DIY Halloween Costumes

Halloween is almost here and that means many of us will be scrambling to get our costumes together last minute. Ever since I can remember I have been spending the nights leading up to my favorite holiday with a hot glue gun in hand making my vision come to life. There’s something so much more gratifying about putting on the costume that you made yourself rather than one you picked up from a costume store. Let’s all be original and get crafty this year, here are some tips and tricks to keep in mind while planning out your DIY!

✌ Thrift Stores Are Your Friend

Shopping at thrift stores is a great way to keep the cost low and get more for your money. There are typically some awesome vintage options and the fact that most thrift stores are organized by color makes it easy for you to find exactly what you’re looking for!

Here are some things to remember when scouring through the racks:

• If you find something that is the perfect style, but not the right color, you could always dye it! I’m currently dying an off-white dress green for my costume this year, because it was the exact shape I was looking for but the color wasn’t ideal. You can pick up a pack of dye from your local craft store for around $4, and they even make special dyes to color synthetic fabrics now too!
• Sometimes you will have to think outside of the box and do some altering to get a certain piece. Need a short dress, but can only find a long one in the perfect color? Cut it off and hem it! Need a dress with fringe or sequins but not having luck finding one? Buy something plain and add them on later! The green skirt shown in the photo of my mermaid costume was actually a strapless dress that I found at a thrift store and wore as a skirt. Get creative!

 ❤ Use Makeup to Amp Up Your Look

Having a cute costume is great, but having a cute costume and some impressive makeup to go along with it makes you look like a Halloween pro. Youtube is a great resource to look up makeup tutorials that match your costume. There are also a ton of awesome Instagram accounts out there just for Halloween makeup to visit for inspiration.

Here are some of my favorite tricks to try on your face this Halloween:

• Put a fishnet stocking around your head and apply shadow or paint to create a really cool scale effect for mermaid or sea creature costumes.
• Spray hairspray on your skin and sprinkle glitter on top to make it stay on all night long.
• Use eyelash adhesive to get embellishments such as rhinestones, sequins, or feathers to stick to your face.

$ The Dollar Store Has (Almost) Everything

Before you go on a craft store shopping spree and spend a ton of money on your supplies, check the dollar store first! They have so much more than you would think.

Here are some things that could be especially helpful to pick up for your costume making:

• Faux florals can get really expensive to buy full price, especially if you need a lot of them. Most dollar stores offer bouquets of flowers in a ton of varieties, along with other floral supplies like wire and styrofoam.
• Glitter, sequins, pom poms and other embellishments are typically available in the craft section of dollar stores. Get a ton of pom poms and transform yourself into a gumball machine, or add some sequins to your mermaid look for a little more sparkle!
• Hot Glue sticks are a costume-making staple if you’re as intimidated by sewing as I am. Most dollar stores sell mini hot glue sticks, which work great for adding embellishments to your clothes and accessories.

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I hope these tips have you feeling inspired to get your DIY on! Plug those glue guns in and start Pinteresting for costume ideas; Halloween is just around the corner-can’t wait!

He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of work as engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers. - Exodus 35:35