Ali Chiavetta
Features Writer

The Halloween season is upon us, which means that it’s time for costumes! For many people, the immediate worry is about the cost of buying a costume only worn for one day. Shopping in costume shops can be daunting due to their high prices. Even Goodwill has some pricey costume items! For broke college students, a homemade costume is usually best. For girls, the makeup can make or break a costume. Often times, the clothing can be somewhat simple, but using intricate makeup on the face and body makes it into something costume-worthy. Going as “dead” types of people, such as an athlete or dancer, makes for an easy costume. Wearing athletic gear with blacked out eye makeup is a simple way to make an inexpensive costume.

A fun and inexpensive Halloween costume idea is to go as Disney’s Micky and Minnie Mouse.
A fun and inexpensive Halloween costume idea is to go as Disney’s Micky and Minnie Mouse.

For other people, dressing as a zombie is often a popular costume choice. In order to complete this costume, you can use old clothing that you already own. Rip up the shirt and pants and dip them in red paint in order to get a bloodstained look. Both girls and guys can tease their hair, and paint their faces to finish their “undead” look.
Another great costume idea is dressing up as a minion from the Despicable Me movies. All that this costume requires is a yellow shirt, high-waisted blue-jean shorts, suspenders, a black headband, and two plastic cups. You can further save money by buying a pair of jeans at Good Will and cutting them off to make them shorts. Glue the two cups to the headband as makeshift goggles, and your costume is complete!
Often times, the cowboy and cowgirl costumes are popular on college campuses. The only things required for these costumes are a flannel shirt, blue jeans, a cowboy hat, and boots. Many of these items might already be in your closet, or can be purchased at Goodwill or Wal-Mart for a bargain.

Find the music of the night this halloween as The Phantom of the Opera.
Find the music of the night this halloween as The Phantom of the Opera.

For couples out there that are looking for easy costumes to wear together, here are a few ideas! Going as Mickey and Minnie Mouse is always a popular selection. In order to pull off this look without breaking the budget, you need two red shirts, some white and yellow fabric paint, a red skirt for Minnie, black pants for Mickey, two black headbands, black felt, and black eyeliner. Glue two black felt circles to each headband, paint white dots all over Minnie’s shirt, and paint three yellow dots on Mickey’s shirt as buttons. Color the ends of your noses black with the eyeliner, and you have yourself a couples’ costume!
Another easy costume idea for couples is Pikachu and Ash Ketchum. All that the Pikachu costume requires is a yellow dress, or shirt and skirt, a headband, cardboard, paint, and red lipstick. Construct ears out of the cardboard, and paint them appropriately. Fasten the ears to the headband, draw some red circles on your cheeks with the lipstick, and the outfit is complete! For Ash’s costume, you need a blue/denim vest, a black tee shirt, blue jeans, green gloves, a white baseball hat, and paint. Cut the fingers off the gloves, and paint the hat appropriately. Voila, another easy couples’ costume! Halloween is supposed to be a fun holiday, so follow these tips and don’t let the expense get you down!