Frugal Friday: Cheap (or Free!) Last-Minute Costume Ideas

Wow!!! Halloween is only five days away, and Halloween weekend is upon us!! Over the next few days, some of you may find yourselves unexpectedly invited to costume parties, with no costume hanging in the closet. Oh, no! What to do?! I know the last thing I'd want to do is hit the costume/party/Halloween pop-up store the weekend before Halloween (no, thank you), so I did a little of what I like to call "Closet Shopping" to put together workable costumes out of items I already had lying around the house.

Yes, they are all kind of lame. No, it doesn't matter. It's Halloween. I think you might even get extra points for having a lame costume. Points for what, exactly? Not a clue. I just make this stuff up as I go along.

1. Tourist
Pull out the shorts, flip-flops, sandals, backpacks, fannypacks, and the loudest Hawaiian or theme park shirt you can find. Bonus points if the t-shirt has Marty Moose on it (again, no idea what the points mean. Just go with it). Sun visors, baseball or trucker caps, knee socks, and a dab of sunscreen on the nose (greasepaint or white cream makeup work, too) complete the look.

2. Proud Parent
You know how some Baseball dads and Pageant moms have t-shirts, noisemakers, and a dozen, or so, pins, posters, and the like? What if every club did that? A fun spin (and one not likely to offend any parents who may fit this description--mine did!), is to pick a club where a cheering section would be entirely inappropriate, like Debate, or Model UN. You know, where matches and meets are notoriously quiet and require deep concentration, and where most people show up in business attire. This one may require a trip to the craft store, but maybe not. If you're already a DIY-er,  you might already be all set. The basic costume is jeans and t-shirt. The fun comes in how you decorate that t-shirt, and what props you decide to carry--the louder and crazier, the better. Don't be afraid to use neon, rhinestones, and glitter, all at the same time. Proudly proclaim that you are a Scholar's Bowl Mom/Dad...foam finger and all!

3. Beauty School Dropout
You will need a cheap (five dollar-range) stylist's smock from the beauty supply shop, some spray in hair color from the drugstore or Walmart (look on the Halloween aisle. It's still much safer and far less crazy than going to a party store!), and foam rubber curlers. Spray your hair with whatever color you like (if you go for pink, you could also make a little nametag that says "Frenchie", and wear a pencil skirt or capris with cute flats under the smock), and roll onto the curlers. Then apply the tackiest makeup you can think of. I mean, make the eyes different colors and smear the lipstick (unless you're Frenchie, then stick with cute and 50s-inspired). This also works for guys, by the way. I'm just going to leave you with that mental image.

Have a great weekend!!!