It doesn’t matter if you are dressing yourself or a gaggle of kids up for the Halloween holiday, making your own costume is the way to go. Personally, I prefer these over the store-bought versions, but there are pros and cons to both. The nice thing about DIY costumes is that you are able to tailor it to meet your needs, and that’s only possible when you piece it together using your own creativity. Using your own ideas enables you to have your costume become a custom design, rather than just one way.
To begin, you need to know what you are going to be dressing up as or you could also think of a theme. Sometimes it isn’t all about being someone, but being about a time period or just an object. It’s important to have it drawn up or to have a very firm concept in your mind of what you are looking for. Need help with an idea? Surf the web, there are unlimited possibilities out there.
If you want to dress up as a character, say in a gangster costume, always check your closets first. Many times, old clothing items make the best costumes. When dressing up as an objects, say an alarm clock, scour the garage for old boxes and unused cans of spray paint. By using things you have handy, you’ll save money, since these items will add up and could still cost high dollar amounts in the end.
After finding what pieces you have to work with, thrift stores are wonderlands for shopping and finding inexpensive things to add. Sometimes color doesn’t even matter. For a Snow White ensemble one year, I bought white pumps and spray painted them bright yellow to work with what I was doing. Experiment, manipulate, and make them your own to be just what you need. Some thrift stores even carry wigs that aren’t as expensive as the store-bought versions.
Don’t forget the accessories! Things like belts, purses, hats, gloves, jewelry and boots can make your look like one of the best! Make-up can be time consuming, but in the end, the look you achieve is well worth it.
Don’t overspend when it comes to your Halloween get-up, do it yourself and you’ll love the looks on everyone’s faces when you blow them away…especially when they learn how little you spent on your amazing outfit!
Emma Rae Curtis is a costume/dressing up/makeup & accessories expert. She mainly writes about Halloween but also about all things costume and dress-up related.
