DIY Costume Inspirationon a Budget

I love halloween and the past few years it has become a holiday I don't take lightly (meaning I take my time to choose themes I find fun and unique). It is also one of my favorite holidays because it is a day you can dress up and be someone or something completely different no matter how off the wall it is.  I really like to create my own costumes as opposed to stopping by a halloween shop and purchasing one thats already made. What's the fun in that?!

These Halloween costume ideas are just based on ones I have created myself, or people I know have made.

A PINATA - $12

Here is me and my friend "Kat Von D". This is one of my older costumes but still one that was a whole lot of fun. I pretty much got a skirt and a bright jacket and hot glued colored tissue paper onto the garments. The tissue paper only cost me $1 at the dollar tree. The clothes I got at the thrift store $11 . Everyone thought it was cute, and I didn't hear the end of the piñata puns. 

SNOW WHITE - $7.50

I needed a costume for work and to use for some trick or treating with my nephews. This simple Snow White was perfect. It was appropriate for work, easy to work in and babysit a couple of rowdy kids. I just sewed a simple circle skirt and glued a felt apple ($7). I had a blue shirt with a white collar, added a red bow headband out of ribbon (.50) and I was done. 

ACE VENTURA - $10
I literally put this together in 2 hours with $10. If you don't already have, or know someone that has a hawaiian shirt and striped pants then head over to your local thrift shop. Choose a hawaiian shirt that you like best and find some striped bottoms. I say bottoms because my thrift store did not have pants, but they had woman's capris. I just tucked the capris into the boots which I already had and paired it with a white tank and a brown belt. Then I just printed the Ace Ventura Logo and glued it to a piece of cardboard. Your costume will not be complete without an exaggerated pompadour.  I straightened my hair but if your hair is short enough you might be able to hide the length. This costume was a total hit, and my favorite part about it is that I was comfortable and not freezing my butt off like the girls with the "sexy" costumes that made them all blend in since every other girl at the party was wearing one.

FLO with Progressive - $8

I decided to be her because she was a character that had similar hair to my natural hair color and length. This costume cost me $8. The most expensive thing being the paint pen ($4.75ish) used to write on the apron ($3.25ish) which I also purchased. I had white jeans and while shoes, i just thrifted the white collared shirt. I printed the insurance name tag, I (heart) insurance and the auto insurance box paper. I just glued the paper on an empty snack box, and taped the I (heart) insurance on a round button I already owned. The headband is actually a leftover piece of fabric from another project. Then I styled my hair like her by using a teasing method and hairspray. There are lots of youtube video one can reference. 

RAOUL DUKE

I took a picture with this guy as Raoul Duke from Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. Anyone who knows who this is will know it's an awesome and easy costume! It is one I had actually thought of doing myself but I chose Ace Ventura that year. Either way if your debating what to be this Duke costume is easy and very recognizable to those of my generation and older depending on who has watched the movie. I think it's a great contender for a good costume.

Agnes- Despicable Me - $11

Here was another comfortable costume I put together. Took a trip to our local thrift store for the overalls $7. Got the shirt for $3 at Walmart, and I couldn't find a cheap red scrunchy so I bought a pair of red kids booties/socks for $1 and cut a part of the foot. I then just wrapped it around my ponytail. The giant red buttons are actually red play dough lids glued to my overalls and the wholes drawn with a permanent marker. My husband won the unicorn at a theme park a few months before but you can purchase on online. Then I just styled my hair like her. This would be a cute couple costume for him to dress up as Gru, my husband was deployed so we couldn't do it. 

AMY- Big Bang Theory - $8

I absolutely love the Big Bang Theory. It is one of two shows (70's show) that my dad and I love to watch. When I found out my aunt was having a family halloween party I decided I needed to convince my dad to dress up which is impossible!!! Well, not totally. His costume involved my purchasing him a t-shirt. I of course had to be AMY and I wore a crown referencing my favorite episode. Lots of people didn't recognize me, but the few that did absolutely loved it and had to take a picture with me.  The costume cost me $7, since all I had to buy was a long skirt (thrifted) and glasses (dollar store and popped out the glass). Everything else was just normal clothes layered to look nerdy. I googled lots of Amy pictures. I also purchased "Hello my name is..." name tags. 

Amy Farrah Fowler PhD Neurobiology 

And the best one! Children dressed as old people! My nephew as Carl from up!!

Overall,  you may not have all the items I already had on hand but my biggest tips for you to create your own costumes on a budget are:

*The thrift store is the ideal place to find inexpensive items that you won't mind modifying.

*The dollar sore is your other best friend. 

*Be creative

*Work with items around your house. (I used play dough lids as    large buttons!)

*Choose comfortable

*Character gender doesn't matter, as long as they have defining clothes or accessories then you can me whomever you want!

*Pick a character that most looks like you (I personally look for similar hair length and color, mostly b/c wings are too hot).

*Who cares if not everyone recognizes your character, as long as you love it (and if your friends are interested is the stuff your interested in they will like/recognize your costume). Sometimes the reactions of the few people that do recognize your costume are soo worth the bunch of people that have no clue.