Making a great Halloween costume can actually be easy

With October 31st not technically being until tomorrow, talk about the perfect excuse for going out on a Monday. Even more, it gives you a little more time to nail that perfect costume after seeing all the last-minute ensembles from the weekend.

Choosing a Halloween costume can be a very tricky process for anyone. Should I make a political statement or a funny one? How can my costume be unique and different? Or, should I go with a “safe choice?” For me, Halloween is just as much about choosing the costume as it is celebrating in it.

For this Halloween, I tried to do something different. I made my own costume. By made, I mean using a combination of my old clothes to create a new look.

Now, you have to understand that I have never done this, because I never considered myself as a very creative or artsy person. But it was actually FUN. I felt like a six-year old again trying out different combinations of outfits. After I experimented with makeup and purchased a few accessories, voilà! I finally had the look I wanted. Whether I was successful at creating that specific look is for others to judge. But I was excited.

My method for creating a DIY Halloween Costume:

Choose a specific look that seem interesting and amazing to you. Anything – I do mean ANYTHING you like. Find your inspiration from social media, books, TV shows, movies, etc. For my inspiration, I looked in my Netflix queue. Odd, I know, but I recalled many inspiring characters from my queue. I started watching a new show called Legends of Tomorrow. As a fan of Arrow, I always admired the character White Canary, so that’s who I decided to be this Halloween. Your inspiration can come from your simple likes and dislikes. Show a hidden identity. Be creative. Be cool. But most of all be YOU.

Gather different clothing items after you have a specific look in mind. Remember your clothing is not limited to your closet. Ask a friend or roommate to borrow something. For my outfit, I used my tan leather jacket, gray boots and brown belt. I borrowed leather pants and a shirt from someone else. This is a creative process, so have fun! Try make different combinations of clothing that you have never tried before.

Experiment with make-up. No costume is complete without a little. I personally have never been good with makeup, but I enjoyed experimenting with it. I didn’t use that much make-up, but enough to enhance my look. If you are like me, then you can try doing medium coverage. If not, then you can go full out like this skeleton (clown?) lady.

Add accessories to put some glamor in your look. You should add a few accessories because they make you stand out and finalize your ensemble. To be really creative, you can try making your own accessories.  You can have fun and spend less money than buying them, but I personally bought mine: metal rod, leather gloves and blonde wig. With accessories, my costume was little more recognizable to others.

DIY Halloween costumes are a cheap and easy way for a chilling Halloween experience. I was able to save a lot of money by making my own costume. It takes a lot less time than you think. I was able to put together my costume in duration of one or two days, so you definitely have time before tomorrow night. Plus it gives you a chance to take a much needed break from school stress.

Happy Halloween Hoos! Be safe – but have fun.