Tetris cubes are another Halloween costume idea. Credit: philip pannenko/Flickr
Ideas poured in for Halloween costumes as part of this year’s contest. Suggest a frugal costume and the best idea (as voted by readers) is what I dress up as. With potentially embarrassing photos posted of me in costume after Halloween!
Jessica had a clever and fun costume idea. “At my sons request he wanted to be a “black eyed pea” last year. I am not too crafty so I had him [wear] a large white “P” printed on a black t-shirt ($6) and got some black face paint ($1) to go around one of his eyes. Everyone had a fit when I took him trick or treating. It was a huge hit! I wouldn’t see why it wouldn’t work for an adult as well.”
I’m a tad confused by Teena LeBeau’s suggestion. “Go as a Freudian slip. Take an old full slip and write Freudian slips on it.” Teena, do you mean write actual Freudian slips on the slip? Or just write “Freud”?
Elizabeth had a number of winning ideas. “Wrap yourself creatively in aluminum foil and go as a Leftover. (This is better on a child, not as much foil is used).
“Get an old laundry basket, cut the bottom out. Use bathrobe waistbands or long scarves for straps, wear a simple t-shirt and pin clean assorted clothes in abundance to the shirt. A bra or other “embarrassing” article of clothing over the head adds humor, an empty bottle of detergent or softener completes the look.
“Red sweats, some fur and black Naugahyde easily convert to a Santa suit, add a store bought hat (use extra fur to sew or glue in a beard that hangs below the chin and you’re good to go)!
“Last one, similar to the grapes: My friend got different colored balloons, some clear plastic sheeting (not too thin). She stapled the sheeting by folding the ends toward the middle. Then stapled the sides. She then cut a hole in the middle and left that open. Then she blew up the balloons and filled the “bag” she’d made. She wore monotone tights and a body leotard and put her head through the hold in the middle, allowing the ‘bag’ to drape in the front and back of her. Then we did a few staples along the side to hold it together there. She was a bag of Jelly Beans!”
N. Davis has a clever group costume idea. “My friends and I once went as the Scooby Doo gang: Shaggy, Freddie, Daphne and Velma. We were able to find most everything we needed for our costumes at thrift stores, including Scooby (a stuffed animal that we carried with us). Basically you just need a white shirt and blue pants for Freddie, green shirt and brown pants for Shaggy, tall boots and a 60s style dress (purple if possible) for Daphne and glasses, an orange turtleneck, red-orange skirt and orange knee socks for Velma (the most difficult costume of the group, IMO). We went to 2 or 3 haunted houses in costume that night, and everybody immediately knew who we were supposed to be and loved it! We heard “you meddling kids” from several different people. LOL!”
Sandy N says your nearest thrift store has everything you’ll need for this costume. “Tourist – find a tropical shirt, khacki shorts, wear long socks pulled up over calves, get a big straw sun hat, wear a camera around neck, map in shirt pocket & sunglasses.” If you go trick-or-treating or to a party, make sure to ask for directions!
Christina Ellis dressed one year as a Christmas Tree. Pair this with Elizabeth’s Santa costume for a dramatic effect! Perhaps you can get friends to dress up as reindeer. “I made the branches out of construction paper and safety pinned them onto a green shirt and brown pants. I used shoe boxes to make Presents which I wore over my shoes and I made a star that I put on top of my head. I had colored flashing lights and tinsel that I wrapped around me. I used stickers that I stuck to the green construction paper for ornaments.”
Welcome to Niconail! I’m Niko, and I’m so glad you’re here. I am an obsessive bargain hunter and penny pincher, and I am determined to live a full life without EVER paying full price.
I’m going to dress up as the economy this year.
I figure cutting a piece of styrofoam into the shape of a headstone, painting it gray, writing RIP Economy on it & pasting it to a sheet that I throw over my body oughtta do the trick. 🙂
But there are lots of creative variations on this you can try.
That, or maybe I will just dress as myself, and if anyone asks what my costume is, I’ll tell them I’m an unemployed person!
@Chrystal Love it! There are a lot of ways to dress up as the economy this year. I have a hunch that characters from the TV show Glee will also be popular.
I think that you should go as an ice cream sundae….a red balloon tied to the top of your head as a cherry, white balloons around your neck for whipped cream….pink and dark brown balloons around your arms and upper half of your body for strawberry ice cream and hot fudge….then silver balloons lower down for the ice cream dsih.
@Evie That’s genius!!!! You have no idea how much I love ice cream. 🙂
BargainBabe, oh, I think I have a clue now!
Last minute Halloween costumes for adults: Large black trash bags, white trash bags, black magic marker, tape or glue. Take the large black trash bags and cut a hole in the bottom for the neck and a couple holes on the sides for arms. Use the white trash bags, marker, tape to decorate the black trash bags: Make a cell phone number pad and screen, round dots and a line to create a domino, electric plug face plate and lots of other simple black and white easy designs. Another idea is to get a big box and wrap it like a present. Cut hole in the bottom for the head and on the sides for arms. Make a large bow to wear on your head.
Teena LeBeau’s suggestion: “Go as a Freudian slip.”
I’m sure she meant write “Freudian slip” (or “slips”) on a full slip. An actual Freudian slip would have to come from someone’s personal experience, which no one else could relate to. By writing the words, it would, in fact, literally be a Freudian slip.