How many times have you gone to a Halloween store and found the coolest costume, only to walk away disappointed because it simply cost too much? Believe it or not, there is a way to have the costumes that you want at a price that you can afford. Here are a few ways to save money on Halloween costumes.
Buy Used Costumes
There are people in this world that are willing to pay lots of money for name brand costumes that you’d find in a Halloween store or costume shop. If those people are willing to purchase an expensive costume once, they’ll likely do it again. This leaves them with old costumes from previous years that they either don’t want to wear again or can no longer fit into. These costumes will end up being sold online or are donated to a local thrift store.
Purchasing a used costume at a thrift store can have its advantages because you’ll be able to try them on and they will be extremely cheap. However, you’re limited to whatever is available on the rack. Shopping for a used costume online may be easier because you can search for specific costumes in your size. Unfortunately, costumes online might cost more money and you probably have to pay for shipping.
Use Items in Your Closet
The key to making an awesome costume in a cost-effective way is creativity. Use clothing that you already have will guarantee that it’ll be just your size and add props, accessories, and hairstyles to make your costume.
Go Thrift Shopping
If you don’t have anything in your closet that you would be willing to spare, it’s time to check the racks at the thrift store for some clothing items that can used to make a terrific Halloween costume. You can spend very little money on these clothing items and don’t have to worry about cutting, ripping, or staining items from your own wardrobe.
Use Paint and Dyes to Alter Colors
What if you go to the thrift store and find the perfect pair of shoes for your costume, but they are the wrong color? Never fear, this is why spray paint exists. Lay down plastic sheeting, newspaper or heavy canvas to properly cover the floor so you don’t get paint on your floor or make a mess. Apply an even coat of spray paint to your shoes. Spray paint usually hardens fabric, making it very stiff and itchy, if you need to change the color of clothing it may be a better option to dye clothes instead of spray painting them like you would shoes.
Avoid Purchasing Fabric at Retail Prices
If you go to the average retail store and ask for a few yards of your choice of fabric, they’ll charge you the standard price (this could get costly, especially if your costume demands a lot of fabric.) Instead, make another trip to the thrift store and search for sheets and curtains that resemble the fabric that you need and you will have plenty of fabric and patterns to choose from. Make sure you purchase enough fabric to make you costume if not more in case you make a mistake cutting it.
Use a Hot Glue Gun
Many old clothes can be altered by sewing on a few extra pieces of fabric, but this can a bit time-consuming. You may not have enough experience with a needle and thread or sewing machine that you need to achieve the look that you are going for. Investing in a hot glue gun can save you lots of time and effort. Although fabric that is held together by glue may not be as sturdy as stitching, hot glue will most likely provide just enough hold to get you through Halloween. It’ll also allow you to add as many details as you’d like in a very short amount of time.
Thrift stores are like gold mines for Halloween costumes. You can purchase large amounts of fabric, clothes, shoes, accessories and maybe even a few props for very little money. You will have the opportunity to show the world how creative you are and you can guarantee that no one else will be wearing the exact same costume.
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