No money: check. Creative idea: check. A desire to create an at-home Halloween costume: check.
Every October, the thought of what to dress up as becomes a topic of conversation for those who celebrate the festive occasion that is Halloween. There has been a rise in homemade costumes over the years, especially among college-age students who want to be original in costume choices and also save money. To ensure a do-it-yourself costume comes together without problems, follow these steps:
1. Decisions. Deciding what to dress up as is the most important part. Will the costume have a theme? Will it be part of a group ensemble? Should puns be used to create a tongue-in-cheek costume? These are all important factors in planning stages of a creating homemade Halloween costume.
2. Research. Once an idea is chosen, where to start is the next challenge. A simple Google search will yield plenty of results. The truth is, no matter how original the idea is, someone somewhere has already thought of it and completed the hard work.
There are plenty of research options to help. How-to videos and do-it-yourself websites will help find what is needed. This will also help in creating character costumes.
Often, there are many different versions or specific outfits that people may have in mind for a specific character.
3. Gathering materials. At this point, you know what you want to dress up as; you know how to assemble the outfit. Make sure to not forget about any props or elements that require additional assembly like adding glitter to already existing elements.
4. Test run. Now that the outfit has been chosen, necessary items have been researched and materials gathered, give it a test run to make sure that the ensemble comes together.
Just like procrastinating on a paper, waiting until the last minute to make sure everything looks great the day the costume is worn is not a smart idea.
5. Makeup. Sometimes, this is often an overlooked element to homemade costumes. However, it can be one of the most effective pieces to the outfit.
Depending on how authentic the costume needs to be, and if the costume is a character or person, study a picture of them. What do they look like? Do they have short hair? Curly hair? What color is it? Do they have wrinkles? Do they wear a specific shade of lipstick or have darkness anywhere on the face to give them a certain look?
This element can make or break the costume. For example, if someone is dressing up as Marilyn Monroe wearing the classic white dress, and they have brown or red hair, it may not come across to other people.
Wearing a wig, or at least arranging hair in the same style, will help with the overall look of the costume.
