Author Topic: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?  (Read 6033 times)

TheGrimSqueaker

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Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« on: October 15, 2015, 07:41:01 PM »
It's my custom to make all the neighborhood children earn every bite of candy they get from me by surviving the Challenge Of Fear. (They know this and appear to like it... at least, the survivors generally come back.) So, how shall I terrify them when I open the door?

I don't want to spend too much (obviously), but what ideas do you have for costumes?

lbmustache

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #1 on: October 15, 2015, 10:38:33 PM »
A cat is always my go to. Wear all black, draw whiskers and a nose, make or buy ($1 at Target!) ears. Done.

Trifle

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2015, 04:41:18 AM »
In my experience the kids like gross -- how about the zombie route, with a long shaggy wig, tattered clothes, and gross makeup with those temporary wound tattoos ?  OK, that might make toddlers scream, but older kids love it. 

BTW, was just at Goodwill shopping for Halloween with my kids, and it was a riot!  They had a great selection of new and used costumes, and two big bins of miscellaneous stuff.  We had a ball with the miscellaneous bins, concocting bizarre costume combinations like grim reaper with pink bunny ears and fairy wand, ant man with shaggy viking helmet and devil tail, and more.  Not sure if you have a Goodwill where you live, but ours rocks at Halloween.  Best value around.   
« Last Edit: October 16, 2015, 04:52:46 AM by Trifele »

artistache

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2015, 05:12:44 AM »
Not sure if this qualifies as scary enough, but it's funny and cheap. In college my roommate once took an old red sweatshirt and somehow (tape? glue?) affixed a bunch of fall leaves to it. She smudged soot on her face and hands and artfully arranged leaves in her hair. She was a forest fire. You could really build on the idea and burn the edges of the leaves, add some kindling, etc.

rockm87

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #4 on: October 16, 2015, 05:21:35 AM »
Have a look on pinterest, there are loads of cheap or free costume ideas.

Pigeon

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #5 on: October 16, 2015, 06:16:13 AM »
You can tear an old white sheet or table cloth into strips to make bandages and baste it on light colored clothing to make a mummy.  If you want to reclaim the clothing later, you can remove the bandages.  Appropriate scary face make-up is a nice touch.

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #6 on: October 16, 2015, 06:49:43 AM »
Last year I used an undershirt and glued mini cereal boxes to it and put plastic knives through them. I added a little fake blood on the boxes and my shirt for splatter.

I was a "cereal killer" :)

I did it super cheap but everyone thought it was pretty cool.

GuitarStv

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #7 on: October 16, 2015, 06:55:49 AM »
Put two chairs on your front porch.  One with a straw dummy in it, one with you . . . dressed as a straw dummy.  When the kids ring the door bell jump up from behind them making growling type noises.

Scared the living shit out of me when I was a kid.

LiveLean

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #8 on: October 16, 2015, 07:01:57 AM »
James Bond and the painted-gold woman from "Goldfinger."

Wife and I did this a couple of years ago. I just wore a suit and borrowed one of the kids' toy pistols. Spent about $20 on gold bodypaint and hairspray for her. She had a gold bikini already.

nereo

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #9 on: October 16, 2015, 07:06:02 AM »
slutty pumpkin?

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #10 on: October 16, 2015, 05:09:13 PM »
I'm loving these!

Overall it's much better than my Lady Godiva idea, which while admittedly cheap is not OK for greeting kids at the door. Terrifying though, at my age...

Dollar Slice

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #11 on: October 16, 2015, 06:34:10 PM »
My terrifying $0 costume for the past few years... when people ask what I'm going to dress up as for Halloween, I give them a pissy look and tell them I'm already in costume as the scariest thing you can imagine... a 30-something sleep-deprived office worker with severe PMS. (The first year it was true, now I just keep up the joke.)

HairyUpperLip

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #12 on: October 22, 2015, 08:38:24 AM »
Taking our daughter trick or treating this year. She's going to be Minnie Mouse to match a cousin who is Mickey Mouse. They are 2 and 1. Gonna be cute. :)

Anyways - any cheap simple family friendly ideas for a couple? I would like my wife and I to dress up on some level.

Thanks - just didn't care enough to create a new thread.

Dicey

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #13 on: October 22, 2015, 12:15:40 PM »
DH and I are closing on a rental property tomorrow in a resort area about eight hours from here. We will spend all of next week sprucing it up so that we can get it rented before the season begins and first payment is due. I expect that by Halloween, we are going to look like a couple of tired painters, and that will be our costume. Expensive, but worth it. (Hee)

ambimammular

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #14 on: October 22, 2015, 04:59:44 PM »
If you're going for cheap and scary, I think make-up would be the best route. There are some awesome tutorials on giving yourself two sets of eyes/mouths (very dizzying), and  overextended mouths where teeth are painted over the bottom lip and the toothy smile goes way into the dimple region.

I'd practice before hand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObD7bssU86Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrYVhRkXQME

Lis

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #15 on: October 23, 2015, 10:04:45 AM »
Put two chairs on your front porch.  One with a straw dummy in it, one with you . . . dressed as a straw dummy.  When the kids ring the door bell jump up from behind them making growling type noises.

Scared the living shit out of me when I was a kid.

I've seen far too many videos of parents reacting by, erm... self defense. When I was 10 I punched a guy that jumped out at me and scared me. I was quite tiny, so I didn't do any damage, and the guy just laughed it off, but boy was my dad embarrassed.

bobechs

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #16 on: October 24, 2015, 11:03:01 AM »
My terrifying $0 costume for the past few years... when people ask what I'm going to dress up as for Halloween, I give them a pissy look and tell them I'm already in costume as the scariest thing you can imagine... a 30-something sleep-deprived office worker with severe PMS. (The first year it was true, now I just keep up the joke.)

Night of the living dead, indeed.

shelivesthedream

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #17 on: October 25, 2015, 03:18:19 AM »
Just open the door with a knife in your hand and a blood spatter on your shirt.

lakemom

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #18 on: October 25, 2015, 10:54:06 AM »
Not sure about now, but go through your closet and see what you can come up with.....

jeans, a plaid shirt, some boots....lumberjack
fancy dress, fancy hair, fancy makeup....princess/queen/fairy
shift dress and proper accessories...someone from the roaring 20's
Black t-shirt and some black garbage bags (or even better black tights) to make a spider.  Make and stuff 8 arms and sew or pin to the black t-shirt
We have my kids black graduation gowns that we've used to be a graduate, harry potter (with the striped tie and glasses), a wizard (male), and a witch,

For future planning....go shopping a day or two after Halloween and pick up some accessories on clearance and start a costume bin.  At this point in time we can create costumes from ages 4 to adult just by opening our boxes and seeing what tickles our fancy this year.  Now some of our costumes are store bought and many are homemade but by mixing and matching we can come up with many, many creations.  That said, the accessories are often the key so we have a number of wigs, hats, masks, etc. to use and when something gets lost or broken I keep my eyes out after the holiday for a replacement on 50-75% off.

TheGrimSqueaker

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #19 on: October 31, 2015, 04:45:46 PM »
OK, so what I did... demented lumberjack.

I happen to have the work boots, etc., and also a chainsaw that runs but is technically replacement parts. I took the chain off (understand that there's some risk to the motor if you run it chainless for too long) and it makes for a brilliant accessory.

All who want treats at my place must survive the Challenge Of Fear!!!!!

lakemom

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Re: Any ideas for cheap Hallowe'en costumes for adults?
« Reply #20 on: November 01, 2015, 02:36:39 PM »
Sounds great!  Pictures?