Friday, October 19, 2012

Use Your Braaains... A $10 or Less Costume Idea

Make this Halloween a BYOB. Bring Your Own Brains!

Halloween is the second most expensive holiday in the United States. And we don't even exchange gifts! Between the candy, the costumes and the decorations, it can get pretty costly. 

But if you're looking for something cheap, something easy and something with a little bite... you need to become  a zombie. 

In order to pass as undead you'll need two things...the attitude and the ensemble. So let's first discuss how to get the zombie look. 
  1. First, you'll need to dig through your closet for some clothes you don't mind destroying. If you can't part with anything from your wardrobe, take a trip to the thrift store.  I estimate a cheap shirt and pant combo costing an average of $7. Make several tears and holes in these garments. You were attacked by the clawing hands of the undead and you did not survive. It's gonna get messy.
  2. The dollar store is your friend. Most dollar stores have a small cosmetics section. Look for eyeshadows in green/gray/light blue and black...something to give you the perfect postmortem look. You might even find a tube of theatrical blood for a buck. If not, those can be bought cheaply elsewhere. 
  3. Take a few cotton balls to your eyeshadows and dust over your face and any visible skin. Go dark under the eyes. Zombies don't sleep, so you want those under-eye circles! Don't forget to coat your mouth with a bit of the blood and maybe apply a few liberal squirts to the holes of your clothing. Finally, ladies, muss the hair in an undead up-do that looks like there was a struggle, or simply let it hang in your face. Like I said, it's messy being dead.

Now, as per the zombie attitude...  It's all about the movements and the moaning. Keep the eyes cold and unfocused. Think slow, painful motions combined with an exaggerated stupor. "Like a drunk who's lost a bet."


Since I like to get reaaaallly into Halloween and was acting in a neighborhood haunted house, I invested in edible theatrical blood capsules to dribble from my mouth. (Warning: they taste like cough medicine, but have a pretty horrific effect). I also borrowed a brain from my friend (literally) and gnawed on it a great deal. 

In short, I make a pretty unconvincing undead cannibal. Don't ya think?


Clothes: From my own closet $0
Eyeshadow palette in gray/green/blue: $1 from Dollar Store
Black eyeshadow: $1 from Dollar Store
Cotton balls: $1 from Dollar Store
Theatrical blood: $3 from convenience store
Edible blood capsules $3 from Halloween store
Brain: Free meal



6 comments:

AuntieKate said...

Ohhh... I didn't even know there was such a thing as edible blood! Doncha LOVE imaginative costumes? And not spending a lot on them? More ideas for costumes from thrift and resale shops here: http://pinterest.com/howtoconsign/halloween-costumes-from-resale-thrift-finds/

Anonymous said...

I love the valuable info you supply in your posts. I like your writing style.

Jackie Jardine said...

Hi there, AuntieKate. I do enjoy cheap costumes. It's just too expensive to spend so much for one night of the year.

Well, I wouldn't recommend swallowing the theatrical blood. But the capsules work great. You squish them between your teeth and it let's you dribble it from your mouth.

Thanks for sharing that pin!
<3 Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting!

Vanessa said...

You did an excellent job, I love the dried up blood on the mouth especially. Quite convincing! This is definitely a thrifty Halloween costume for the creative.

Anonymous said...

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Jackie Jardine said...

Thanks, Van! We horror fanatics take Halloween seriously, ha ha!

<3 Jackie @ Let's Go Thrifting!