There are better last-minute costume ideas than running to the store to see what's left on the racks. Instead, try to reuse old clothing and accessories. Last-minute costumes are inevitably fun and creative; some of the best costumes get whipped up when there's no time to spare.
Transform into an Alley Cat
An alley cat is an easy last-minute Halloween costume that looks like it took a lot of effort.. If you don't have black construction paper for the ears, use white paper and color the ears with a black magic marker. To make the ears, cut out two diamond shapes, fold them in half and glue them to make triangles. Slip the ears onto a headband and glue them in place.
For the tail, use an old black t-shirt. Tear off a three- to four-inch wide strip and then stretch it. When you stretch knits, they naturally roll. Encourage the rolling by adding glue to the center and then squeezing the length of fabric together to hold the roll. If one strip is not enough, make several strips and whip stitch them in place or use fabric glue. Attach the tail to a belt loop. If you have fake nails, by all means paint them green, red or black and wear them. For the body of the cat, just wear black jeans and a black top, a leotard and tights, or a one-piece bathing suit and tights. Use green eye shadow and fake eyelashes, if you have them. Paint on whiskers with mascara, draw them on with eyebrow pencil or use watercolor paint.
Backpedal to the '70s
Make your last-minute costume a blast from the past by finding an old solid-colored t-shirt that is disposable. Use a bleach stick to draw a peace sign on it and perhaps a few words, such as "cool" and "far out," then toss the shirt into the wash. The bleach should remove the fabric dye, leaving the image and words behind.
Make a headband out of a strip of fabric. Jeans of any type will work, but bell-bottoms are best. Dig through your jewelry box to find that huge pair of hoop earring. Girls can braid their hair or wear it down, but parted in the middle. Boys can tease or curl their hair out for a wild look.
If there's an old shirt lying around that's no longer needed, carefully cut the sleeves off at the shoulders to create a vest. A pair of sunglasses completes the look.
Instant Red Riding Hood
Find a red hoodie, a red skirt and a picnic basket. For special effects, place a loaf of sweet bread in the basket. If you don't have a loaf of bread, place a small stuffed wolf or print off a picture of a wolf and place it in the basket.
Five-Minute Zombie
Find the rattiest, most tattered clothes in the house, then take them out and jump on them in the dirt. The kids will love this. A few well-placed tears or holes will add to the effect.
Tousle and tease the hair. Use dark eye shadow to give the eyes a hollow look and a few brushes of makeup to accent the cheeks and jaw.
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