Knock, knock.
That’s Halloween at your door, wondering if you’ve figured out costumes for the family yet.
We’re not just talking kids costumes either, although, we admit, that’s where a lot of our Halloween budget goes.
According to a recent Halloween survey from Savers, about 57 percent of adults ages 18 and over plan on dressing up this year.
While most people — about 80 percent — start planning nearly three months in advance, it’s not too late to come up with something, even for those do-it-yourself types.
Nearly half of parents surveyed don’t buy new packaged costumes for the kids each year. Many combine old and new items, make costumes by hand, use hand-me-downs or choose the same costume every year.
In need of inspiration? Check out thrift stores.
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With racks of everyday items, rare finds and costume pieces, the sky is the limit for costuming the family.
Pirates, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, a zombie and a clown all strutted their stuff at a costume catwalk at Savers on a recent Thursday to give customers ideas on making their own costumes using thrift store finds, as well as the prepackaged costumes available there.
Joanne Alexander, a grandmother and production manager at Savers, made a pirate costume for her grandson — which he wore for the show — using thrifted items, many of which could also be found at most people’s homes.
She bought pants and a shirt to work with, a pair of cheap sunglasses, cloth napkins, a pillow case, a plush parrot and shoelaces and got to work. When all was said and done, the costume was made for less than $15.
Accessories were made by hand. For example, the sword is made of cardboard cut to the shape and wrapped with foil. The handle was wrapped with electrical tape to reinforce it. A lens from the sunglasses, wrapped with scrap fabric from the black pants, and shoelaces were used to make the eye patch.
“If you’re on a budget and can’t find a costume in the used section, you can find pieces to make your own,” Alexander said. “Every category has something you can use for a costume.”
One of Alexander’s favorite cheap costumes is the mad scientist. She says she got a lab coat and a top and teased her hair up high. A Little Mermaid costume was made with a thrifted dress and used fabric for the fin.
Sarah Bos, mother of two, tested her creativity when she made a costume of “Toothless” from the animated movie “How to Train Your Dragon” for around $10 for her son.
Since Bos had some of the materials from other projects at home, she didn’t have to buy much — just fluff for the tail and fabric, which she gets at thrift stores.
The design is simple: The dragon’s head is a hat, with the face and ears stitched on. After the wings were cut out, Bos attached clear elastic so her son could wear them around his shoulders. The wings free-fall so when “he moves, the wings move, too,” Bos said.
Betsy Caffrey turned her son into a bag of jelly beans one year using stuff you can find at home or the dollar store.
“I took a clear, heavy-duty plastic bag and cut holes out for the legs at the bottom and arms on the sides,” Caffrey recalled. “My son stepped into it, and we filled it with colored balloons. We finished it off with a ribbon, which helped us close up top near his neck — obviously not too tight.”
Lego brick costumes can be made with cardboard boxes and plastic cups. Simply cut a hole in the top and one on each side, glue the cups on the front, and paint it a bright color. Wear long pants and a shirt in the same color.
Shopping your own closet is a great budget-friendly way to dress up as well.
Veronica Cruz-Mercado created a Frida Kahlo costume for her daughter, Zia, then 2, for free, by using stuff she had at home.
“I used to dance folklorico, so I pulled out all my old accessories (hairpiece, shawl) and used a Mexican dress she already had,” Cruz-Mercado said. “Then just used some eye shadow to make a unibrow.”
Using extra socks of her husband’s, some fiber fill, a box of dye and a hoodie for a template, Kari Cadenhead created an adorable, inexpensive squid costume for her son.
“Chris (her husband) had a ton of old white socks with holes and stuff. They made the perfect floppy material to make a squid. It cost a bottle of dye and some fiber fill, maybe $10. It was fun and cheap.”
