It’s that magical time of year when the kids dress up as ghosts and ghouls for a night of trick or treating, and Mom and Dad receive their invitation to the annual masquerade party. But beware…renting or buying costumes for the whole family can be wickedly expensive. If you’re haunted by the over-spending of Halloweens past or spooked by the idea of designing new costumes, have no fear. With these tips and tricks you can create devilishly clever costumes and save.

• Make your own costumes. Stores like Michael’s offer art supplies and decorations that can inspire ideas and add the perfect finishing touches for any costume—check out their flyer at Flyerland.ca. It just takes a little imagination!

• Think “inside” the box. Cardboard Box Costumes are fun to make—all you need is some paper, paint, electrical tape or glue and of course, cardboard boxes!
  • An iPod makes a cool costume—take a large rectangular box with holes cut for the head, arms and legs and paint it your favourite iPod colour. Paste on construction paper for the dials and buttons, then just add earphones.
  • For a cute jack-in-the-box, remove the top and bottom from a square box. Use strong fabric for shoulder straps and secure on the inside. Paint a harlequin pattern all around and create a matching jester hat, complete with jingle bells.
  • Cover a box that extends from shoulders to waist with a plastic table cloth and cut a hole for the head. Glue on a paper plate, cup, plastic cutlery and other items. Create a hat made from the plate, cup and cutlery and you have a table set for two.

• Bag it! Plastic garbage bags cut with holes for the head and arms provide countless possibilities.
  • A clear plastic bag filled with coloured balloons becomes a bag of jelly beans.
  • Stuff an orange bag with newspaper, paste on a construction paper face or draw it with a black magic marker to create a friendly or scary jack-o’-lantern.
  • Use a black garbage bag stuffed with newspaper for the body, cut another bag in strips for the legs and secure with black electrical tape to create a creepy spider.

• Neat sheets. A simple bed sheet can make a dream costume.
  • Knot a sheet over one shoulder to make a toga. Use a garland for a crown and spray paint it gold for a royal touch. Add details with gold cuffs at the wrists and tape gold trim around the bottom.
  • To create an angel, cut a hole in a bed sheet for the head and trim to the correct length. Tie a gold cord around the waist, and make a halo and wings from cardboard covered in tin foil.
  • A gray or black bed sheet draped over the head and cut into tatters plus a bit of face paint transforms a simple ghost into a frightening Dementor right out of Harry Potter.

By Debbie Frye, General Manager, Flyerland.ca