Putting together a costume on a shoestring budget

Header image for Interrobang article CREDIT: LISA KELLY
Who says looking good has to cost an arm and a leg? A Clark Kent costume can be recreated easily.

It’s the night before Halloween… or in most cases, the day of, and you haven’t even thought about a Halloween costume yet. Payday isn’t until next week and you have about $20 to come up with a creative costume that will win you the coveted $1,000 prize at Cowboys Ranch.

Fret not, dear friends, costume designer and owner of The Naughty Gypsy Laura Hubbard shares her tips for putting a costume together on a budget.

Here are seven tips for creating a costume without breaking the bank:

Duct tape is your best friend. It comes in so many different colors and patterns, and you can make anything with duct tape: your main outfit, accessories, boots, crowns, and so much more.

Thrift stores. Whether it’s value village or goodwill, second hand stores are a gold mind for putting together costumes. Often you will find vintage items or items from a specific decade for super cheap.

Your parents or grandparents closets are a goldmine for free costumes. Scour their closets for clothes from different decades, nerdy glasses, and funky accessories.

Upcycle and recycle. Get creative, and use items from your recycling box, garbage, or clothing donation pile, to create a unique and interesting costume

Have a costume swap. Organize a costume swap in your residence. Tell everyone who has a costume to bring it in. Leave a costume, take a costume.

YouTube – the possibilities are endless! Use YouTube for everything from making a cardboard long sword, to Jack Skellington makeup. YouTube has tons of do-it-yourself tutorials that show you how to make just about anything for free, or relatively inexpensive

Concentrate on one piece each year. If you have your heart set on a specific cosplay character that you want to copy, but can’t afford to do it all at once, concentrate on one piece each year until your costume is complete. Don’t be afraid to use second hand stores or pre-packaged costumes to fill in the game as you create your masterpiece.

Here are some quick DIY costumes:

Clark Kent

You will need:

- Black pants or skirt

- A white button up blouse

- Nerdy glasses

- A superman shirt

- Suspenders (optional)

Bill Cosby

You will need:

- A bright geometric print sweater

- A profound love for Jell-O

Mrs. Doubtfire

You will need:

- Woman’s clothes (borrow from your mom/grandma

- Baby powder for your hair

- Don’t forget the lemon meringue facemask!

Bank Robber

You will need:

- Black pants or skirt

- Striped top

- Black toque or face mask

- Money bag

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- You will need:

- A white tee shirt

- A black sharpie

- “Who cares” attitude