A DIY Halloween

By Aileen Lu

Graphic by Aileen Lu

Looking for the perfect Halloween costume this year but tight on cash? Never fear; here are some DIY costume ideas you can make without breaking the bank.

1) Coordinated Costumes

Get your friends involved with costume making.  Simply decorate t-shirts with glitter, felt, paint, and markers, and you’ve got a themed costume set! Some group ideas include movie and cartoon characters, rainbow colors, foods, brands (see #2), and various animals.

Cost: $5-10 per person.

2) Brands

Halloween is much more fun when it’s commercialized! Coordinate your outfit’s color with a product, and hold the respective product to complement your costume. For example, wear red and white to match a Coca-cola can, or dress in orange and brown to resemble a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.

Cost: $10 and upwards (depending upon the product).

3) Punny costumes

English teachers aren’t the only ones who enjoy puns, so why not display your lingual wit on Halloween? Hang a handmade cardboard clock around your neck and sprint across campus to show that you’re “running out of time.” If you prefer more of a breakfast theme, attach cereal boxes to your shirt and mercilessly munch on Frosted Flakes to become a “cereal killer.” Trust me; everyone will think you’re really cool and funny.

Cost: Cleverness.

4) Face on a stick

Print a person’s face out on paper, cut it out, and tape the cutout to a stick. Voilà, you are now the individual of your choice! Expand on the creepy factor by making a friend’s face on a stick and following him or her around school all day. However, the Smoke Signal is not responsible for any restraining orders.

Cost: $1 and your friendship.

5) Steve Jobs of Apple

Emulate the getup of one of the most powerful men in the Silicon Valley with a black turtleneck, glasses, blue jeans, and an Apple product/replica in hand. Sales pitch optional.

Cost: $20 if you own the iProduct; otherwise, $200 and upward.

6) Over-stressed MSJ Student

The ultimate costume for the person who forgot it was Halloween. Carry stacks of study guides, half-finished homework, and a TI-84 graphing calculator to create this instant ensemble. Adding a worried facial expression and dark eye bags are pluses.

Cost: Your pride.