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10 DIY Halloween Costumes

Samantha Jacobs |
October 13, 2013 | 10:37 p.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Statue of Liberty Cartoon (Twitter/@colsblog)
Statue of Liberty Cartoon (Twitter/@colsblog)

Once we're past the age of 16, we're too old to dress up for Halloween, right?

False. Absolutely false.

In fact, just the opposite is true. As we get older we simply expand our horizons in terms of what we can dress up as. But we don’t need to break the bank to dress to impress on Halloween. There are plenty of budget-friendly ways to create your own, unique attire. And there are definitely more costume options than being a cat or a nerd. So whether you’re a costume queen or newbie to dressing up, here are some DIY Halloween costume ideas.

1. The Government Shutdown

This current hot topic could be a real winner of a Halloween costume. There are many options for what you could do, but the punch line will be making a sign to wear around your neck that reads “Sorry, we’re closed!” If you have a green dress and any sort of crown, you could go as the Statue of Liberty. You can also go buy a Statue of Liberty costume on Amazon if you so desire. You could also wear a suit and either pair it with a top hat and draw on a beard to say you’re Abe Lincoln, or get a large, frizzy, long white wig and say you’re a Founding Father. If you’d prefer to go as a contemporary politician, wear either a jacket and tie for men or a blazer and button-up for ladies and then wear pajama bottoms with it.

SEE ALSO: Government Shutdown Continues: Seven Things You Should Know

2. 50 Shades of Grey

Get your mind out of the gutter. This is a very innocent, easy and cost-efficient costume. You can wear various shades of grey, and go to any home improvement store and ask for some grey paint swatches (most will sell them for just a few dollars). You can tape them to your shirt, or more creatively, tape them to yourself, but either way this will get you some laughs and high-fives. 

50 Shades of Grey Costume (Twitter/@georgina_latina)
50 Shades of Grey Costume (Twitter/@georgina_latina)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Twister

All you need is a plain white dress or shirt and bottom combination and some paint. You can paint on the color bubbles, write “Twister” somewhere on your outfit, and ta-da, you’re a board game. Just watch out for where you paint the dots because there might be those opportunists who will say “I was just playing the game and putting my right hand on red!” If you have an actual Twister game lying around, get creative and make a dress out of it, and you can even incorporate the board. The same aforementioned warning about dot placement still applies, though.

Twister Costume (Twitter/JoeyUrquijo)
Twister Costume (Twitter/JoeyUrquijo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Spring Breakers

This one could work for any combination of males and females, and would actually be funnier with a greater boy to girl ratio. You can either buy cheap sweatpants, or use a pair you don’t care about, and writing “DTF” on the butt can be optional. And then bikini tops and ski masks are all you need clothing wise if you want to go as the four girls. Squirt or Nerf guns could be fun props though, and then you could spray people if they don’t give you candy. If someone wants to go as James Franco’s character, he or she can wear a white tank, Hawaiian shirt, board shorts and sunglasses. Fake grills can be easily made out of tin foil, and voilà, spring break can be in October this year.

Spring Breakers (Twitter/@GeorgeWMacPR)
Spring Breakers (Twitter/@GeorgeWMacPR)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5. Mean Girls

This movie still maintains the cultural and social relevance it had when it was released in 2004, so most people will understand this costume. For this one, you will need four people. Boys, don’t be shy, this will be hilarious if you do it. You should wear heels (kitten heels will do), a skirt and any tank top (preferably white) that you don’t care about. Underneath your shirt wear a brightly colored bra, bandeau, bikini top or anything along those lines. Cut out two holes over the chest of your shirt and you’re done. Regina George would be proud. Then you can walk around saying “Get in loser we’re going trick-or-treating,” and you’ll get even more laughs.

"Mean Girls" Regina George (Twitter/@CaylaMerch)
"Mean Girls" Regina George (Twitter/@CaylaMerch)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE ALSO: 10 Reasons Why Mean Girls Will Always Be Relevant

6. Toddlers and Tiaras

 Girls will have fun with this one and boys will get some major laughs from it. All you really need is a tiara, a tutu and any material that can be used as a sash. If you write something along the lines of “Little Miss (insert school or state here),” people will get the message, and if you buy a cheap pacifier and wear that then you’ll really nail the look. You could always go as America’s favorite toddler in a tiara, Honey Boo Boo--just carry around a bottle of Mountain Dew and continuously shout some of her catch phrases like “A dolla makes me holla!” People may just give you money, too. Boys, if you'd like, you could also go as a "pageant dad." You just need a baseball cap, jeans, maybe a shirt with the face of your "daughter" on it and a beer bottle and you'll have a great result.

 

 

7. Fox

This one might sound unoriginal, but for those who have seen the recently popular music video by the Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis entitled “What Does the Fox Say?” this might be a hit. Pair brown or red animal ears (furry brown headgear will work) with brown or reddish attire (preferably with fur) and draw on a nose and white mustache with some simple makeup. To complete the look, wear a sign around your neck that says “What do I say?” or run around asking people what you say. Not everyone will understand this costume, but those who do will appreciate your creativity and trendiness. Plus, you can all have fun singing the bizarre but catchy song together.

 

 

8.  Walter White/Heisenberg and Jesse Pinkman

This costume can serve as a cheap and easy tribute to arguably the greatest TV drama ever, “Breaking Bad.” You can go as either character, or grab a friend and go as a duo. For Walter White/Heisenberg, you’ll want to wear glasses, have a black pork pie hat and wear all black. It also wouldn’t hurt to have a goatee drawn on. For Jesse Pinkman, any loose, slouchy clothes should work, especially a hoodie, and a beanie will be the final touch. Fill a bag with blue Pop-Rocks or rock candy and say it's the “blue crystal” used in the show. Another alternative for this costume would be yellow hazmat suits, which are not too expensive on Amazon, and some goggles. If Ryan on "The Office" can pull it off, so can you.

 

SEE ALSO: Halloween Costumes Based on TV Show Characters

"Breaking Bad" on "The Office" (@StephenBaker8)
"Breaking Bad" on "The Office" (@StephenBaker8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

9. Minions

Who doesn’t love the minions from the “Despicable Me” movies? This costume works better in a group, and everyone needs a yellow shirt, overalls and goggles. If you don’t have any of these pieces they can be found very inexpensively at Target or Amazon. 

"Despicable Me" Costumes (Twitter/@Motavators_xoxo)
"Despicable Me" Costumes (Twitter/@Motavators_xoxo)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10. Liz Lemon

An homage to “30 Rock,” you could go as everyone’s favorite “geek.” This one is very simple: throw on jeans with a flannel or hoodie, carry around a tub of cheese puffs and yell “Blerg!” as you walk around. Simple, easy and comfortable--just the way Liz Lemon likes things.

Halloween is a time to be whoever you want, so go crazy! But crazy doesn’t have to be absurdly difficult or expensive, so hopefully this list gives you all some ideas on how to be the best not-you on Halloween.

Reach Staff Reporter Samantha Jacobs here. Follow her on Twitter here.



 

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