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Halloween Week: Over 300 Budget-Friendly DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Aly Hess
Aly Hess
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
All Your Money
  • #budget-friendly
  • #DIY
  • #Halloween Week
  • #holidays

Crafting a homemade Halloween costume has some major perks. First and foremost, you can save big bucks making it yourself. In addition, it's a guarantee that you won't bump into anyone at the biggest party of the season (or while trick-or-treating) wearing exactly the same thing. Budget-friendly and one-of-a-kind. Win-win!

Couple dressed as Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter

But where to get started? Here are a few steps you'll want to take if you plan to make your own Halloween costume this year:

1. Find your inspiration. Consider what direction you'd like to go in. A comic-book character? A well-known celebrity? Will you and your significant other want to have some kind of theme? Think about your favorite books, TV shows, movies, famous celebrities (dead or alive), and passions. List them out, then determine which of them you think will be the easiest to work with.

2. Decide on two to three major, identifying factors of the character you've chosen. Above, you can see that I decided to be Rosie the Riveter last year. I determined that the key elements I'd need for people to automatically identify me as this character were: A red head scarf, a denim shirt, and some pinned-up bangs. (Oh, and some attitude.) If you had to describe the character (or object/place/thing) you've chosen to someone who has never heard of him/her/it, what descriptors would you use? Incorporate those!

3. Use what you've got at home. Chances are, you have some of the major staples on hand already. Raid your closets, storage bins, and the rest of your home for as many pieces as you can. Next, call up your friends and family who may have items that'll help you out and ask if you can borrow them. Get creative and remember that the articles you come up with don't have to be exact replicas of what you're going for.

4. Visit thrift shops and dollar stores. For the pieces you just can't find at home, take a thrifting trip. Remember to keep an open mind. You might have to alter and add to articles in order to get them looking like you envision. You don't have to be an expert designer or sewer - just break out the scissors and safety pins! For any make-up or extras that you'll need to buy new, purchase them at a dollar store - especially if you won't be using them on a regular basis, or plan to toss them out after Halloween.

5. Don't be afraid to make it your own. So, you've got every other element just right, but can't find the same color pants, the same exact prop, or get your hair to curl the same exact way as the character that inspired you. It's okay to stray away! Halloween is your chance to add your own spin to the villain, the hero, the rockstar, or the inanimate object that you wish to portray. Have fun and go for it!

Over 300 DIY Halloween Costume Ideas

Need a little inspiration? Here are over 300 ideas to get you started!

Happy costume-making, readers!

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