Creating Halloween Characters with Items You Already Own

Halloween is here once more and with money being tight it is difficult to find the means to buy a costume. However, you should not let that stop you from creating a character and joining in on the holiday fun. Ironically, the same things women use to make themselves beautiful can also make a terrifying creature for Halloween.

Find yourself a facial mask from underneath your bathroom counter. Do you have a clay mask? Clay masks when dry usually turn a white color. This can be used to turn your little one or yourself even, into a ghost, a vampire, or any other pale skinned creature. Do you only have a mint julep mask? Well then you have what is needed to become the next Frankenstein. You can also use a clear peel-off mask to make your skin wrinkle. After a peel-on mask dries, it tightens around your skin creating deep wrinkles around your mouth, nose and eye area. You can add a bit of cover-up over the dried mask and instantly become 80 years old. If you should use the peel-off mask on your child, DO NOT peel it off to remove. This will cause some undue pain for your child. Simply grab a warm wash cloth and wipe it away. Remember, these

are face masks so be sure to test a small patch on your child's skin (or yours if this is the first time you have use it) before you use it as a Halloween mask just to make sure there won't be any reaction to it. Also keep in mind that you will be wearing this mask for a while so be sure it doesn't irritate your skin after more than a few minutes.

Do you want to look bruised? All you have to do is find some old eye shadow. If you want a new looking bruise, add a little bit of petroleum jelly to the area that you wish to "bruise". Then lightly add some black, or dark grey shadow to the spot. Rub it until you see the desired base. After you see the level of darkness that you want, add a bit of purple shadow to the dark base. Adding a green or yellow tint adds to the bruise's believability. Take a step back and view your bruise from a distance. Then adjust the colors ad you desire.

Need some funny looking teeth? Go find a pack of gum that has a silver wrapper. You can cut a small piece of it off and put it over a tooth. Then "suck in" as if you were trying to get something out of your teeth. This will cause the wrapper to encompass your tooth, allowing for the shape of your tooth to be defined. Now you look like you have a capped tooth. Want to look as though you have a grill? Put the entire gum wrapper long wise, against your teeth and "suck in" to get the wrapper to stick to and define your teeth. If you want colored teeth, go find some fruit chew snacks that are probably hiding in the pantry if you have children. Warm up the chew by rubbing it back and forth between your hands. Now use your finger or a paper towel to dry your teeth, and then simply press the fruit chew on. Just remember that these are made to be eaten so they don't last very long. Make sure to pack along a few in your pocket if the teeth are a major part of the costume.

There you have it; a few ways to create a character from the items you already have. Happy Halloween!