# Great costume with little or no money?



## Lainie (Sep 19, 2009)

Hi everyone, was just telling someone on this forum how you don't need a lot of money to create a great costume....after all isn't Halloween all about fun (and candy)? LOL

For example, my favorite Pirate costume of 2002 was my husbands big white shirt, my own black pants and brown boots. I found a great red velvet remnant at the fabric store for a sash and I got cheap accessories at the party store to finish it off, eye patch, gold hoop earring and a pouch for gold. I got a lot of compliments that year!

Anyone else have any other great ideas?? I'm sure there are tons...


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

Zombie: 
Old clothes - either already owned or from resale, ripped and worn. Basic makeup (white or green with some shading), mess up hair, and practice walking with a slow unsteady gait and an unfocused stare and you've got a very decent costume for almost nothing.


Vampire:
Fangs that fit over your canines like Scarecrows are great, but you can find a cheaper option at Walgreens for under $10 (they work similarly fitting over the canines - NOT the silly fangs like children get with the hinged piece) if you're trying to stay within a budget. Add some dramatic pale makeup, dressy clothes with some antique-looking (costume) jewelry and some fake blood dripped from the mouth. Of course, with the Twilight series, you could just wear street clothes and put on some body glitter and say "I'm a vampire! Ooooh scary!" 

Surgeon/nurse (lots of variations you could do here)
You can find cheap scrubs at places like Garden Ridge or even Walgreens sometimes - but they are easily located in stores near hospitals too. Under $15 in my area. You could do just a regular nice doctor or nurse (finding a toy stethescope should be TOO hard, but it's not essential to the costume).
OR you could be an evil crazy doctor/nurse with blood all over you, evil makeup, 
OR you could be a SWINE flu nurse: add a pig nose and one of those big joke shot syringes you should be able to fine at the party stores

Doing something like a time era should also be easy - especially for women since their clothes reflect style changes a bit more than the guys. Local thrift stores might have some cool 70s or 80 things that were popular from the different years...


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## TheCostumer (Oct 12, 2008)

Inexpensive Martha Stewart

The MS wig and MS apron both cost about $45.










The blouse, skirt, shoes and necklace from a thrift shop ran about $18.00










I have to wear support hose on one of my legs so my pair of support hose became the stockings.

About $63.00 total for this whole outfit.

Also these are REAL clothes and not some cheaply made costume fabric.

I have been recommended to throw my own costume party and dress as Martha mixing drinks and passing around hor'deurves!

Sounds good to me!

TC


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## Lainie (Sep 19, 2009)

LOVE those ideas! Thanks guys!


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## LordMoe (Aug 28, 2009)

designbymaj said:


> Hey I comepletely I agree this is Halloween not Christmas, this holiday is not about money, I found http://www.******************.com they have a lot of really cheap stuff, I just ordered a bunch of cheap stuff and put things together, its a great site


I can't see the site


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## Lainie (Sep 19, 2009)

I know! I can't see it either....it's starred out


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## BooCoop (Sep 17, 2009)

Yeah, I too noticed that it wasn't visible. I decided not to click on it for that reason.... seamed a little odd to me. This person has only posted a few times and they have the same site listed in the other posts.


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## Frankie's Girl (Aug 27, 2007)

It's starred out because it's a spammer post.


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## Mazzucco (Oct 15, 2009)

Grab a pile of clothes you don't like....


..toss heaps of fake blood on them...


..when people ask what you're dressed as, tell them you didn't dress up this year.


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## Booterbunz (Sep 24, 2004)

I just scored big at Value Village today. I got the ugliest and best fitting crimson polyester pant suit for $7.50. The jacket and pants feel great and I'm thrilled about that and at that price, I don't have any issues with destroying it so I can be a zombie. I also picked up an off white brand new blouse at old navy for $1.50. So, for $9 my outfit is done! I'm going to go bury my clothes for a couple of days now.....


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## Comfortkittie (Oct 15, 2009)

Maybe a body stocking and one piece nude color and sew stitches on it.. add blood over sewn areas..Add clothes that are torn to add to the zombie look. I've seen this done last year and it was freakishly realistic. I loved it!


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## Booterbunz (Sep 24, 2004)

Comfortkittie, what do you mean body stocking? LOL This sounds interesting...


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## The Amazing K (Oct 16, 2009)

I was going to make a Greek Goddess Costume.. short toga dress with gold thick string or thin ribbon sinced at the waiste, then I was going to buy gold ivy for my hair and voila! The whole thing was going to cost maybe $10!


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## Spats (Sep 21, 2006)

The classic Ghost.

There's a couple of tricks that make the sheet work really well that few people bother with. One, use a couple of tiny tacking stitches and put a white stocking cap or pantyhose inside. This gives you an elastic, form-fitting headpiece inside the sheet to keep it from slipping.

Two, get some hair bands, the elastic kind you can buy in bunches at Walgreen, the sort you use for ponytails. Whip-stitch those about where the wrist would be, and slip your hands into them.

Now the sheet doesn't slip, the biggest issue with this costume.

Think it's not scary? Ever throw the bedsheet over your head and moan, only to have the wife hurl everything in the room at you until she is convinced it's still you under there?
Remember, it worked for Michael Myers.

The trick is to say nothing. Stand around and stare at people.
It works, trust me.


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## Comfortkittie (Oct 15, 2009)

Booterbunz said:


> Comfortkittie, what do you mean body stocking? LOL This sounds interesting...


I think it's like dancewear. Some have v necks and others are crew. 


Here is a link for one I've found that's inexpensive. 
Body Stocking (Nude) :: Gloves Tights & Pantyhose :: Accessories :: PartyWithThis.com


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## Comfortkittie (Oct 15, 2009)

I hope they don't think I'm spaming for a site. HA!.. I just didn't know how to explain it without you seeing it for yourself.


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## hallowlady (Oct 19, 2009)

Here are a couple links where I think the costumes would be really cheap to make, and funny too!

Hillbillies!
Anchor Man
Little Rascals

OMG - check out the "freezer head" - creative!
That site seems to have a lot more cool stuff too.

Hope that helps!
Thanks!
HallowLady


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## Mindcrime (Sep 6, 2004)

Comfortkittie said:


> Maybe a body stocking and one piece nude color and sew stitches on it.. add blood over sewn areas..Add clothes that are torn to add to the zombie look. I've seen this done last year and it was freakishly realistic. I loved it!


I'd love to see a picture of this idea. Sounds creepy and innovative.


I find myself on an unusually tight budget this Halloween, so with no extra money to apply towards props or materials, I am left to my own devices. Since I try to never wear the same costume twice in a row, I am scaring on the cheap this year. 

I've never done a Grim Reaper before, as I always felt they were either too easy or too numerous, but desperate times call for deviant costumes. All it requires is a black cloak and a skull mask, materials I already own. But it must have a unique angle, yes?

So I am creating 3 or 4 static reapers as well. A simple lashed-wooden tripod frame, covered in black cloaks like mine, and identical masks. I will then stand amongst them, hidden in plain sight. I will have spent a little extra effort, but no money, to create what I hope will be an effectively terrifying technique.


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## spookie13 (Oct 22, 2009)

Not sure if this has already suggested but last year I had to do a very last minute costume for a friend. I bought a kellogs variety pack, stuck the packets to a white T shirt, added old jeans and a fake cleaver then splatterd fake blood all over, one very quick "cereal" killer


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## Lainie (Sep 19, 2009)

ooooooh Mindcrime that sounds totally cool!

LOL spookie, that's cute


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