Where do you start?
Well do you want a costume for one person, for a pair or a group?
Do you want one for being inside where its warm, or need one to keep warm with when your outside trick-or-treating?
Do you want a funny one to get laughs from, or do you want to scare someone?
Will you be making the costume, or buying it, or putting one together with things you have around the house?
What ever your answers may be, it is always fun to dress up, to get into the spirit and pretend to be something or someone else, remember anything goes.

Share your ideas and pictures

Here are just some ideas:

pick A TIME OF MUSIC history like -

*The roaring 40's, with pin strip suits and flapper dresses

*The rock n roll 50's, where you could dress like the Fonz with dark blue Levi's (you can roll up the pants legs to the mid-calf) a white t-shirt and leather jacket, and slick your hair back, or jeans with a white shirt and sweater vest. For the ladies, wool skirts or puddle skirts with a fitted button in the front sweaters, saddle shoes, white socks, with the hair in a ponytail tied with a scarf.

*The groovy 60's, bright paisley prints, go-go boots, mini shirts, 3 button suits.

*The flower power 70's, the time of the hippie, tie-dyed clothes, leather and suede vests and sandals, anything with fringe, peasant skirt (long patchwork shirts), flared jeans, love beads, Indian inspired prints, and smiley face or peace sign items. Remember Woodstock and the Grateful Dead.

*The disco fever 80's, wide lapel shirts, leisure suits, anything metallic, jump suits, platform shoes, bell bottom pants.

WORKING PEOPLE, those that wear a uniform that everyone recognizes:

A cook, chef, baker, and even someone who likes to grill out:
you might want to have a few kitchen tools, like a spatula, tongs, fork, oven mitt
a white shirt and pants
a chef hat
a red and white checkered scarf to tie around your neck
an apron

A doctor or nurse:
a pair of scrubs (matching color top and pants)
hospital tools, tongue depressor, thermometer, stethoscope, bandages, rubber gloves, a face mask for surgery

A fire rescue person:
a yellow raincoat
a toy or not working fire extinguisher
a hose
suspenders

Here comes the Judge:
Judge Judy or any judge would wear a white shirt and on top of that a black graduation robe. For the guys white curly wig. Don't forget the gavel.

A police officer:
blue shirt and pants
a pretend badge
hand cuffs
pretend gun belt
a pad of paper and pen to give out tickets
Or you could go as an English officer with a Bobbie stick

CHARACTER COSTUMES, stars, famous people, super heroes

[attachmentid=448] A clown

A Cowboy or Cowgirl:
Never hard to find western ware, denim jeans, a western shirt (some come with fringe for the ladies). A pair of cowboy boots, hat, bandanna and your ready for the wild west.

I dream of Jeannie (TV show):
You will need a skimpy tube top (preferable pink) beneath a short red vest. A pair of thin baggy pants (pink or white) tied at the bottom so they puff. A pair of ballet shoes, and accessorize with large hoop earrings and a head band. (If you have a date he could be Major Nelson)
Even the guys can go as a genie, but no need for the tube top - a bare chest is better. Lots of bright shinny colors work good. And don't forget a genie bottle or lamp to rub.

A detective like Sherlock Holmes (mystery book):
There are many detectives to pick from too.
For Sherlock Holmes you would need a magnifying glass and a sleuth hat and a brown cape, white pants and a vest. Now you are ready to solve a mystery!

Dilbert (newspaper comic strip):
Slip on round wire frame glasses. Wear a white shirt and black dress slacks. Take a red and black stripe tie and using pipe cleaners glue them to the underside of the tie so that it will form the upward bend that Dilbert wears.

Meet the Flintstones and Rubbles (cartoon):
Barney is in a brown and Fred is in an animal print cave man outfit.
For Betty Rubble all you need is a blue fitted sundress and cut the hem so it looks jagged. Wear a black wig done "Betty Style" with a bow or bone at top. Glue a small rock or bone to the top of the halter dress.
As for Wilma her sundress would be white with white beads for a rock necklace.
Great idea for a family theme, and if you have children one could be Pebbles or Bam-Bam. All he needs is a leopard skin fabric, cut out a diaper size piece big enough to fit around your waist securely. Cut a ragged edge at the bottom of this material. Us the rest of the material to make a leopard sash to drape across chest. Attach the two pieces with a plastic dog bone, using glue. Complete the outfit by carrying around a wooden bat and chanting BAM BAM. You will have a yabbadabbadoo time!

A free spirit Gypsy:
One long flowing skirt in a floral pattern. A puffy blouse pulled off the shoulders (these have elastic around the neck and some tie in the front). Lots of gold jewelry, if going barefoot an ankle bracelet or two that make noise when you walk. A noisy chain type belt and a shawl wrapped around your waist.
A tambourine or taro cards to tell the future will add extra charm.

Get your revenge and show off your Nerd side (movies):
Wear a pair of pants that are a couple of inches short (known as floods), a button down shirt with a corny bow tie, white socks, black shoes and ark frame glasses. For an added touch of nerdiness, put tape or band aid around the nose piece of the glasses (this would hold the glasses together if they had been broken). Clumsily carry around a stack of books and a pocket calculator. And don't forget the pocket protector for your shirt pocket and fill it with pens and pencils. Be proud to be a Nerd!

An Old Man or Old Woman:
It's not so much the clothes but the way you act. Bend over some, if you have a cane or walker that helps, and you want to walk slowly. If you have a little stuffing you can put it under your clothes to form a lump on your back. If you have a gray or white hair wig that would be great, but if not you can put baby powder in your hair and that will help it turn into a silvery color. You could also wear a hair net, and carry a purse for the woman. Come here sonny, let me pinch our cheek!

Princess Leia of Star Wars (movie):
Great for girls with long hair, or buy the extensions. Then make them into the trademark "cinnamon buns" that she is well known for. Next dress yourself in a plain white wraparound dress like a bathrobe. Add a rope belt and laser gun and you will be transferred to a far away galaxy!

SCARY - MONSTERS:

Jeeper Creepers Scarecrow:
Find a pair of loose fitting blue jeans or bibs, with holes or cut some out. Sew on some patches on the knees or on the butt. You can also add patches to the flannel shirt. Then suit up in a long flannel shirt and begin affixing straw to cuffs of the pants and shirt with duct tape. You can also do up your face scary with clown paints. And a straw hat adds a nice touch.

Spider, think the Black Widow:
For this costume, you'll need a black hooded sweatshirt; a pair of black pants or sweats; and black socks or booties. You'll also need 4 pairs of black tube socks or nylons. Stuff the tube socks with cotton batting, newspaper, or any material you can find to make the spider legs. Then sew the eight legs to the sides of the black outfit. Paint eyes on the top of the hood and a large red spot on the back (to get the Black Widow look.)

ANIMALS:

FUN OBJECTS:

A Bag of Jelly Beans:
For the clothing underneath just about any color leotard will work.
You'll need a clear plastic bag. Step into the bag making holes for the legs and arms out the side. Fill the bag with different color balloons and use a flashy scarf to tie around the top of the bag. You may want to place a sign that says "Jelly Beans" in front of the bag, and maybe a price tag.

A Crayon:
For this one, you can choose a color scheme... Dress in a solid color sweat suit. Paint or use a magic marker to print the word "CRAYON" in large black letters down the length of your body, and the word of the color you want to be. Going with the same color scheme, create a pointed hat, using construction paper or oak tag. Staple a string on it and tie it under your neck to keep it secure. And the final touch, paint your face your crayon color (with safe clown face paint). This can be fun for a group going together where each person is a different color.

Grapevine:
Grab a boom box and start blaring the song "I Heard it Through the Grapevine!" Then get suited up in a brown or green body suit or leotard (to look like the vine). Cover your body with double sided tape. Then blow up purple or green balloons (for the grapes) and attach them to the tape. For added security (it could be windy outside), use garbage bag twist ties to affix balloons to the tap. You could also cut out green leaves to tape on too.

A Highway:
VROOOM... Wear a black t-shirt and pants. Paint two solid (or dotted) yellow lines down the middle of the shirt on both sides. Glue match box cars on both sides of the road (yellow lines). You may want to add little paper road signs.

A Television:
Be your favorite TV show! Take a large cardboard box and cut out holes for your arms and legs. Draw channel and volume controls on the front side. Then choose what TV show you want to draw or get cut outs from a magazine, and this will be your screen. If you have an old appliance that is going to the garbage you could cut off the cord to use for the back of your TV. You could even carry a remote control with you. If it is an old TV you might need to make an antennae out of pipe cleaners, that you can attach to a headband to wear.