Make Halloween costumes yourself: quick and easy
Halloween costumes create an eerily beautiful atmosphere at every Halloween party! We have put together some tips here with which you can use simple means to design Halloween costumes for you and your loved ones yourself.
Whether witch, vampire, zombie or ghost: the selection of Halloween costumes at numerous Internet mail order companies and costume shops is now large. Don’t want to buy ready made costumes for Halloween or need a last minute costume for a Halloween party ? No problem – with the following tips you can quickly and easily design your own Halloween costumes.
The basis of all Halloween costumes: the make-up
A creepy make-up is the basis of all Halloween costumes. White, black, grey, green, orange and red are very suitable as make-up colors. You can achieve particularly striking results with opaque water make-up. But a lot can also be achieved with normal make-up tools such as light powder, black eyeliner and red lipstick. With peel-off masks from the drugstore you can also let the skin hang down in “rags”.
Hair gel and (colored) hairspray, flour or baby powder will make your hair gray and stand on end.
Tools for costume design
In order to be able to design a demonic Halloween costume according to our tips, you primarily need a few (old) clothes, some fabric and the following utensils:
- scissors
- ash or potting soil
- red watercolor
Ghost costumes for Halloween
A ghost disguise can be implemented in many ways. In addition to the classic bed sheet with cut-out eyes and mouth, these variants are conceivable as Halloween costumes:
- Elegant castle ghost: An old white dress or nightgown can be upgraded with white gloves, a fine white scarf or a piece of tulle converted into a stole. An old white curtain with an embroidery and lace look can also be put to good use, for example as an apron, cape or veil.
- Sleepy ghost: An old white bathrobe, checked pajama bottoms or white tights and slippers are signs of tiredness.
- Little house ghost: Your child can mutate into a ghost with an oversized white T-shirt or nightgown and white tights, for example.
The right make-up with white skin and gray accents around the eyes and lips as well as gray hair is essential for the perfect ghostly look. The make-up can be spiced up, for example, by painting on small spiders and cobwebs.
Halloween vampire costumes
A vampire costume is quickly improvised:
- You become a vampire mum in a black dress, depending on the length with black, preferably patterned, pantyhose and a cape. For this you can, for example, arrange a large black scarf or a piece of fabric around your shoulders and fix it with a hair tie and a baroque-looking brooch. A long cape with an elastic band and a stand-up collar, for example made of double collar fabric, looks particularly stylish. This requires a little more work, but it shouldn’t bother a hobbyist.
- The vampire dad wears a white shirt, black pants and of course a cape. If the shirt is no longer needed, splashes of red watercolor blood can make the outfit look even more authentic.
- Vampire children wear black pants or skirts with a white shirt or t-shirt. Of course, the cape should not be missing here either.
Pointed teeth, chunky silver-look jewelry and red accents, such as a handkerchief, round off the perfect vampire outfit. The make-up here consists of white skin, black eyes and black or dark red lips and a few traces of blood on the face. The hair can be black, gray or white.
Zombie costumes for Halloween
Dressing up as a zombie offers a lot of creative freedom. It can be implemented with almost any outfit, because the fate of a zombie can in principle overtake anyone. And this is how you can make zombie costumes for Halloween:
- For a zombie nurse, you simply take a white apron or a comparable piece of clothing and use scissors to cut out jagged and striped shreds at the bottom hem, the collar and, if necessary, the sleeves.
- Then, for a dirty and bloody look, dampen some parts of the garment with water and rub ash or potting soil on it. Repeat the process in other places with red watercolor.
- White, tattered nylon tights or over-the-knee stockings and a face mask (e.g. from the pharmacy) with red “blood stains” complete the zombie look.
- The zombie costumes get the finishing touches for Halloween with a make-up consisting of a white face, black eyes, blurred, dark eye rims, red lips and traces of blood. White contact lenses and scraps of skin are an additional highlight. To get the latter, apply a peel-off mask, let it dry, and then carefully poke a few holes in the stretched surface. You can apply red paint in the holes. When it comes to hair, the more tousled and grayer, the better.
According to this principle, many zombie variants are possible: the office worker with glasses, skirt and blouse, the business man with a tie and collar, the jock in a tracksuit or the computer freak with a shirt and tank top.
Halloween witch costumes
A witch costume for mother and daughter is also quickly conjured up:
- Dresses and transparent tops with wide sleeves in dark colors such as black or violet, as well as dark fishnet tights and capes made of tulle, for example, are suitable for fine witches. A pointed felt hat is perfect as a headdress, but a dark headscarf folded into a triangle also serves its purpose.
- A long, frumpy skirt, an apron, an inconspicuous blouse and a headscarf lend witch charm a la Hansel and Gretel.
- A voluminous black robe in combination with a pointed hat looks impressive. For the robe, for example, you can use a black bed sheet in which you cut a large hole for the head opening.
- There are no limits to the imagination when it comes to witch make-up. Green skin, gray skin, black, green or orange eyes, gray or red hair – everything is possible.
- A typical witch accessory is of course the broom.
Halloween priest costumes
Father and son can cause a stir as mysterious priests:
- Black trousers and a black shirt form the basis. Fix a small piece of white cardboard or a handkerchief under the shirt collar at the level of the top button, for example with a rubber band. Splash red watercolor blood onto a white long scarf and drape it neatly over your shoulders.
- With accessories such as crosses or a prayer book, pale powdered skin and red eyes, the mysterious priestly look is perfect.
More tips for effective Halloween costumes
- Slightly longer gloves or arm warmers can be conjured up quickly from old nylon pantyhose or nylon knee-high socks. To do this, cut the stocking to the desired length. Then cut off the tips of the toes to create an opening for the fingers. Carefully cut a hole for the thumb at a point far enough from the edge.
- White cotton gloves from the drugstore are also a quick and cheap alternative, for example for the ghost look.
- For example, you can upgrade a simple pointed felt hat with a colorful fabric ribbon. Belts with eye-catching buckles are also suitable for hats made of more stable material.
If you don’t have the right clothes for your dream costume at hand, ask relatives or friends. Old clothes and accessories with potential for transformation are often found in the basement or in the attic. Flea markets are also a good place to go for suitable and cheap clothing and quirky accessories.