by Melissa Jaramillo and Julie Snyder

Halloween is a wonderful excuse to plan a costume! Allow your child's imagination to run wild (or your imagination for that matter). The best news is your budget doesn't have to suffer. Check out these ideas:

Costumes from the closet or second-hand store

Ghost
For the old stand by ghost, grab a old white sheet, cut out the eyes. Be sure its is short enough not to trip. Take scrap piece of sheet, and sew up a simple treat bag.

OR

Why be the same old boring ghost? A ghost going out for a night on the town might like to get dressed up a little. Use the same white sheet, cut out holes for the eyes and a small slit for the mouth. Then dress it up a little. Put eye shadow and lashes around the eyes, Lipstick for the mouth. Put a little color on the cheeks. How about earrings and a necklace or maybe a tie? You could color in a beard or mustache. To be just the cutting edge of fashion ghost, use something besides a white sheet.

Clown
Sweat clothes that are too large is a must! Decorate by using either fabric paint, or markers, or even try tie-dye. Tack on some large pom-poms, add a cheap wig, hat, and make-up. You may also stuff the extra space in clothing with tissue. However this could be messy, if you need to make a "pit-stop."

Scarecrow
You'll need an over-sized flannel shirt, faded blue jeans with patches, rope for belt and to tie at the cuffs of his jeans and sleeves, stuff the shirt and jeans with plastic grocery bags or paper and add a little bit of straw to hang out of jeans and shirt. Make the face with a little bit of make-up.

The American tourist
Boys (and dads too) wear loud Hawaii shirt, shorts (if weather permits) and a large straw hat. Girls (and lets not forget mom) bright loud dress, flats, big sun hat, straw bag. Don't forget to have a camera, and maps hanging out, and that look of being lost. Boys can use a tourist bag, (like you get from travel agents, and girls can use the straw bag for their treats.

1960s Hippy
This one is hard. After all, it's all back in style! What is real, and what is costume? Here are some ideas -- tie-die clothing, long wig (in the old days we called a "fall"), sandals, headband, anything with fringe on it (vests, purse...) light colored sun glasses.

Old man
Dark pants cuffed and pulled up high on the waist, and jacket, most any dress shirt, man's flannel hat and walking cane are the basis for this costume. Gray the hair, with any of the commercial temporary colors, or dust with a little flour.

Old woman
Old style dress, just below knee, knee-hi stockings rolled down a little, oxfords, large black purse transform your child into an older woman.

Real nerd
Slick back the hair, grab some pants that are too short, a white shirt, white socks, penny loafers, or lace up oxfords. Assessories can include a pocket protector, with lots of pens, dark rim glasses (don't forget to tape the corner, or at least paper clip it) briefcase, or backpack for treat bag.

Chinese doll
Paint the child's face white, with rosy cheeks shaped in a circle. Finish the disguise with hair pulled up in a bun, thong shoes, and a kimono (just a old silky housecoat works great for this).

Miss America
Use an old bridesmaid dress or formal. Add a pair of gloves, a tiara, some oversized jewelry, and heels. For the banner, use a piece of wide ribbon, and write "Miss America" in glitter.

Soda pop can
Use a round barrel with a hole cut in the bottom. Cut holes for arms and your head. Paint it the colors of a soda pop can. Presto! You have a pop can!

Static Cling
Wear anything. A solid color is good, for example, all white or all black. With safety pins pin anything to yourself i.e.: socks, underwear, bounce sheets, etc. You can also spray your hair straight up in the air.

1950's Sock-Hopper
It's quite simple; just a round skirt, a white short-sleeved shirt, and some saddle shoes. (If you don't have saddle shoes, plain buckle shoes are fine.) You could add some cat-eye glasses if you want. Tie hair in a ponytail with a scarf wrapped around it.

Mummy
Wrap yourself in white bandages (rolls of gauze). Use splotches of green paint for "mold". Use white make-up on face with "age lines" drawn on. A stiff-legged gait works perfectly.

Pirate
Make a wooden leg by wrapping one leg in brown felt. Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped top. Tie a bandana around your head, wear an eye patch, carry an empty bottle marked XXX (for the "rum") and mutter "aargh" a lot. Ask for "trick or treat, matey!"

Train Engineer
All you need is a pair of blue jeans, a blue jean jacket, a red and black bandana and a blue and white engineer hat. Add a whistle and play lantern for extra effects!

Skunk
Dress in black. Tape or paint a white stripe down the back. Be careful everyone may run!

Bunny
Dress in a pink, brown, or white sweat suit. Add a powder puff or large pom-pom to the backside and a set of ears made from constriction paper and a plastic headband. Now just hop on out and enjoy!

Turtle
Dress in green. Simply cut the poster board into a large oval and make random marks like a turtle shell, and paint. Attached to the back.

Puppy Brown
Wear tan or white; then either paint, or pin paper spots on. Make floppy ears and bobby pin to hair over your ears. The tail can be most anything, depending on what type of doggie you wish to be. Add a little make-up just for fun.

Kitten
Start in gold, brown, tan, white. Make ears from construction paper, attach to headband or bobby pin in to hair. Sew a simple round tail, and pin on.

Spider
Dress in black. For the legs, grab some cheap black hose and stuff with any thing dark and lightweight. Either sew, or staple to keep stuffing from falling out. Pin to clothing, and add a little make-up.

From our guests

Lady Bug
Start with a pair of black sweats and black sweat shirt (and a pair of black shoes). Use a large piece of poster board or cardboard and cut out a large oval. Paint it red with black dots. Staple black elastic pieces (in a loop) onto the board to make armholes. For the antenna attach craft pipe cleaners with black pom-poms on the ends to a headband.

Snowman
Begin with white sweats, Christmas socks, white tennis shoes, a cheap black hat, fake snow, mittens, scarf and black pom-poms for the coal! Spray the hat to look like snow and add a cheap red bird from the craft store. You can get a white mask and a cheap carrot from the craft store and glue it onto the nose part of the mask. Glued the pompoms on sweatshirt and that is it. Hippity hop Hippity hop look at Frosty go!

A Bunch of Grapes*
Using green or purple sweats, attach balloons of the same color with safety pins. Paint face and hands same color.

Bag of Jelly Beans*
You'll need lots of different colored balloons, a large clear plastic bag (I got mine from the grocery store - the BIG bags that they put all the recycled cans in), colorful ribbon, two safety pins and two pieces of white cardboard. Blow up all the balloons. Cut two leg holes in the bottom of the bag and two arm holes near the middle. Have your child stand in the bag and fill with blown up balloons. Write on each piece of cardboard "JELLY BEANS 2 CENTS EACH". Safety pins signs to front and back of bag. LOOSELY tie around shoulders with a colorful ribbon. Cut off excess bag around face.

Black Bat
Using a black umbrella and tights, Rip the umbrella in half. Discard the center and innards of the umbrella. If you are fancy you can sew the edges of the umbrella to the back of the body. If you don't have the time or patients to sew the umbrella you can always safety pin it.

Butterfly
Put on black sweats and black shoes. Use a piece of poster board and paint wanted color. Cut out in a wing shape. Punch two holes toward the edges of the wings. Put black ribbon through them and tie around waist. Attach pipe cleaners and pompoms to a plastic headband.

Ragdoll
One year my girls dressed up as rag dolls and I didn't have to spend a penny! Take an old sleeper and cut out the feet. Then sew or glue patches in various places over the sleeper. For the head, use an old stocking cap and sew or glue strips of fabric from old clothes to the stocking cap. Then add red cheeks and freckles.

*Be very cautious using balloons around young children.