With Halloween fast approaching, it’s sad to say the scariest place in America right now is the New York Stock Exchange. The frights of the financial sector invariably trickle down to Main Street and into our lives, making the potential for a costly holiday extravaganza less and less of a likelihood for most families. There’s Christmas to prepare for after all – it’s not like we can count on free cell phones for stocking stuffers. But an easy solution, would be to simply cut the costs of Halloween by forgoing pricy plastic costumes in favor of cheap alternatives created with love and care.
You might be thinking about how difficult it would be to tell your son he can’t be Captain America for Halloween now. Who says he can’t? That gaudy mask and thin-as-a-wafer excuse for a suit marked up by 30% that he eyed on your last family visit to the department store might appeal to his seven-year-old sensibilities, but with some creative instinct you can easily construct your own Captain America outfit, or any superhero get-up for that matter. Not only will it be original, it will look more authentic than some store-bought version.
The mask might seem like the hardest part, but it would probably the easiest. Find an old newspaper and cut it into ribbons, the lengths of which should not exceed the size of your son’s face. Whip up some homemade plaster with flour, salt, and warm water. Next you blow up a balloon to an approximate proportion equal to your child’s head.
Now all you do is dip the strips into the mix and lay them on one side of the balloon, slowly but surely assembling a mask (make sure to leave plenty of space for the eyes to see and mouth to breathe). When it dries, pop the balloon then paint the mask in accordance to whatever superhero your son wants to be. Voila! With some patient painting and dedication to detail, your kid will have the best mask on the block.
This certainly does not just pertain to the superhero category of costume. Virtually any costume idea that requires a mask can be fitted in this fashion.
Don’t waste your money on overpriced Halloween costumes for the kids, especially when making a mask yourself is as simple as this. The economy might be scary, but with some smart thinking your Halloween budget doesn’t have to be.
Disclosure – Consideration was given to review, edit, and post this article.