How to Make a Halloween Zombie Costume

Zombie costumes are absolutely perfect for Halloween. Zombie movies always come out at Halloween which means that zombie costumes will also be popular. Zombie costumes are inexpensive to make since old or worn-out clothing is usually always hanging somewhere around the house or available very inexpensively at the nearest thrift store. You will need make-up for both your face and clothing. Old lipstick, eye shadow and other make-up can generally be found in abundance cluttering up bathrooms and dresser drawers. Zombie costumes can bring out your creativity. Zombies can be businessmen, cheerleaders, school teachers or anyone else you think of, and they could have died in any way you can imagine, which opens the door for props such as axes or swords. With so much to work with your creative juices should start to flow.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Old clothing

Old make-up

Fake skin (optional)

Prop (optional)

1. Step 1

Decide what kind of zombie you want to be. Your decision could be influenced by what kind of old clothing you may have available. As an example, if you have an old suit or suit jacket, white shirt and tie, you may decide to be a businessman zombie. You also may decide to be a cheerleader or soccer player zombie if you have that clothing available. Generally speaking, the "cuter" or more outlandish type of zombie you choose to be, the more attention you will draw. For purpose of example, we'll choose one of the more common and popular types of zombie, a businessman.

2. Step 2

Search through your closets to find an old suit or at least a suit jacket with a white shirt, tie and hopefully a businessman's hat. Blue jeans or slacks can be worn with the jacket if you don't have suit pants. Lay the clothes out on a table or the floor just as though you were wearing them. Remember, your businessman zombie was a normal person before he was killed by zombies. With the clothes laid out just like you were wearing them, start at your hat. We'll assume your businessman was killed by an ax blow, so we'll need an ax sticking out of the hat. Stop by a hobby store and pick up a small block of styrofoam that will fit into your hat, leaving enough room to fit onto your head. At this time of year, you can buy a lightweight plastic or rubber ax anywhere. Put the styrofoam in the hat, cut a slit in the hat and into the foam and insert the ax blade. Some adhesive may be necessary. Now, go on to the shirt and make rips and tears in the fabric just as though the zombies were tearing at their victim. Since your businessman was killed by a blow from an ax, make a giant tear in the front of the shirt that can be seen through the open jacket. Also, the jacket needs to get the same treatment, lots of rips and tears, both front and back. Then go on to the pants, make similar rips and tears down both sides of the legs and at the cuffs. Let your imagination run wild. Starting back at the shirt, using the brightest red lipstick you can find, color in lots of blood on all the cuts and tears. Fake blood can be found at the costume shops which abound at this time of year. Go right on to the pants, the lighter the color of pants the better the lipstick will show up. Any type of shoe is acceptable, although white socks are recommended to finish off the costume.

3. Step 3

Facial and hair make-up is a critical part of the costume. The costume shops have a tremendous variety of facial make-up and fake blood, but there are also a lot of things around the house that work well and are much less expensive. Start with your hair, using a hair mousse or spray to spike your hair wildly in all directions. Even though you have a hat on you will want your hair properly mussed up. The next project is applying facial make-up. Apply cornstarch to your face to add a white pallor. Applying corn starch will accomplish that and also won't run like make-up creams. Next, apply eye shadow heavily in a circle around each eye. Using bright red lipstick, paint in long streams of blood from your hair line down to your jaw line. Also, apply lipstick to the side of your mouth running down your jaw. Finish off your costume by adding fake fingernails that are long a crooked. These are available at costume stores, drug or variety stores.

4. Step 4

Apply your make-up, dress up and lurch around dragging one leg, with your arms drawn up and hands hanging down and a vacant look on your face and you'll be a shoo in to crash any party on the block.

Tips & Warnings

Fake skin, intestines and other such body parts that are available can add to your costume's appearance. However, in the case of most fake skins, you'll have to deal with it melting and becoming messy as the evening wears on. Fake body parts like intestines become cumbersome to lug around after awhile.

Props like weapons probably won't be well received at any Halloween party and they too become a bother to carry around and keep up with.

Keeping your costume simple but effective will make for a much more enjoyable Halloween.