A Couple Last Minute, Cheap Halloween Costume Ideas

Did Halloween catch you by surprise this year? Perhaps your dog ate the costume? Well, here are a few quick costume ideas you can throw together without spending much or running to a million different stores. I've listed some pros and cons for each costume idea below its instructions. Just remember, these are quick fixes; they won't win you any costume awards. So be willing to use your imagination!

MIME

Just in case you can't remember, mimes are those creepy silent clowns that are always stuck in an imaginary box.

What you'll need:

• Black long sleeve shirt, or black and white striped shirt if you have it
• Gloves, preferably white, but can be any color
• White make-up
• Black make-up
• Some acting skills!
  

Step 1. Do your make-up. First, paint your face white, then color your lips in black and draw black triangles above and below your eyes. Look for pictures of mimes online to get the idea. I suggest doing a Google image search.

Step 2. Put on your black clothes.

Step 3. Don't forget to stay in character and keep quiet!

Pros: With very little effort you can put together a good look. Everyone will know what you are supposed to be and it's a comfortable costume.
Cons: You'll have to stay in character. You probably don't have the make-up on hand and will have to make a trip to the store and fork over a few bucks.

SCARECROW

What you'll need:

• A pair of baggy old pants/jeans and a long-sleeve shirt, the
  bigger the better. Flannel or plaid button-down shirts work best.
• A large brown paper bag, the thinner the paper the better
• Some very thick string, like yarn, twine or hemp, and preferably brown colored.
• Dried leaves from outside, or, if you can find it, straw.
  

Step 1. Put on the baggy clothes. If you don't mind getting them a little dirty, throw some mud or dirt on them first. Remember, you're a scarecrow - you're supposed to have been outside all the summer. You may want to consider wearing another set of thinner, tighter clothes underneath to protect yourself for...

Step 2. Go outside and get those dried leaves (or straw). Now stuff your clothes full with them and use the string/twine to tie off the openings at your ankles and wrists to keep the leaves from falling out. You can try tying the string around your waist as well , but tucking your shirt in is probably best. Make sure some leaves are poking out by your hands and feet and around the buttons of your shirt. If you can think of something cleaner and more comfortable to stuff your clothes with use that instead and just put the leaves around the edges for show.

Step 3. Take the paper bag and cut holes for your mouth and eyes. Put it on your head and tie a piece of twine around your neck. If you can, glue some leaves to the ends of the paper bag around your neck so that they stick out from underneath.

Step 4. Top it all off with a hat, a pair of gloves, and a pair of boots if you have them. Make sure you've got leaves or straw poking out everywhere you can.

Pros: It shouldn't cost you a dime, you probably won't have to make a trip to the store, and it requires less than 15 minutes to put together.
Cons: Leaves are itchy and it will be difficult to walk. Also, the leaves will start falling out after awhile, particularly if you're moving a lot, so this probably isn't the best costume for trick-or-treating. Maybe you can think of ways to tweak it? Let us know if you do!

SPORTS PLAYERS

What you'll need:

• Sports clothing
• Sports equipment

Step 1. Dress up in your (or your friend's) sports clothes. If you're a soccer player, wear shorts, a t-shirt and shin-guards. If your a tennis player, wear wrist bands. You get the idea.

Step 2. Remember to carry any necessary sports equipment around with you, for example, a soccer ball or tennis racket.

Pros: If you or a close friend plays a sport, you've already got all the stuff on hand. You can throw together this costume in less than 5 minutes.
Cons: It's not really a costume if you wear and use these things on a regular basis, but if you borrow the stuff from a friend you might be able to get away with it. For this reason, this idea might be more suitable for trick-or-treating, when people are unlikely to know the person wearing the costume anyway. But remember, it might be cold walking around in shorts on the last night of October!

Good luck with your costumes and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

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