Last-Minute Halloween Costumes: Do-it-Yourself Ideas

Every year on Halloween, you see all the children (and adults) wearing costumes and dressing up. In fact, you are very likely to see the same costume many times over. Want something different? Or maybe you, like many others, have waited until the last minute, and now the store is out of the costume you or your child wanted? I have a few possible solutions for you.

1. You could search through any material, craft supplies, old clothes, sheets, pillow cases, ribbons, beads, decorative jewelry, card board and foil put together can create a number of props, etc... Sit with your child with all materials you don't mind converting and ask him or her if they can think of anything with these items. Give them some suggestions like, princess, ghost, rock star, a dead person, person from Biblical times, or an ancient Greek, hippie, disco king/queen ( to make an old pair of pants bell bottoms just cut the leg and sew in a triangle of "groovy" material, use the same material for a scarf to accessories), a bride, teacher, singer, a computer, witch, goblin, bum, puppy, kitty, the list is really endless, it all depends on what materials you have. You can also go to your closest fabric supplier, they will usually have materials on sale for a dollar a yard.

2. Go to your local thrift store. You could find an old prom dress ( I was a dead prom queen once) or army greens. Work shirts are common maybe your boy (or you) could be a mechanic? Add a little grease and a wrench, its a costume! You can usually find costume jewelry at a second hand store pretty cheap, purses and shoes. You can also alter anything you find. Check out the plus size clothes, you may like the material on a skirt or something. If a dark colored skirt is plain in design, you can cut a strait line from bottom to top, secure with a safety pin, tada! its a cape!

3. Take advantage of the art of makeup. Any costume that has extra emphasis on makeup will take less work in the dressing department ( imagine you and your friend or child going as theater faces ). Which, to you means less work and less cost. Keep in mind that face makeup and hair spray are very versatile. Children have a knack for being creative and they love to help make their own costumes, so take some work off of yourself by letting them help. Once you start thinking in this fashion, it really gets easy to come up with a costume that is affordable, easy, fun and will make you and your child happy.

Just remember that every year Halloween comes and goes in 2-3 hours of fun. Why not make the most of the holiday and enjoy doing an activity with your child. It makes it worth the sugar induced hyper activity you will surely endure later.