For most university students, Halloween costumes can be a hassle. Whether from a lack of funds, planning, or imagination, most spend the night going as “I have no idea” or simply skip out on the tradition of dressing up altogether. However, thanks to the help of some costume designers and cosplayers, here are five fun and easy-to-make Halloween costumes to make you the talk of the pumpkin patch.
Waldo
What you’ll need: Blue jeans, a striped sweater (preferably red and white), and a beanie.
Where you can get them: Value Village, or any other second-hand store.
Pro Tip: Third-year St. Thomas student and cosplayer Al Cusack recommends costumes for characters that are simple but recognizable, such as Waldo (extra points if you make a game out of it with your friends).
Hogwarts Student
What you’ll need: Black pants or skirt, a white button-up shirt, a grey sweater, and a tie in the house colours. Optional: a stick for a ‘wand’ and an old graduation gown.
Where you can get them: Most second-hand stores like Value Village will have these clothes.
Pro Tip: While it can help, ties don’t have to be exact house colours. Cheryl Watts, a costume designer for Theatre St. Thomas, recommends researching your costume on the Internet to get a solid idea, then building on top of it.
Black Cat
What you’ll need: Black clothing, fake cat ears and eyeliner or any other black makeup.
Where you can get them: The best Halloween props and makeup can be found at Dollarama and Value Village.
Pro Tip: If you don’t own any black clothes then you don’t stand a chance for Halloween; just drink apple cider, watch some Netflix and wait until November.
Elton John
What you’ll need: Round-framed glasses, bold colours, and sequins. Lots and lots of sequins.
Where you can get them: Michaels and Value Village are likely to have sequin clothing, though sequin fabric can be found at Value Village and Fabricville and worn as a sash, belt, or band around a fake hat (can be found at Dollarama and Value Village).
Pro Tip: Second-year St. Thomas student and cosplayer Sara Nason recommends using fabric tape to attach fabrics to clothing. It can be found at Michaels and other fabric stores, and can be attached with the use of an iron.
50 Shades of Grey
What you’ll need: Any mix of white, black, and grey clothing and grey coloured paint chips.
Where you can get them: Walmart, Home Depot, and other craft stores have a good selection of paint chips if you ask nicely.
Pro Tip: Pun-costumes are recommended for their fun and simple originality. Nason states, “You can wear clever Halloween costumes that don’t require work at all.”
Overall, Halloween is a time for fun and theatrics, and the more fun you have making your costume the better your night will turn out. So, have fun, be safe, and eat lots of candy this Halloween weekend.
And stay away from clowns. Nobody wants to be around a clown right now.
