By CampusDiscovery
October is by far my favorite month of the year. Not only does the weather finally start to cool down, but it’s also the start of the holiday season. The stores are filled with decorations for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention it’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Although my wallet takes a beating while finding that inexpensive Halloween costumes, I can’t help but wander the aisles and pick up a few trinkets every time I’m in Walmart or Target. There is, however, one thing I refuse to buy – generic Halloween costumes; nothing says ‘lack of creativity’ like wearing a poorly constructed, ill-fitting suit purchased at your local discount retailer. Besides, who wants to show up to a party with five other Ninja Turtle or Iron Man wannabes? I guess most people assume it is more expensive and time-consuming to make one from scratch, but that’s not always true. In fact, here are a few cheap Halloween costumes you can throw together with a minimal amount of money and very little effort.
1. The Old Man from Up!
This is the first cheap Halloween costume you can make. Head over to your local thrift store and grab some loose fitting trousers, a pair of suspenders, t-shirt, cardigan and a bow tie. You can usually find some old glasses there, too. If not, grab a pair at the dollar store, along with some balloons and ribbon. Grab a couple of tennis balls from the athletic department and some PVC pipe from your local hardware store to make the walker (you can also find these at thrift stores!). It’s simple and very cute; just be sure to avoid nursing homes on the way home!
2. Comic Book Character
If you have some mad makeup skills, this is definitely a cheap Halloween costumes you should consider. Simply grab a black slip or cute mini-dress, a bright wig, and apply some white dots all over your skin (face, chest and arms). A few black lines, some red lipstick, as well as some carefully placed graphics and…POW! You’ll look like you jumped out of the pages of a comic book.
3. Blown Away
Another cheap Halloween costume is this one! Looking for something with minimal effort? Go as someone trying to walk through a hurricane. You can wear your regular clothes and simply pick up a cheap, lightweight jacket at a thrift shop. To get the wind effect, soak the jacket in a solution of water and glue (shape and let it dry), or use fishing wire, sewing it at the bottom of the jacket and attaching the line to the top of the collar. Next, take some newspaper and glue it to the knee of your pants. Finally, grab an old umbrella and turn it inside out. Everyone will be ‘blown away’ with your creativity with this inexpensive Halloween costume!
4. Candy Bag
This has to be one of the easiest costumes to make and very cheap Halloween costume. All you’ll need are some balloons, a large trash bag (clear) and some ribbon. If you want to go as a bag of jelly beans, use a variety of balloon colors. For M & M’s, simply take a Sharpie and draw an ‘M’ on each balloon. You can even show your team spirit by sporting balloons in your college colors.
5. Hot Sauce Packet
Last in the cheap Halloween costumes list is hot sauce packet. If you’re looking for something a bit spicier for Halloween, consider going as a Taco Bell hot sauce packet. Costume-works.com includes the instructions on how to create the version making the rounds on social media, but I think you could save some cash by using towels for the dress portion. Be sure to wear something underneath, just in case your packet rips open!
If you need more inspiration for your cheap Halloween costumes, head over to Pinterest. There are tons of ideas, like turning into the guys on Duck Dynasty or becoming a living paper doll. You’re really only limited by your creativity and bank account, so have some fun and take noted of these inexpensive Halloween costumes. If all else fails, pull the pockets of your pants inside out and go as a broke college student. Maybe your parents will feel sorry for you and ‘treat’ you to some extra cash this semester, but I wouldn’t bank on it.