Make your own Costume this Halloween!

October 27th, 2007 • Related • Filed Under

When it comes to horror movies, not many people are blessed with the ability to watch an entire shriek flick without covering their eyes and sticking anything that will fit into their ears while screaming at the top of their lungs. So one can imagine, when it comes to Halloween and all its ghouls and ghosts, it would be the most dreaded day of the year for these poor souls. But goosebumps and hair-on-ends aside, the one thing that many people, even those less tolerant of horror scenes, enjoy most is dressing up. Although Malaysia has yet to embrace the tradition of trick-or-treating, since the culture of Halloween has arrived at our shores, many Malaysians are now donning costumes and playing roles in conjunction with this day.

Of course, costumes require money because they are not our daily wear and therefore are not garments we can easily pull out of the closet (unless your outfits consist oftop hats or capes), but not all of us have the privilege of loose cash-flow, so the idea of renting costumes or buying an entirely new head-to-toe ensemble is out of the question. But what is one to do when all our friends are decked in glamorous gear and are in stiff competition for the “Best Costume” award? No, we do not sigh in resignation and sit back and watch them collect their prize. We create our own costumes!

 

Rented costumes cute but too expensive? Make your own! Picture courtesy of Mables

 

Creating your own Halloween costume is rather simple, as long as you allow yourself to be imaginative and not tied down by rules. Think cheap but original. A basic guide to creating your own costume:

  • Think of a general theme first, for example, space creature, or mythical being. Try not to specify one character because that way, if you can’t find just one single item which happens to be crucial to your outfit, you would need to start from base one. This also allows you the flexibility to come up with better ideas as you go. You might want to go as a witch, but if you can find a piece absolutely perfect for a pixie, then dressing up as the latter would make you stand out more.
  • List the typical items you would need to complete the costume. For an angel, for instance, you would have white dress, wings, halo and harp on your list. Also take note of additional or alternative options you may think of along the way.
  • Start with the clothes, and then move on to the accessories or adornments. Look into your own wardrobe first, and pick a few items which have potential or could suit your look with a little tweak and twist. If you are aiming for a white dress but you don’t have one, try combining a white tube and white skirt instead. Alternatively, you could borrow from your friends or even raid your brother’s closet.
  • Look around your house and see what you can use either as it is or after modifying. Tablecloths or large pieces of fabric are particularly useful because they can be wrapped or folded to become almost any outfit you wish. Random trinkets or scrap items can be used if you think further, like stringing a few ping pong balls together to form Wilma’s stone aged necklace (pictured below).

Picture courtesy of Best Halloween Costumes

 

  • Rework your items; do not give up just because something is in the wrong color or does not fit as well as you want it to. A large roll of cellophane tape painted gold will make a good bangle, and it costs you a fraction of what you would have to pay for a gold bangle from boutiques. Using rubber bands, tape, thread and such would alter things to the way you want them to, and fret not if they do not stay put, because your outfit only needs to last one night,after all.
  • A few more common and useful things include paper marche, fabric, craft items such as cardboard and coloured paper, toys and recyclable beverage containers like tin cans or plastic bottles.
  • Look up books or the Internet for alternative ideas if you find yourself stuck. For example, if you have searched everywhere for plastic gems to adorn your gypsy skirt and still yield unfruitful results, try looking for pictures of gypsy costumes to see if you can find other options. Chances are you will stop your search for those gems and start hunting for new baubles instead.

There are tons of ideas over the Internet, one good site being Woman’s Day Magazine which offers you ideas of what to wear for a specific character in mind.

Just remember to be creative, and most importantly, to have fun!

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