Free and Easy Homemade Halloween Costumes

Halloween is coming soon and 2009 will be the 'Year of the Homemade Halloween Costume'. The internet is one of the best places to find free idea starters for homemade costumes for children and adults. This review will give you some tips on searching, as well as a review of three of the best free sites for creating inexpensive, homemade Halloween costumes.

How to Search

Type 'homemade Halloween costumes' into your search engine, click 'go,' and check out some of the sites that pop up. When you find one that looks interesting, take a few minutes to browse for some great ideas. A little trick to keeping your search page while checking out a website is to right click, select 'open in a new tab,' or, 'open in a new window' if your browser doesn't use tabs. That way, your search page will remain on one tab (or open in its own window) while you check out the website on a new tab or in new window. I have browsed the sites listed here, as well as many others, and, in my opinion, these have what we all want this year - costumes as unique as we are, at a very small cost.

One note of caution when searching new websites, be sure that your computer is protected by a good virus program and that it's up to date when you are going to sites you've never visited before. After all, it's Halloween and there are some nasty internet ghouls out there just waiting to ambush you! A good virus program will stop them in their tracks.

Best Homemade Costume Site

The best site I found for homemade - and cheap or free - costumes is www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com . The selection of alien costumes is particularly creative and fun. One of the best is the alien kidnapper. It's a great optical illusion. Check it out here: http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/coolest-alien-kidnapper-costume-19.html - the creator used a borrowed black cape, a lime green balloon, and some children's pajamas. This is so clever because the alien's lower body and legs belong to the person and the lime-green alien head is made of a large balloon with magic marker eyes! It really looks like the evil alien has grabbed a child. This optical illusion would make a great costume for a parent taking the youngsters trick-or-treating or for an adult party - because your face is uncovered, and your hands are free. This one, seen from afar, will leave the alien-abduction believers wondering - and may even stop them in their tracks! They also have costumes for demons, devils, goblins, monsters, witches, mummies and zombies for all ages and sizes.

Coolest Homemade Costumes is a site worth browsing for this year's unique and most ghoulish homemade Halloween attire!

More Cool Costume Sites

Costume-works.com is another site with an abundance of ideas and step-by-step instructions. The homemade 'Lily Monster' for little ones is a favorite from Costume-works.com. The 'Lily Monster' uses an old fur coat, which you can often get at a local thrift store or garage sale, and is great for children trick-or-treating in northern climates. The 'Lily Monster' uses that fur coat along with newspaper, liquid starch, a wire hanger, paint, balloons, masking tape and a glue gun to create a cute, warm and unique look for any child. This 'get-up' could be modified, with a little ingenuity and a larger fur coat, for any size - including adults. Creativity is the key to this one - use the 'Lily Monster' as a starting point and let your imagination carry you away.

Costume Works has a great list of costumes for all occasions. This site is quite easy to navigate and the instructions are written by the people who actually made the costumes. It's free, no log-in is required, and the ideas here will give you a great start.

Kaboose.com has costumes and instructions as well as party and Halloween craft ideas. The best, and easiest, costume I found at Kaboose is the 'eyeball'. It's made using a pumpkin costume pattern for the eyeball. White fabric makes the white of the eye, blue for the iris, black for the pupil and red marker or red reflective tape in a zigzag pattern gives your eyeball that bloodshot look. Stuff the 'eyeball' with fiberfill to give it shape. This one will turn more than a few heads!

Safety!!!!

No matter which costume idea you use, and whether you make your own, rent, or buy, be sure to think about safety - particularly fire and reflective safety. At a minimum, follow these safety precautions:

1. Put a fire-retardant clothing base under every costume. If you buy or rent a costume always check to make sure it's made of fire retardant materials.
2. Use non-flammable materials for homemade costumes whenever it's possible.
3. Use a reflective decoration somewhere on both the front and back of any costume. If you buy or rent one that doesn't have it - add it before venturing out.
4. Make sure all costumes allow clear vision for the wearer - seeing approaching vehicles is as important as ensuring that approaching drivers see Trick-or-Treaters!
5. Never have an open flame, including lit cigarettes and candles, around a Halloween costume. Costumes are often bulky and move in unexpected ways.
6. Use Velcro closures for all costumes. It will make getting yourself, or a child, out of a burning costume much easier - it can be ripped off more quickly than it can be untied or unbuttoned.
7. Check the candy and goodies your children receive before anyone eats any of it. Many localities have places that will check the treats for you. Contact your local police department if you don't know where to have the treats checked.
8. Never, ever eat a treat that looks like it has been opened, or has a hole in the packaging.

Have a safe, fun, and creative Halloween!

Sources:

http://www.coolest-homemade-costumes.com/homemade-costume-warning.html

http://www.costume-works.com/homemade-lily-monster-costumes.htmlhttp://holidays.kaboose.com/halloween/

http://www.holidays.kaboose.com/halloween/