American Victorian-Era Halloween Costume Ideas

American Victorians, the upper classes, did not care for the evil attached to Halloween, such as witchcraft, a hangman’s noose and cross burning. They reserved this day for Halloween parties and giving candy to children. Mothers hoped their daughters would make a match at a costume party. Magazines gave party tips.

Halloween costumes made easy: Victorian-era costumes:

1. THE HANGED MAN: Buy large Rope at a builders supply. Use black long sleeve shirt, black pants. Use med. size paint brush, wide masking tape, WHITE craft acrylic paint. Tape long sleeve shirt and pants, make wide stripes. Paint un-taped part of shirt and pants WHITE use at least three coats. Garments must dry at least a day and a half. Remove tape to reveal black and white stripped prison clothes.

Let them dry at least 30 hours. Make hood out of round small cotton table cloth. Cut slits in table cloth for eyes. Trim bottom of table cloth so it is no longer than the shoulders. Put heavy rope around neck. In London back when executions were public, a person from the crowd might take a chance when the body was lowered, to stab under the rope to make sure the person was dead. Stick a bloody rubber knife under the rope as an extra prop.

2. THE WERE WOLF; ( A ) Buy false fur fabric from a yardage store, about 4-yards depends on your size. Grey, Black, or brown, should be long enough to cover tops of your shoes. Lay fabric flat, cut a circle in the center, big enough for your head like a Poncho-Cape. Put the Poncho on have someone to cut slits just large enough to pull your arms through. Use fabric from the head hole to glue on a pair of fitted gloves. ( B) You can use a jogging suit your size make a newspaper pattern from it. Use this pattern to cut out the fur fabric, glue this fabric on your jogging suit with Elmers wood glue, it takes 2-days to dry, or use fabric glue.

Glue long silver painted false nails on the tip of glove, don’t cover nails with fur. Use female wig to match fur. To make hair wild, braid wig with a med. hair gel.

let dry over night . Un-braid hair, comb out some of the braids, leave some twisted, look wild as possible. Stuff nose with cotton loose enough to breathe. Paint nose and cotton same color, black or brown. Use dental wax to shape wild teeth. Glue pieces of hair to chin, if you are a male let your beard grow, and glue hair from wig to beard and face. Hair glue can be purchased from beauty supply store.

FEET: False toe nails can be purchased from beauty supply or drugstore. Paint toe nails silver like the finger nails.On pair of sandals or rubber thongs glue more fur, make sure the wild silver toe nails are visible.

BODY CONTOUR: The Werewolf is believed to be half man and half beast. In this state of transition he should look wild, strong and vicious.

There are body parts one can buy at places that sell costumes. There is a bloody arm in a white shirt on the market now, this would make a good body prop.

You can use an old, small laundry bag, filled with rolled stapled together card board, tie bag and stain it to look like blood, and you will have a bag full of body parts, or small animals.