Easy Halloween Costumes for Book Lovers
C. A. Asbrey
It's that time of year again. The mists gather, the fruits mellow, and the nights draw long and dark. After so much turmoil, we can only hope that we can finally get together again in parties and trick-or-treating to enjoy the season. And what better inspiration than the world of books and literature to inspire us? I'm going to try to keep to easy DIY outfits that can generally be created cheaply at home, without the need to be a genius with the needle to create them. I've chosen only especially easy costumes to make. I'm going to avoid the Harry Potter universe and Where's Wally, as I'm sure you've seen every possible twist on that
The Addams Family
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| The Addams Family |
Not keen on costumes, but don't want to be accused of not playing? have a partner who is reluctant to dress up? Find a box or cushion with a hole in it, put your hand through, and there you have 'Thing'. A bit of manual terpsichorean theatrics whenever anyone asks what you've come as, and you have the easiest costume at the party.
Gomez is another easy one for men. And dark suit, a ruler and some tailor's chalk to create the stripes, and greased down hair and you're almost there. Draw in the moustache, and there you have it. An easy Gomez. Crepe paper is easily run through a sewing machine to make a Morticia skirt to add to a black top or leotard.
For the children: Wednesday needs a dark dress, pigtails, paper collar and cuffs, coupled with pale makeup, while Puglsey needs dark shorts and a striped shirt. The addition of a torturous toy like a dagger or plastic stick of dynamite complete's the look.
Fifty Shades of Grey is about as easy as it gets, and another one for the reluctant guisers. Cut along to your local DIY store and pick up a range of the grey cardboard colour swatches, then stick then all over a T-shirt - any colour will do, but grey is best. Voila! You're done.
If you have dark hair, slip it back into a French roll, slip on a black dress and adorn it with numerous sets of pearls and make a cigarette lighter out of cardboard. Sunglasses are optional—and there you have your very own version of Truman Capote's Holly Golightly.
Got a toddler to dress up? Put them in a onesie, add a tail, paper claws, and a paper crown with a furry trim - and you have your very Max from Where the Wild Things Are. How easy is that?
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland have a raft of easy characters to dress up as. A blue dress and a white apron gives you an Alice, while a cardboard sandwich board over black clothes can easily be painted to look like a giant playing card. A cardboard spear and helmet turns the wearer into one of the Queen of heart's guards. If you can stick a feather in the helmet, so much the better.
Want a simple Cheshire Cat? Dress all in black, with cat tail and ears. Use face paint to put a huge cat grin on your black-painted face so that the smile 'pops' from the shadows. It is the last visible manifestation of the Cheshire Cat, after all.
The same sandwich board idea can be extended over your head to create a picture frame encasing the upper part of the body, where make up gives a ruined and dissolute appearance for The Picture of Dorian Gray.
A cardigan, a plaid skirt, and a magnifying glass gives you a basic Nancy Drew, while the more mature ladies can add a hat to a skirt suit, and carry some knitting to create an easy Miss Marple.
For men, a smart suit, oiled hair, and some wire formed into a monocle gives us Lord Peter Peter Wimsey. For the perfect literary villainess, dress all in severe black, and pull your hair into an equally serious style. All you need is a pale face to be the vindictive Mrs. Danvers from Rebecca. Another iconic character to create is Alexandre Dumas', Man in the Iron Mask. The Iron Mask, can be created by applying papier mache over an inflated balloon. The trick here is to ensure that you create two distinct halves, that can then be easily joined together with masking tape painted to the same colour as the iron mask, to act as hinges so the mask can be donned and removed without too many problems.
The same balloon and papier mache method can create a Phantom of the Opera mask, or a Whale hat for Moby Dick (just wear blue to represent the water). It can also be used to create gigantic buttons to dress up as one of The Borrowers, or multiple squid, fish, and prawns to be stuck all over any dark blue outfit to give the impression that you are 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
However you spend the Halloween holiday, I hope you have a wonderful time, and that I've give you some ideas to run with. Creating things with the children can be an especially rewarding way to pass time, and make special memories to last a lifetime without it costing a fortune.
Happy Halloween!
Excerpt
A firm hand grabbed his shoulder as a hoarse voice whispered in his ear. “Git your hands up and come with me.”
Nat’s hands rose along with his hackles. “Why?”
“’Cause I’m robbin’ you, you idiot. Why d’ya think?”
Nat heaved a sigh of relief. Robbery was way better than the law. “You’re kidding. You’re robbing me? This is a joke.”
“What’s with the questions? I’m robbin’ you, now git into that alley where we can work in private.”
“We? What’s with the idea we’re a team? You can’t rob me.”
“Why?”
“Never mind why. Just go away.”
“No, gimme your cash. All of it.”
Nat’s Irish rose to the fore. “Sod off.”
“You ain’t listenin’, mister. Git over to the alley and hand over your valuables.”
“Why?”
What d’ya mean, ‘why’? I want your money.”
“Oh, I understand, but why do I have to go in an alley? You can take it right here.”
The robber’s irritation seeped into the tense voice. “Fine. Give me your money here.”
“No. Go away.” Nat felt the hardness of a revolver in the small of his back. ”You realize that if you shoot me now, people will pour out of every building the minute you pull the trigger. You won’t get ten feet before you’re cut down.”
The robber paused. “Get in the alley.”
“Now you’re repeating yourself. You haven’t thought this through. How do you know I’ve even got any money?”
“Because you’re hangin’ around the best hotel in town.”
Nat turned his head but the robber whacked his shoulder. “Stay still.”
“You’re hanging around the best hotel in town, too. Give me your money.”
“I ain’t got no money. That’s why I’m stealin’.”
“Well, neither have I. None I’m handing over to you, anyway. Maybe we should split what you’ve got?”
“What kind of a robbery is this? You’re the most annoyin’ victim I ever met. I’ve got a good mind to shoot you for the hell of it.”
“A good mind doesn’t do stupid things like hold up men in the street without a plan.” Nat could detect the growing uncertainty in the man’s thin voice. “Am I annoying enough to die for? That’s what’ll happen.”
“I want your money. Hand it over or I’ll—” A dull clang cut the man off mid-sentence, followed by a thump as he tumbled to the floor. Nat swirled around, his eyes lighting with delight at the sight of the woman he was here to see not only wielding a spade, but raising it once more to slice at the robber’s right hand as it reached for the gun which had tumbled from his grasp. Nat drew his own weapon and pointed straight at the man’s head. “You’ve lost your gun, friend. Get out of here before you lose a hand, too.” The skinny figure shimmied over the boards of the sidewalk before clambering upright and scampering off as fast as his feet could carry him. Nat grabbed the discarded weapon and thrust it into his waistband, tilting his head to keep his face in the shadow of the brim of his hat. “Thank you, Miss…? Sorry, who do I thank?”
“You’re welcome. Don’t you want to go to the sheriff?”
“I don’t think so,” Nat holstered his own gun. “They might want to know why you were taking your shovel for a walk in the dark. It’s all a bit funereal isn’t it?”
Her laugh tinkled through the chilled night air. “Funereal? Now, there’s a word I didn’t expect to hear in a cowtown,” she put the blade on the boardwalk and leaned on the handle. “The spade was over there. And I saw you were in trouble and stepped in. It’s none too clean.” He found the way her nose crinkled adorable. “I think someone has been clearing horse droppings with it.”
He grinned. “So you thought you’d clean up the town? Hang around and they might give you a star to wear.”
“A woman in the law? How ridiculous.” Her slim brows knotted in curiosity. “Where have we met before?”
Very clever costume ideas. Thank you. Also enjoyed the amusing dialogue in your except. Thanks for a fun read.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much, Ann. I grew up in the days before store-bought costumes, and we had so much fun making them.
DeleteLove the excerpt! That shovel!!
ReplyDeleteVery apt costume ideas. There's also the quick bedsheet over the head, as in the film BettleJuice.
Oh, yes! Love that movie, Lindsay. Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteClever. Although not a book, I loved putting cereal boxes on my nightgown and a knife, I became a 'cereal' killer. Doris
ReplyDeleteHa, that's a good one, Doris!
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