Homemade Halloween Recipes: Face Paint, Fake Blood, Scars, and More

With Halloween just around the corner, many of us are looking for unique costume ideas. While you just might have the perfect costume, what about making yourself look scary? There are all kinds of make up and stick on scars you can use, but with some common items your probably already have, you can have that scary Halloween look in no time-without spending a lot of money. This Halloween, pair these homemade make-up recipes with your spookiest costumes for the right special effect.

Homemade Halloween Face Paint:
Whether you are an alien or a clown this Halloween, you might find you need some face paint. Try this easy to make and clean up recipe for homemade face paint. You can tint it any color you need, which makes it very convenient.

Mix two tablespoons of cornstarch with one tablespoon of vegetable shortening (such as Crisco). Each batch is enough to cover a child's face. If you want different colors, put a small amount in separate containers (such as an empty film canister) and add a couple of drops of food color. Stir until you have the color you want. After you apply the face paint, pat baby powder or cornstarch so that it absorbs the moisture. Wash off with soap and water.

Homemade Halloween Fake Blood:
Anyone with a scary costume needs some fake blood. Sure, you can go to the local drugstore or party store and pay a fair amount of money for a small tube of "blood" that may or may not stain. Before you do that, try this homemade fake blood recipe.

Start with a cornstarch base. Mix 5 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1/3 cup of water. Mix it together well, making sure there are no lumps. Next, add 2/3 cup of light cornstarch. Stir in 3 teaspoons of red food coloring and 1 drop of green. Stir until it is consistent. This should not be too thick or too thin. If it is too thin, you need to add a little cornstarch (just add a little at a time). If it is too thick, add a little bit of water. Best of all, this is a non-toxic recipe. If you want dripping blood coming from your mouth, it won't harm you.

Homemade Halloween Scars:
You need a scar this Halloween! You might need this recipe if you are going as a zombie or a wrestler. Try this easy to make recipe for scars.

Buy a package of unflavored gelatin (you can find this at any store that sells pudding and backing items). Mix the one-tablespoon of hot water to one tablespoon of gelatin. You can make as much or as little as you like when you do it this way. Now, add in whatever colors you want. If you want a red looking scar, then add red and green. If you want it to look scabby, then add in a little red and yellow. Then of course, if you are going for the pus, go with green and yellow. Mix this carefully and immediately apply to the skin. It will begin to harden right away. When you are done trick or treating, you can just peel the scar off of your skin.

Homemade Halloween Bruises:
If you are going as a football player, you might want a black eye or a bruise. Making a real looking bruise is more than just using a blob of black makeup. You need to start with black face paint, or even a black eyeliner pencil. Mark the area you want to look bruised and color it in gently. You don't have to make it thick, just use a little and sponge the rest in the middle. Now, to make it look real, think about what a bruise looks like. Usually, they are either purple or greenish/yellowish around the edges. You can achieve this look by using inexpensive eye shadow around the edges. Apply it with your fingers and spread it out. You can use more than one color to give it a real look.

Homemade Halloween Burned/Explosion Look:
If you are going as a fireman or a mad scientist that had a bad day in the lab, you can easily make sure face look like you have been in a fire. One way to do it is to actually burn a candle and blow it out. Then, pinch the wick with your fingers. Use the ashes from the candlewick to rub on your face or clothing.