed around my belly to give me kind of a lamp shape. And, of course, a lampshade on my head. I should have painted my face yellow like a light bulb. I didn’t think of that til just now. lol.
I know there were others but those are the ones that stick out in my memory the most. I really want to make my son’s costume this year. He is only 2, he doesn’t care what he dresses up as. Last year he was a puppy, the year before that he was Yoda. I kinda want him to be a pirate this year. Arrr Matey! I’ll have to think of what I can do for that. I’ve gotten as far as an eye patch.
Help me out. What are some home made costumes that you’ve loved? How did you make them?
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10 Responses for "A frugal Halloween: homemade costumes"
Two cheap costumes I’ve made were:
A Big Game Hunter. I got a red flannel shirt, an orange hat, an orange vest and a toy rifle. Total cost was like $6… everything was purchased at Wal-Mart.
A tourist. I put on a baseball cap, a t-shirt, shorts, black socks and sandals. I put my digital camera around my neck and walked around with a tour book for Disneyworld. This was free as I already had everything.
How funny. I actually went as a hobo once!
Glad you like the post.
cheers!
Mark: Oh a tourist! That’s a good one. I think I might do that for myself this year. Should have everything.
I was Pippi Longstocking when I was a kid, too. I think that was one of my favorite costumes. I’ve also been a hobo clown and a baby (wear pajamas, carry baby doll).
I don’t know how “cheep” it was the best costumes i remember were the ones my mother made me. One year she made me a Lion, to this day still my favorite. Wish I had it for my kids.
I know she did more than that one but it is the only one that stands out in my mind.
I’ve always made my own Halloween costumes. It helps to be able to sew, but even if you don’t it’s usually pretty easy to put something together from ‘normal’ clothes. For the same price as some of the store bought costumes, I can make something with a bit better quality.
From recent years: A Geisha, Harley Quinn and Joker, victorian Vampire (for my fiancee, he had an awesome frock coat), Drow (a dark elf for those non D&D/fantasy people). This year I’m doing a classic 1940’s pinup girl and he’s going as the photographer (with trench, fedora and camera)
[...] WideOpenWallet gives us a post with frugal costume ideas [...]
[...] Speaking of holidays, Ashley presents A frugal Halloween: homemade costumes [...]
When JC was little, I did a tiger - black sweats (top and bottom) with orange felt stripes and a white tummy basted on, black felt ears on a headband and face paint whiskers. I made a temporary tail from a felt sprial and just safety pinned it on to the waistband of the bottoms.
You could do a black cat without the stripes, too. Very cute for the under 5 set. Or a yellow lion with a mane made of raveled out fabric or yarn attached to a hoodie top. And after Halloween, you can take off the tail/stripes/yarn and have perfectly good play clothes from the sweats!
That Pippi Longstocking idea is brilliant, with the hangers.
I’ve gone as a black box (cardboard box covered with garbage bags), Jamaican Joe (borrow a friend’s Jamaican jumpsuit and wear fake dreadlocks), a hobo, and a rapper (green jumpsuit with big plastic gold chains).
Here are some other good VERY CHEAP Halloween ideas:
http://www.ecojoes.com/how-to-have-a-green-halloween-a-hallogreen-if-you-will/
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