DIY Halloween Costumes

It's finally here! Halloween weekend has approached us and all of the haunted festivities are about to begin. To me the best part of Halloween is getting to dress up. Who doesn't love getting to be someone else for a least one night?

However, as many of us know, costumes can be really expensive, especially for women. So instead of buying a costume for $50 or more, I've used my friends and I as inspiration for great DIY costume ideas.

Housewife: This costume can be done in different ways as either a classic 1950s housewife or a modern day "desperate housewife." The modern approach is a bit easier and less expensive which makes it perfect for a Gen L member.

What You'll Need:

1. Apron
2. Pearls
3. Spatula/wooden spoon
   
4. Little Black Dress (LBD)
   
5. "Diamond" ring

This costume is easy to pull together by starting off with something every girl has in her closet: the little black dress (any dress color will do as long as it is solid). Next, you will need an apron. These can easily be found at places such as WalMart, Target, or Meijer. I found my apron at target for $13.99.

For accessories you want to use a lot of jewelry and also kitchen utensils. I suggest going to the dollar store or party store and buying a fake engagement ring, the bigger the "diamond" the better. Another housewife staple are pearls. If you don't have a set of either fake or real pearls you can find these at places such as Forever XXI or target for under $10. Finally, a spatula or wooden spoon is a must to give the costume its full effect. These can easily be bought at the dollar store for anywhere between $1-3.

Finish off the look with lots of curls, reds lips and a pair of great pumps and you have a fun and simple costume for around $25!

Nerd: You may be wondering how you can make a nerd costume cute. Well a friend of mine found all the essentials to make the perfect geek chic costume for

Halloween.

What You'll Need:

1. High- waisted shorts
2. Suspenders
3. Glasses
4. Bow tie
5. T-shirt

The base of this outfit are the shorts and shirt. You want to get a pair of

high-waisted shorts in either black or grey. If you don't already have a pair you can use a regular pair of shorts as well. Next, pair the shorts with a white t-shirt. The shirt can remain plain or you can write a message on it like "I Love Math" or "I Love Nerds," the more creative the better! Another option is to buy a graphic tee with a message on it that goes with the theme. These usually run anywhere between $10-15 and can be found at Target, Forever XXI, or most clothing stores.

The final touches of this costume are the accessories. Large rimmed nerd glasses and suspenders are a must. Add your own touch by wrapping tape around the center of the glasses to making it really nerdy. Tie it all together with adding a bow tie. These items can be found at your local party store for $15 or less in total.

All together you can achieve the perfect nerd costume and show off your creativity for no more than $30.

Construction Worker: This costume is a different approach to your typical construction worker making it female friendly for the holiday.

What You'll Need:

1. Jean shorts
2. White tank top/t-shirt
3. Work boots
4. tool belt
5. hard hat

To start off this costume you will need a piar of jean shorts and a white t-shirt or tank top . The shirt can be one you have or you could buy one on the cheap using a shirt or tank from Hanes.

Next, you will need all of your construction essentials such

as a hard hat and tool belt. Make sure that these accessories match i.e. all orange or all yellow. You can usually buy a set at a party store or at a Halloween store ranging about $20-25. Last you will need work boots. If you don't have work boots any brown boot will do to give the right effect.

To add your own touch to the costume, feel free to write on your shirt according to the theme. Sayings could be funny such as "Screw You" or "Get Hammered" to give your costume an extra something.

This costume is simple but super cute and when combining some of your own items with the accessories the look can be achieved for around $30!

Hopefully these DIY ideas will help you make the best budget friendly costumes for the Halloween season.