How To: Create your own Halloween Costume

Dear “I don’t have a Halloween costume yet,”

With the exception of my freshman year of college, I have always found success with making my Halloween costumes. Having gone as everything from “scissors” as in “rock, paper, scissors” to a last-minute Spice Girl that truly “spiced-up my life,” I can now safely say that creating my own costume has not only helped me get in the spirit of Halloween, but it has proven to be a less-expensive and more-impressive take on the tradition of dressing up. If you still have not decided what you want to be this year, now is the perfect time to start the DIY Halloween costume tradition I have come to love. So check out the ideas below for inspiration, grab a pair of scissors and a hot glue gun and have a Happy (and oh so creative) Halloween!

If you are going solo…

Spice Girl: I can speak from experience on this one. All you need to do is take a plain, royal blue dress (that you can buy at Target or H&M for easily under $20) and assemble some red and white masking tape on the front in the pattern of the British flag. Add a pop of color with a red lip and some super-high pumps and you are all set for the night. Just don’t forget to flash the peace sign at every opportunity.

Maverick: This is a great one for any guy who has seen “Top Gun” and appreciates Tom Cruise’s role as the loveable bad-boy on the good guy’s team. All you have to do is rock the plain white V-neck T-shirt with a pair of dark jeans and pair it with a leather jacket that you are almost guaranteed to find at a thrift store such as Goodwill. Add a cheap pair of dog tags from the National 5 & 10 and grab some aviators while you are there.   

If you are going as a duo...


Fight Club: First rule of Fight Club, is always don’t talk about Fight Club, but the first rule of Fight    Club costume-making? Purchase some costume makeup and fake blood at a local Halloween or drug store to load on those bruises and battle wounds. For Edward Norton’s character, grab a simple white button down and cheap blue tie (both of which you can buy at K-Mart for under $20 if you do not already have them) and muss them up before placing a nametag on with the fake name of your choosing, though I recommend “Cornelius” for movie purists, such as myself. And to continue with the purist elements, grab a thrift store red jacket and graphic shirt or printed button-down to pair with some faded sunglasses you can find at the National 5 & 10 for an authentic Tyler Durden. Complete the look with some spiked hair, a bar of soap and an unlit cigarette hanging out of your mouth.

If you are going as a threesome…

Snap, Crackle, Pop: The famous elf-looking guys on the cereal box can easily become you and your two friends. For Snap, wear yellow, tie a red bandana around your neck and throw a chef’s hat on your head (both of which can be found at the National 5 &10 for less than $5). Crackle should wear blue and rock a white bow tie with sock cap that can be made out of a large red sock with white masking tape stripes and Pop should wear red with a black belt, a yellow bandana and a police officer’s hat that can be spray painted gold (again, head to the National 5 & 10). Use a big black marker to label each of the hats respectively and hot glue some gold buttons on the front of your shirts and all three sounds are completed with less ease than pouring milk on some cereal.

If you are going as a foursome…

Taco Bell Hot Sauce Packets: Sounds ridiculous, but looks awesome (and tasty) when you stand     in a line from “Verde” to “Fire.” Dress in the appropriate colors of green for “Verde,” yellow for “Mild,” orange for “Hot” and red for “Fire” and label yourself accordingly by cutting out the     letters and gluing them on. Finish by gluing on the taco bell logo and add a piece of jaggedly-cut paper in the middle with a famous saying from the packets, including “This is gonna end with you eating me, isn’t it?” and “Single hot sauce seeking friendship, maybe more.” With this one,     you can “Live mas” and spend menos. 

If you are going as a five-some…

Crayola Crayons: Congratulations, you finally have enough people to make a legitimate rainbow of crayons! Grab some colored T-shirts from the National 5 & 10 and either rock them with black bottoms or transform them into strapless dresses by cutting a line across the shoulders big enough to fit your body through and tying the sleeves in the back. Add some lines at the top and bottom with black electrical tape and grab a fabric pen to write some creative color names running down the side of the costume. Pick up a rainbow of party hats on your way out, coordinate them with each of the shirt colors and go paint (well, color) the town. 

If you are going as a six-some…

Six Pack: Not like the abs, in this case I am talking beer, so be prepared to stand in two rows of three for the night. If you want to go as Keystone or Coors cans, fashion some gray shirts in a method similar to the crayon shirts or wrap yourselves in silver duct tape over a t-shirt or strapless dress. If you are more of a long-neck Corona or Bud Light person, go with yellow or brown shirts and don’t be afraid to make some bottle cap hats out of paper plates, gray and blue construction paper and ribbon to keep them on. But no matter which brand you choose, fasten the logo cut out from old beer boxes in a label form to the front of your costume.