Goodwill Industries of Southwestern Michigan

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Halloween Headquarters

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Halloween Costume Ideas

Sherlock Holmes: Brown cape, a vest, white slacks and a magnifying glass. Don't forget about the sleuth hat!

Gypsy: Get a scarf for your hair, a shawl and a puffy blouse with a flowing, long, flower print skirt.

Tacky Man/Woman: Mismatched clothes (polyester and patterns are a plus).

Cowboy/Cowgirl: Jeans, a western shirt, boots, western hat, neckerchief, and bandana. Giddy up partner!

Hobo: Large men's pants, large dark sports coat, shirt with patches and a stick with a bandana (face - go with the scruffy look).

Mummy: Take white sheets, tear up into long strips and wrap them around the body.

Betty Rubble: Wear a black wig done "Betty" style, take a blue halter dress and cut the length with a pair of scissors so that the ends are jagged. Wear a bow in your hair. Glue a small rock to the top of the halter dress.

Bam-Bam: Using leopard skin material, cut out a diaper size piece of cloth for the waist. Cut a ragged edge and then use the same material to make a sash for the shoulder. Us a dog's rubber bone for the back. Use hot glue to attach at the rear. Cut a cardboard circle and glue on a circle of material. Use bobbie-pins to attach to the hair.

Scare Crow: Add patches to jeans and flannel shirts, add straw to cuffs of pants and shirt (duct tape will allow you to attach straw to under side of pants and shirt).

Hippie: Bell-bottom jeans, long jeans or peasant dress, love beads (long necklace, bead band, peace button and pink tinted glasses. Tie-dyed shirt is optional).

Zorro: Black clothing, black hat, mask (for the cap dye an old sheet black) and a red scarf wrapped around the waist.

Magician: Wear a black tux jacket, black pants, white dress shirt, Top hat and stuffed bunny for your tricks.

1950's Look: Untucked, solid-color button down shirts, jeans rolled up to mid-calf, socks and penny loafers. Girls wear pony tail and boys slick-back ducktail with grease.

I Dream of Jeannie: Use a tube top for the top, and cut off a red vest for the jacket. Use baggie pants that can be dyed pink and an old pair of ballet shoes.

Old Man/Woman: Old looking clothes, glasses, old shoes, and a cane. Use a bulky purse and for that added touch use baby powder for grey hair.

Animaniacs: Black cotton cap for hair, use pipe cleaners and felt for forming ears which can be glued to hat. Use a small slinky stretched and wrapped in black felt for the tail, black pants and shirt, white gloves for hands. Use lipstick for nose, white face paint for face, black face paint for neck. For Dot, add a red polka-dot skirt and yellow silk flower on hat. For Wacko, use a baseball cap turned around, ears will be glued to it, with blue sweatshirt with the sleevews cut 1/4 length. And for Yacko, wear white pants.

Rapper: Large jeans, large shirt. Baseball cap worn sideways or backwards.

Ghosts: Sheets - make sure to cut big holes for eyes.

Witch: Black clothes, cape, witch's hat and broom. (Dye an old sheet for the cape).

Nerd: High-water pants (floods), white shirt, bow tie, white socks, black shoes and dark-framed glasses with masking tape around the nose piece. For that extra touch use a pocket protector!

Dilbert: Wear round wire-framed glasses. Wear a white shirt and black dress slacks. Take a red and black striped tie and using pipe cleaners, glue them to the underside of the tie so that it will form the upward bend that Dilbert wears.

A Bag of Jellybeans: You'll need a clear plastic bag. Step into it making holes for the legs and arms out the side. Fill the bag with colorful balloons and use a flashy scarf to tie around the top of the bag. You may want to place a sign that says "Jellybeans 5 cents" in front of the bag. For the clothing underneath just about any color leotard will work.

Judge Judy: Wear a lace-trimmed blouse under a black graduation robe. Don't forget about the wig done "Judge Judy" style!

Grapevine: Use a brown body suit. Cover your body with double-sided tape then fill up purple balloons and attach them to the double sided tape. You may choose to attach the balloons with a garbage bag tie if you will be going outside in the wind.

Lego: Take a large box that you can fit into and cut out the armholes. Remove the top ends where your head and legs will be. Paint the box preferably a bright primary color. Get 6 empty butter tubs and paint them the same color as the box. Glue the 6 butter tubs to the front of your costume, 2 vertical rows, 3 in each row, closed end out. You can wear matching leotard and shoes. You can also create a matching hat. Take a shoebox and color it to match your costume. Glue some little plastic cups (also painted) upside down to the bottom of the shoebox. Place the shoebox on your head and there is your matching hat.

Blue's Clues: Take white pants and T-shirt and dye them in a light blue. Then take a dark blue marker and place those wonderful markings on the shirt and pants like Blue has. Get a blue knit cap and cut out blue felt in the shape of two ears. Use the markers to make markings. Use light blue coloring for the face and black for the nose (face make-up kits can be used for this.) For Blues sidekick, wear a green and white striped shirt and brown pants. Next to Blue it will work. Place a light blue Paw Print on the chest cut out of felt to the a Blue's Clues.

Football Player: Those who have an older brother or father who played football in high school or college can use their uniform. Use foam inside the helmet to make it fit properly, use the team's sweatshirt underneath (suggested). Use black tape under the eyes for that touch of the real game!

Angel: Take a long, flowing white dress and put glitter on it. Add wings and a halo (use a shiny pipe cleaner to form a halo). For a better effect, add glitter all over including the dress! For wings you could cut out cardboard and paint or whatever. For shoes, just any white shoe would work.

Pippy Long Stocking: Wear a red wig with two pigtails on each side. Using pipe cleaners, wire the inside of the pigtails. Wear a red dress with pattern and a white apron with a fringe. Wear hiking boots and colored socks. Apply red marker to make fake freckles.

The Brady Bunch: Greg and Marsha- wear a pair of bell-bottoms. Silk style shirts and "Bono Lifter" shoes for the gang. Don't forget an eye liner pencil in brown for freckles. For Mr. Brady, don't forget the curly short black wig and thick belt. You'll need a blond wig with Mrs. Brady. The Maid's outfit is simply a maid's blue uniform and white nurse shoes.

Crayon: Pick a color, wear a matching sweat pants and shirt with the word "crayon" painted sideways in black, and construction paper to make your pointed hat. Staple a string on it and tie it under your neck to keep it secure, you can paint your face the same color too.

Micky and Minnie Mouse: The hardest part is making the ears, so you can use two hangers or round cut cardboard to the ears you want (old 45 RPM records) and stuff them inside a pair of black pantyhose, and tape the excess with black tape. Then put on a black leotard, white gloves, and a red vest with big buttons, (or a cut down T-shirt with buttons painted on) your favorite big tennis shoes and face paint complete the costume. Adorable!

Spider: You'll need a black sweatshirt (preferably hooded), a pair of black sweats, and black socks or booties. Black or dyed black 1-piece feet pajamas work too. You'll also need 4 pairs of black tube socks, nylon or polyester work great. You can also use black stockings or nylons. Simply stuff the tube socks with newspaper or any material to make the spider legs. Ensure you have eight legs to the sides of the black outfit. When you get down and crawl, the legs fall down on the ground, and it looks like a spider crawling across the floor. Eeeek!

Energizer Bunny: Wear pink sweatpants and sweatshirt. Paint face pink with a black nose and whiskers. Get some black sunglasses and bunny ears. Make a cardboard/ posterboard drum by cutting out two circles of the same size and a rectangle which is as long as the outside (circumference) of the circles (it will be the side of the drum). Write "Energizer" on both sides of the drum by using an Energizer battery as a model. Wrap rectangle into a circle, glue/tape together, and glue or tape the circles to either side of it. Punch a hole in each circle and string a pink ribbon through them and hang around neck. Use chopsticks and balls of red or pink construction paper for the drumsticks.

Kramer (of Seinfeld): Big curly wig, polo shirt, bowling shoes and white pants.

Butterfly: Cut out wings from cardboard and paint them with pretty designs. Find an outfit to match the wings. Then take elastic bed sheet holders and attach from wings to your body.

Painter: Take your old overalls put blotches of paint all over them. You can do the same with an old cap and a jack shirt. Remember to put a paintbrush and an old rag in your pocket. Then take an old paint can and put some stretch-in-seal inside of it, blotch the outside of it with paint. You use this to carry your candy in!

Chicken: Wear yellow stretch pants and a white sweatshirt. Get feathers of different colors and glue them on with a glue stick. Make a beak out of oat tag and paint it yellow with 2 black marks on top. Use a piece of elastic to secure. Use a yellow ski mask over the head and glue feathers.

Roman Caesar Salad: Make a toga out of an old white bed sheet and glue or pin romaine lettuce leaves all over and glue on some croutons. Around the head take a piece of eucalyptus and make it into a circle and glue croutons to it.

Puppy for Sale: Paint 1 eye brown then the rest of the face white and take a cardboard box and cut it out so that it fits around you. Then write "Puppy for Sale" on the outside of the box. Cut out ears out of flannel (brown or black).

Mismatched Girl: Just wear clothes that do not match, wear two different shoes and create a wild hairstyle!

Black Cat: Wear black spandex pants, leotard, or long-sleeved shirt. Find an old pet collar to wear around your neck (cut it up so it fits comfortably around your neck). Add a bell or tag if desired. Don't forget to add ears, paint your nose black and add whiskers!

Cheerleader: You'll need a short skirt and top, bobby socks and white shoes. Find some pom poms for that extra touch!

Hercules: Wear light brown pants and an oversized brown shirt, which goes to the thighs. Use a big black or brown belt at the waist around the shirt. Make sure you wear a headband (a strip of red or brown fabric with velcro fastened around the head), and two brown wristbands, (can be brown sweat bands, or tops of old socks with holes in them, cut off and the edges turned under and sewed to make wristbands).

Alien Hippie: Paint your face green, and for antennas, tape green pipe cleaners to a headband for alien hands. Take disposable gloves (like the ones doctors use but cheaper) and dip them in green paint. For clothes wear bell-bottom jeans and a tie-dyed shirt. You are now an alien of the 70's!

Black Widow: Shred a black dress (preferably layered), cover lightly with webbing and plastic spiders. Make a veil with black satin/toole and add a large spider to the top. Wear black stocking shoes or boots and nails to top the outfit.

Ice Queen: Take an old bed sheet (white) and wrap it around your waist. Pin it or sew it so it makes a long skirt. Sew on white and light blue beads or sequins. Wear a plain white T-shirt or blouse. Make a silver tiara by using an old alice band and wrapping tin foil around it. White or silver shoes or sandals are perfect and white or silver earrings.

Ladybug: Take a red sweatshirt and glue some round, black felt dots to it (or buy the already sticky kind). Then wear black pants or tights. To make the "feelers" buy a black headband and attach two pipe cleaners. Then take 2 polyurethane balls and roll them in glue and black glitter then attach them to the pipe cleaners and there you have your ladybug costume!