Halloween Costume Ideas: Creativity is Key
The first Halloween costume idea is to remember that the cost of the costume is never as important as the creativeness. The Halloween costumes I remember most often are the ones that cost the least. Finding Halloween costume supplies that had previously been perfectly normal articles of clothing was an annual event. Growing up in a family with four other children, store bought Halloween costumes were seldom seen. I remember the energetic glee of older siblings outfitting the younger ones for a night of decadent candy collecting. The only store-bought costume I remember from my youth was a Chewbacca, the wookie costume. I remember this Halloween costume only because of its cheap nature and the teasing it brought. Halloween is a child’s yearly opportunity to be truly creative with their appearance. Let them make their own costumes and offer suggestions only when asked. The idea is to let them exercise their creative instincts. An older sister’s fancy, dress shirt becomes the start of a pirate outfit. Mom’s classic black skirt becomes a vampire’s cape. You may need to purchase a few small accessories, but you probably have everything you need for hundreds of different costume ideas.
If you prefer to go with a store-bought Halloween costume, here are a few things you might want to keep in mind. Your child has their heart set on dressing as SpongeBob for Halloween. Chances are they’re not alone. Buying the SpongeBob costume they sell at your local discount store may cause a bit of confusion Halloween night when you cross paths with one of the many other SpongeBobs with an identical costume. Also remember that when it comes to Halloween costumes, “cheaper” means just that. Buying an inexpensive Halloween costume is asking for a night full of costume repair, and almost no opportunity for further use after Halloween. I purchased a Dalmatian costume, from the Disney store, for my oldest son when he was a baby that I can still use for his baby brother. A few years later, I purchased a “Lion King” Halloween costume for him. He wore that Halloween costume to play in and to sleep in, off and on, for the next four years. When I finally convinced him to stop wearing the Halloween costume, it was several sizes to small and still in good shape. Both of those Halloween costumes cost about forty to sixty dollars each, but I feel it was money well spent.
If you still need help settling on the perfect Halloween costume idea, remember that the classics never seem to go out of style. A few classic Halloween costume ideas are:
A pirate – all you need is a white shirt, black pants, a bandana, and a toy sword.
A vampire – make a pirate, lose the bandana and sword, add a black cape and face paint.
A hobo – any old clothes with holes, face paint, and a bandana tied to a stick.
A ghost – any old, white sheet with two eyeholes cut in it.
A zombie – mix a hobo with lots of fake blood and use the bandana as a bandage.
A princess – wear a long dress or nightgown, an aluminum foil crown, and fake jewelry.
A clown – make a hobo with a clown face and lose the bandana on a stick.
A businessperson – wear a dress suit and a briefcase.
A cowboy – wear a pair of jeans, a button-up shirt, a bandana, and a cowboy hat.
James Dean or Elvis – a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and greased-back hair.
A techno-geek – high water dress pants, shirt with pens in pocket, and fake glasses.
A scientist – same as a techno-geek, just add a lab coat.
A doctor – same as a scientist, add a toy doctors bag and stethoscope.
A fairy – make a princess, add foil wings and a magic wand.
A scarecrow – make a hobo, add straw and wear the bandana around the neck.
Frankenstein’s monster – a zombie with no bandage and add foil neck-bolts.
Zorro – make a pirate, add the vampire’s cape and use the bandana as a mask.
A witch – make a female vampire and add a witches hat.
An artist – make a scientist, lose the glasses and replace pens with paintbrushes.
A farmer – wear coveralls, a bandana in the front pocket, and a straw hat.
These are just a few Halloween costume ideas to get you started. Remember the idea is to have fun. I once dressed as a zombie Elvis. I had a friend who dressed as a couch potato, complete with couch and remote control. Be creative, enjoy the holiday, and be safe.
