With Halloween only a few weeks away, it's crunch time to find that perfect costume. But on a college budget, that may put a few limits on what you can dress up as because let's be honest - even that $7 shirt on Amazon feels expensive sometimes. So here are a few easy costumes to throw together last minute before the Halloween festivities begin.
1. Scarecrow
Odds are you or someone you know owns a flannel in any color scheme. Pair that with a pair of your favorite jeans and some boots and your outfit is complete. The hat is optional, but it does add a nice touch. And then, for the face detailing, find either a liquid or pencil eyeliner and draw the lines going out from the corners of your mouth and then draw the lines on your nose as well. Add a nice, bright blush onto your cheeks where the lines end and in the center of the lines on your nose and you're good - the scarecrow transformation is complete!
2. Rosie the Riveter
It's time to rock that look that you could never actually wear in public on a normal day without getting tons of weird looks - denim on denim! If you or someone you know doesn't have a denim shirt, odds are your local thrift shop is holding a pretty large store of them. Once you have your hands on one of those, pull out your favorite pair of jeans, throw your hair up in a ponytail or a messy bun, and tie a red bandana (also super cheap to buy at craft stores if you don't own one already) around your head as a headband. I highly recommend wearing Converse for your footwear, but shoes don't actually matter since the feet aren't shown in the original poster from 1942. Finish off the look with a nice eyeliner wing and some red lips, and you will be a perfect replica of the original motivational Rosie.
3. Regina George
You know that old tank top that is shoved in the back of your closet/bottom of your drawer? Or how about that one you realize you don't wear that often anymore? This is the perfect excuse to use it just one last time. Take that top, cut some holes right over where your boobs are, and put on a colorful bra. Pair is with a black skirt and gym shoes and you have perfectly recreated the iconic moment created by some of the most iconic movie characters ever. And if people don't instantly recognize what you are going for, tell them they need to watch 'Mean Girls' ASAP.
4. Vampire
Thank God for the introduction of the Twilight craze back there in '08 because that makes dressing like a vampire that much easier. Plus, if you wear pretty much anything with a red and black color scheme that looks slightly gothic, you're good to go. That means that makeup is the fun part for this costume. A good smokey eye can go a long way with this one. Pair that with a nice red lip and your look will be to die for. But if you want to go to the extreme, fake vampire teeth can be purchased from your local Party City or Halloween superstore for under $3 and the fake blood typically runs below $5.
Extra Tip: If you're going for a pale complexion for your costume, I recently learned that you can go to some make-up stores and they will give you samples of foundation you can use. This is a lot better than simply using white face paint because the other makeup you apply won't work as well with the paint. Plus, a free sample is a lot better than spending $20-$40 on a foundation you'll probably only use one time.
5. Cat
Is it really Halloween without the token cat? Of course this costume is seen as a total cliché, but it really is something that comes in handy when you need a cheap and quick costume. For the outfit, pull out whatever black you own and wear it. This is also that perfect excuse to wear that leopard print clothing. Once the outfit is put together, it's time to work on the face. For the eye, find a liquid liner and create a nice wing to accentuate the cat-eye shape. Bring it into a point in the corner of the front of your eye (as seen above) for a more drastic affect. Then take that same liquid liner and drawn on your nose, whiskers, and whatever other details you would like. Then you can find cat ears at stores like Claire's, Hot Topic, Party City, Halloween Superstores, etc. for usually less than $10.
6. Mermaid
Good news! This costume no longer requires wearing a skirt since tons of retailers are starting to produce super cute mermaid-scale print leggings. But since some of these can run pretty expensive, I suggest looking at Hot Topic where they range from $25-$35 depending on what sales the store is running. Plus Hot Topic also carries super cute mermaid accessories that can be paired with the outfit for anywhere between $5-$20 depending on what you buy. They offer a purple seashell bathing suit top that would look great with the leggings, but any purple top will do if you want to go for that classic 'Little Mermaid' look!
7. "Ceiling Fan"
I love a good pun, so when you can work a pun into your Halloween costume, I say go for it. This is one of the easiest pun costumes I could think of. All you need is a plain t-shirt or tank top (or any plain top, really) and some markers or Duct tape. Take the top and write or tape the words "Go Ceiling!" or "Go Ceiling Go!" on it. Tie your hair back in a ponytail or pigtails, add some face paint if you would like, and call it a day! I've also seen some people write or tape "Go Ceiling!" on baseball caps and homemade flags, which I think also adds a nice touch to the costume!
8. Hogwarts Student
Let's be real - everyone is going to recognize a Harry Potter reference when they see one whether they have read the books/seen the movies or not. This can be easily achieved with a button-down shirt, a grey or black cardigan, and a grey or black skater skirt. Pair it with some knee high socks and some flats, Sperry's, Keds, Converse and the
Time to pull out that extra set of bedsheets and put it to use outside that shelf in your hall storage closet. Wrap it as intricately or as simple as you would like and create a toga, pin it in place with safety pins, leave it as is or place a braided belt around your waist, and there you go - the main portion of the costume is done! As for accessories, head over to Forever 21 or any similar store and you are bound to find some sort of Grecian-esque headpiece. Armbands are very easy to find as well. If you don't want to do this, though, you can always put your hair in a braid crown, which looks just as good!
