Halloween is just around the corner, so it’s time to decide what you are going to dress up as for the upcoming, spooky festivities. Living in a dorm and not having a car can make getting out to buy Halloween costumes difficult. But a costume doesn’t have to be super elaborate, even the simple things can make it work. Being the “broke college students” we are, here are some tips to the perfect (-ly cheap) DIY Halloween get-up.
The most important part is getting the creativity flowing. Look back to your favorite television shows and movies. You could be Forrest Gump, Russell from the movie Up, Winnie the Pooh, or even your favorite superhero from the comics and cartoons we all loved so much. You can also find a friend for a dynamic duo costume, such as Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Lilo and Stitch, Scooby and Shaggy. The ideas are endless.
Use clothes you already have. With a lot of costumes, you can get away with wearing all black, all white or any color you’ll most likely have in your closet. If not, ask your roommate to storm through their wardrobe. You could even use a big baggy T-shirt you wear to sleep. Some fun T-shirt costumes would be Winnie the Pooh and his crew, The Powerpuff Girls, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or even something a little spookier like a zombie. Take the T-shirt, spruce it up with some sharpie, fabric paint (or fake blood) and pair it with an accessory that will really let people know what your costume is.
Go all out on the makeup and face paint. Being able to get creative with face paint and makeup can really be the main part of a costume. You can be anything you want. Go crazy with it. Paint your face as a skull, a fairy, a zombie, or even be an alien with tons of glitter. You can buy everything you need for fairly cheap at any craft store, including Michaels or even Target.
If you are a last-minute person who doesn’t really want to go all out, you could do something a little simpler such as write on a poster or paper. You could be Damian from Mean Girls with a sign saying, “She doesn’t even go here” or even wear a red shirt and khakis with a nametag that says “Jake” because you are Jake, you know, from State Farm.
PLNU alumni Ema Smith and Brittany Garcia remember using their dorm room essentials to create Halloween costumes.
“I dressed in all black and used my Minnie Mouse ears from my trip to Disneyland and just used eyeliner to paint my face,” said Smith. “It really helped me save money on actually going out to buy a costume and it was cute!”
Garcia added, “I always loved going for the funny and simple Halloween costumes, so I decided to be a classic ghost from cartoons and just cut holes in an old sheet for eyes and draped it over me. It was such a fun year.”
If you are not one to dress up for Halloween or go to any Halloween activities, you could always have some fun and dress up just to go get your $3 “Boo-rito” at Chipotle or a free donut at Krispy Kreme.
Steve Anderson 
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