Tips for Halloween Costumes

Let’s face it, not all of us are costume people. Some of us forget until the last minute to plan what we’re going to be, and some of us just don’t care. However, we all want to look good on Halloween. So here are some tips for selecting a last minute halloween costume:

1. Don’t do the same thing as everyone else.

2. Make your own costume!

3. Spend more than $100 on your costume!

4. Make sure you have a backup plan in case you change your mind!

5. Stay true to yourself!

The key to a great Halloween costume is a spark of creativity, a dash of imagination and a hint of laziness. That’s right, friends. If you’re looking to select the perfect last-minute costume, you should look no further than your own wardrobe or medicine cabinet!

Have you ever dressed as a pill bottle? It’s simple and effective. All you need are some cut-out white paper labels, tape and scissors. Cut out two large labels with the word “Advair” written on them and tape them to the front and back of a big black sweatshirt. Done! You’re a lifesaving inhaler that helps make breathing easier for people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)!

Or how about dressing up as your favorite antidepressant? This one is even simpler. Grab that same black sweatshirt and a red sharpie — or, better yet, if you have them lying around, some red fabric paint! Write “Paxil” on the front and back of the sweatshirt in big bold letters. Now go tell someone how much better it makes you feel about life!

So you waited until the last minute to get a costume for this year’s Halloween parties. Don’t worry, you are not alone.

Last Minute Halloween Costumes:

Throw on some old clothes and slap some dirt on your face: You can be a homeless person!

If you have an old white shirt, pull out all of your eyeliner, and put on a pair of big sunglasses: You can be a hipster!

Wear as little clothes as possible, and draw whiskers on your cheek with a sharpie: You can be a cat! (Works especially well if you are female)

Grab any piece of clothing that is red and has long sleeves, put it on backwards and add a hood: You can be Little Red Riding Hood!

Got something green? You can be Kermit the Frog!

If you have not selected a Halloween costume yet, worry not! We have got you covered.

While we cannot guarantee your success, the tips below are sure to increase your chances of winning best-dressed at your next Halloween party.

1. Base your costume on something that’s currently trending in pop culture.

This is good for a couple of reasons: 1) you will look more contemporary, and 2) other people will understand what you’re trying to do more easily.

2. Dress up as an animal with human tendencies or characteristics.

For example, a bear wearing a party hat and holding a balloon would be funny and adorable – or a sheep who has dyed her wool pink and is wearing sunglasses; this kind of costume will get lots of laughs and make you stand out from the crowd.

I’m a big fan of Halloween. I love the idea of pretending to be someone else for a night, and it’s even better when you do it together with friends or family. My kids are 9 and 5, so Halloween is still a big deal to them, which makes it a big deal to me. Every year we dress up in costumes and trick-or-treat around our neighborhood.

I’ve always made my kids’ halloween costumes, but this year my daughter wanted to be Ursula from The Little Mermaid, and I was having trouble finding exactly the right fabric at the right price (or any fabric at any price). So we went costume shopping at Target. She found an Ursula costume she really liked, but I wasn’t happy with the price tag, especially since I knew that she would hardly wear it again after Halloween.

So I decided to make her costume myself after all. It took some searching, but I eventually found purple velvet fabric online for less than half the cost of the Target costume. Here’s how it turned out:

Whether you like it or not, Halloween is almost here. Have you figured out your costume yet? If not, don’t worry! There are plenty of options that are fun and easy to throw together last minute.

If you’re looking for ideas, check out this list of the top costumes from last year:

1) Slenderman

2) Pennywise the Clown

3) Star Wars’ Rey

4) Wonder Woman

5) The Joker

6) Eleven from Stranger Things

7) Batman

8) Harley Quinn

9) Spider-Man

10) Donald Trump

So you waited until the last minute, and you need a Halloween costume. No worries! Here are some tips to help your costume not suck.

1. Add a prop.

A prop can be anything from a fake mustache to a plastic sword to a stuffed lion cub. Some of the best costumes start with an interesting prop, then build out from there. For example, we had a friend who wanted to dress as a “Trashcan Zombie,” but he was too lazy to make the costume himself. So he picked up a cheap trashcan, wore it on his head, and walked around saying “Brains…I want brains.” The trashcan is what made the costume funny; without it, he would have just looked like another guy in zombie make-up.

2. Make use of holiday references:

Halloween is all about witches and ghosts and zombies, so play off of that. For example, if you’re dressing up as Harry Potter, accessorize with some broomsticks and owl props (or maybe replace your stick with an actual broom.) If you’re trying to be a ghost, wear bed sheets as a cape and carry around fake spiderwebs to tie into the theme of the holiday.

3. Be topical:

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