Are you stumped when it comes to finding “positive” and inexpensive Halloween costumes? Below are a few simple ideas for clothing and makeup that can work for any family member, at any age.
By Yeritza Mejia
Skeleton
Materials:
3 yard white felt (depends on your height)
face paint: 1 teaspoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon cold cream, 1/2 teaspoon water,
food coloring (optional).
black sweatshirt
black sweatpants
black stretchy one-size-fits-all gloves
Tools:
Skeleton pattern
(life-size Halloween skeleton decoration, available at party-supply stores)
fabric glue, such as Sobo Premium Craft and Fabric Glue
1. Trace the skeleton bone pattern onto the white felt. Cut it out.
2. Lay out the sweatshirt and pants and place the felt bones corresponding to each body part on the clothes. Measure the costume wearer so the bones are placed correctly on the elbow, shoulder, and knee joints. Be sure to center the spine and ribcage. Pin the felt in place.
3. Glue the felt bones down carefully with the fabric glue. Remove the pins. Cut the fingertips off the black gloves.
4. To make face paint, mix cornstarch, cold cream, and water. Add food coloring, if you like. If you’re making more than one color, mix each color in its own muffin tin cup or film canister. Stir until well blended.
5. With the small paintbrush, paint the person’s face with the face paint, being careful to avoid the area around the eyes.
Tip: If you would like to wash and reuse this costume, sew the felt onto the sweats. You might find this easier to do if you open up the side-seams of the sleeves and pants. After the felt has been sewn on, close up the seams.
Broccoli
Materials:
2 green foam water noodles
Green sweatshirt and pants
Wide-brimmed sun hat
Two 27-inch lengths of ribbon
Light and dark green craft foam
Instructions:
1. To make the broccoli stems, first cut the water noodles in half. Then trim the top of the stems into points. Save the cut-away sections to make small stems that can later be glued to the base of the hat brim.
2. Position the stems on the front of the sweatshirt, placing two on either side of the zipper. Hot-glue an end of each ribbon onto the side of the sweatshirt, about halfway between armpit and bottom. Hot glue water noodles in place.
3. To make the broccoli flowers, trim off the top of the foam sheets in a wavy line. Accordion-fold the flat edge of the foam back and forth, as if you are making a fan. Staple each fold together along the flat edge, leaving the wavy top edge open. Continue making different sized light and dark green florets.
4. Arrange the finished florets along the flipped-up hat brim, top of the hat, and over the shoulders of the sweatshirt. Hot-glue them in place.
5. After you’ve zipped the sweatshirt, bring the ribbons across the front of the stems and tie them together in a bow.
Wilma
Materials:
White 3XL T-shirt from Hobby Lobby (1/2 price=$3)
sewing machine (needle and thread)
2 inch Styrofoam balls (1/2 price =$2)
orange hair spray ($3)
1.Put the t-shirt on inside out and pin the sides to fit properly. Sew 2 lines up the side of the t-shirt. Then cut the neck off to make a one shoulder dress. Leave all the edges raw. This took about 15 minutes. The necklace was just as simple. I used an ice pick to punch a hole through the 2 inch styrofoam balls, and then strung them together with a piece of string.
Cactus
Materials:
Start with a green sweatsuit.
Bend pipe cleaners into 3 point shapes (see photo) and then attach them all over with hot glue.
Optional: glue on a toy lizard and flower blooms wherever you want!
Grapes
Materials:
Being a bunch of grapes is easy! Just wear a green or purple shirt, inflate matching balloons and safety pins to fasten them onto your shirt. Easy as pie! Add some leaves in your hair, if you like.