How to Make Halloween Costumes

Although buying Halloween costumes is always an option, creating a unique costume that showcases its maker's wit and creativity makes dressing up for the October holiday even more fun. A handmade costume can also cost considerably less than premium versions of purchased costumes. Knowing how to sew is a bonus, but it isn't necessary for all costumes; those who don't sew can use ideas that incorporate regular clothing.

Developing a Costume

Before the first sequin or scar goes into the Halloween costume, answer a few questions about what the outfit will entail to put together:

The simplest costumes might necessitate little more than cosmetics and some old clothing. For example, a serviceable zombie costume could incorporate an old outfit artfully ripped and painted with dirt plus some appropriately ghastly makeup. Children might use a parent's old clothes to dress up as hippies, punks or other vintage styles.

Finding Materials

For those without access to a sewing machine, it's often easier to find or buy the more complex elements of the costume. Secondhand shops stock elements that work well in costumes such as school uniforms, cheerleader outfits, wedding dresses, football jerseys and vintage clothing; use these sources for the basic pieces of the costume.

Build on an existing foundation to customize a costume. For example, a secondhand wedding dress would suffice as a bride costume, but adding a length of black fabric as a cape and wearing a pair of fangs with it turns it into a vampire bride outfit. Wear it with teased hair sprayed white in stripes for a "Bride of Frankenstein" look. Pair it with running shoes and an old suitcase hurriedly packed and go to a party as a runaway bride.

Costume elements take on a new look with a few classic accessories. A plain red dress doesn't look especially wicked, but adding a pair of horns, a pitchfork and some sequins to it gives it a little devilish fire. Wear a black dress with a conical brimmed hat made of cardboard or fabric and carry a broom to look appropriately witchy.

Thanks to a slew of supernatural television shows, zombies and vampires are especially popular. Vampire costumes require little more than fangs and pallid skin, although classic vampire interpretations usually include a cape and formal clothes. Zombie cheerleaders, zombie beauty queens and zombie schoolchildren just need some gray and green facial makeup, black grease paint around the eyes and teased messy hair to look the part. Paint a vehicle tire with dark paint and roll it across an outfit to give an indication of how the "zombie" got that way.

Build on an existing foundation to customize a costume