Economical Halloween Costumes

Halloween costumes do not have to cost a fortune. Hiding in your closets and storage totes are the elements needed to create an array of whimsical, cute and even scary Halloween costumes for kids, teens and adults.

In a household with anyone who wears scrubs to work, there are multiple costume options for all ages. An old pair of traditional green scrubs can be quickly transformed into a zombie doctor or nurse costume. Create a few ragged cuts in the top and bottoms and then rub damp coffee grounds into various spots to create a worn and dirty effect. Finish the zombie look with white face makeup and red or black rimmed eyes.

An adult-sized green scrub shirt can be worn by a child and belted with a sparkly belt for a green fairy dress. Make a set of fairy wings from poster board and glitter and attach with large safety pins. Complete the costume with a pair of child's leggings and ballet slippers or even church shoes. Other fairy costumes can be made from last year's Easter dress or even a First Communion gown.

Old prom dresses make great Halloween costumes. Teens or adults may choose the macabre and distress the dress into a zombie Homecoming queen or a vampire bride. Again, damp coffee grounds work great at aging clothing. For a creepy effect, purchase fake spider webbing from the dollar store and drape it around the dress attaching with a drop of hot glue. Blood red lips and pale makeup can complete the look.

An old knee-length Prom dress may fit a younger child as a floor-length gown, making it the perfect choice of costume for your little princess daughter. Add plastic sparkly bracelets, beads, and a tiara and the princess is ready to greet her public.

A black long-sleeve shirt and sweatpants can become the basics for a boy's Ninja costume. Plastic Ninja masks and accessories can be purchased inexpensively at Halloween shops and stores like Wal-Mart and Target. That black long-sleeve shirt paired with black leggings can become the basics for a girl's cat costume. Look for cheap kitty ears and tails at the same shops.

To make a child, teen or adult Knight costume look in your closets for a pair of black sweatpants or legging (for girls), a solid primary colored long-sleeve shirt and a plain grey or black sleeveless t-shirt. The grey or black sleeveless t-shirt becomes the Knight's tunic that is worn over the colored long-sleeves. For a Knight's crest, trace a simple castle shape, dragon or lion's body (get ideas from books or online) onto a piece of colored felt to match the color of the long-sleeved shirt. Tack the Knight's crest onto the grey or black tunic with needle and thread or even hot glue. A shield can be made from poster board to finish the costume.

Females of all ages can become a Greek Goddess with a white bed sheet as a basic costume. White leggings and a white tank top can be worn under the sheet that is worn toga-style. Yes, togas are Roman, but it's Halloween so anything goes. To learn how to tie a toga visit the website, Tie a Toga. Complete the outfit with a pair of sandals and a crown of grape leaves. If you do not have a wreath of grape leaves lying around the house, try a garland of ivy and secure with a hair clip. Of course, for the males a toga costume is great for impersonating Julius Caesar or John Belushi from the movie Animal House.

The old white bed sheet can also be converted into the timeless Halloween costume of a ghost. Personalize your ghost costume with a pair of over-sized sunglasses or a crazy wig. A sheet that has been cut into several strips can become a mummy costume for kids. To have enough material to fit teens and adults, you may need two white sheets. Add age to the wrapped mummy by rubbing damp coffee grounds on the costume. Under the "bandages" a plain white t-shirt and jeans can be worn.

If you are really in a bind for a quick costume, consider using last year's baseball or football uniforms as costumes. These work for girls and boys and do not require any additional creativity. Team a pair of camouflage pants with a black tank top and black headband and a Rambo costume is born. A dollar store, long blond wig can be paired with sparkly tween jeans and top for a Hannah Montana outfit. Add a karaoke microphone to complete the look.

Halloween costumes are about creativity. In tough economic times, it is difficult to spend any extra money on store bought costumes. Shop your own closets, storage totes, basements and attics before handing over cash for a plastic costume that a hundred other people might be wearing. Visit the closets, basements and attics of friends, neighbors and family. Explorations may unearth poodle skirts from the fifties and hippie beads from the sixties. You never know what you may find when you look to the closet for a Halloween costume.