Top 10 DIY All Hallows Costumes (Embodying the Spirit)

With the night this whole months about quickly approaching, we have more DIY costumes, dearest readers! This list is noticeably different than the last; gone are the geeky/pop culture references of before and in their place we get back down to the spirit of All Hallows. These are the costumes that honor the dead, honor the season and honor the fear! Not intended to win a cheap laugh or nod, these costumes are for those who take October 31st more seriously; but for some reason still have no ideas.
Which leads us to our number 10 entry for this category. An entry which I debated about using, strictly because of the stigma now associated with the genre.

10. The Vampire

The vampire is a staple choice when it comes to the spirit of Halloween. Don't make the mistake of thinking this applies to the sparkling Hot Topic generation; we are talking the age old legends of blood sucking immortals. The costume, while not being among my favorites', is an obvious, quick, DIY. Let's start with the fangs: do not waste your money on those atrocious plastic retainers that make your mouth stick out like a chimpanzee's. This doesn't mean that a custom fitted set is a necessity either (after all, those things cost a pretty penny). The simplest solution for the vampire is to purchase a set of fake acrylic nails and some denture glue (like Polydent). You will usually want to use the pinkie nail; file it down to a point, apply glue to your canine incisor, and wait for it to set. This is the key detail for all vamp costumes. Next choice you have is wardrobe. Vampires are immortal, so basically any era works. The easiest choice/option for most of us will be modern styles; but please, do not simply glue some teeth on with your everyday wardrobe, that is tacky. The allure of the vampire usually lies with its class, so you definitely want to opt for a nicer set of threads. The next crucial detail is to flare it up; while it is important to look nice, you still need to look slightly over the top: this can be achieved through accessorizing (rings, necklaces, broaches and cuff links are all great starting points) and hair styling. Whether you go with big hair, slicked hair, crazy hair or stylish the most important detail is to move away from how you would normally wear your hair. Remember as a vampire you are immortal, there will have been very little you haven't seen or experienced; with that in mind, throw inhibitions to the wind, and dress to impress!

Our number 9 entry holds a special place in my heart; a monster which no longer receives the credit it deserves and is often misinterpreted and misrepresented.

9. Frankenstein's monster

That's right folks, our beloved zombie before zombies were cool, is quickly falling into obscurity. Maybe it's because of his lack of appearances in modern media, I don't really know; but I say we bring back this scary favorite. Now, before you go getting all Karloff on me; I want you to stop and think, maybe this beast is losing hold on his scare factor, because of how little the designs changed over the years. You don't have to be a giant green lug with bolts in your neck to be this abomination. Stay true to the spirit of the story and your costume will shine. The main thing to remember is Frankenstein's monster was an assembly of corpses, in his quest to defy death. This means a heavy make up or body paint costume. The main goals of this are to make your body seem like cobbled together parts. Fake stitches are great for this, especially when used in conjunction with different makes ups (or body paints) to make the affected skin seem like a conglomeration of different hosts. Old clothes that look like something, someone should have been buried in make for great threads (check your local thrift stores and try to avoid matching). The point of this costume is to look unnatural; the more parts you can seem to be composed of the better!


Entry number 8 is the embodiment of this entire season, and a wonderful costume for honoring All Hallows.

8.  A Scarecrow

It's no coincidence we have a holiday about death, coinciding with the final days of the harvest. Ancestors from generations past revered the scarecrow because of the protection it offered to their crops. The mere sight of this image was meant to drive away unwanted pests, to ensure you had a product to gather when the season ended. Scarecrows can be made in many fashions and are almost always are very human like in form. It's like dressing up a giant doll to look like people; and guess who's people? WE ARE, so this costume is a no brainer. Obviously the more farming inspired the attire, the better. Straw is always a good accessory (however if allergies are a problem, artificial yellow grass can work too). The main clincher on any well done scarecrow costume is to hide your skin! You don't want to look that much like people, after all. Gloves are an easy fix for the hands, but the head can be slightly trickier. Personally, I do not recommend nor condone, in any way, using make up for this feat. If you think you can prove me wrong, go for it; but chances are you will look silly and comical rather than intimidating and foreboding. Burlap sacks are a great solution: they are usually what's stuffed with hay on a real one. You can go with the fake pumpkin mask/head if you want; I'm not a fan my self, but I'm also not you. The main thing to remember when making your scarecrow, is to look like an inanimate dummy; not a person who spirit glued some straw to their skin.





7. Cultist

There is just something inherently creepy about a group of people who gather together, dress darn near identical, chant to mythical beings and are ready to kill for their beliefs. Show me a cult that is not based off the perversion of a theology or mythology and I will show you a very surprised and humbled Wilshire. For the sake of the costume, I'm going to stay in the realm of Lovecrat with my descriptions (as I said before feel free to change or manipulate said advice at your leisure.) The first component to the Cultist is the robe. Just do it, it makes your costume much more identifiable. Colors are fairly open for choice, however the darker the better. Think deep reds, purples, blues and greens; or just full on go with a black one. Try to pick a material that you are comfortable in, as you want too keep the hood on (after all it hides your insane stare and identity!). If you are completely anti hood, you will need a head piece (ie. your gonna be a high priest to Dagon (or something similar)). Sigils are a nice touch, to the robe; for the Cthulhu cultist, daemonic tentacles and elder signs might be right up your alley. Necklaces or rings are a good touch: the squidder the better.  Once you have all the pieces gathered, simply work on your pronunciation and chanting of, "ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn," and your ready to herald the coming of the Old One, whom is dead but sleeping!

Maybe the Cultist isn't right for you and you'd prefer to be something they honor; which happens to be our number 6 entry.


6. Sahmain

Commonly known as a festival of the season; certain lore and mythologies actually believe in spirit or demon, behind it. This should seem like an easy costume right? Dress up as the spirit of Halloween! Don't be discouraged if you don't know where to start, its okay. This is another costume I will leave up to interpretations; however, I do plan to at least give you some pointers, if you are interested in dressing up as a more contemporary reference to this being. Who's seen the movie Trick 'r Treat? Remember the little kid looking thing in orange pajamas that ran around smiting non believers? In case you missed it, his name was Sam; short for Samhain! A wonderfully creepy costume for the season, though some what limited by height constraints. Main ingredients for this costume? Take one set of orange pajamas (you wear these): take another part, strips of orange and white fabric (these wrap around your hands and feat): combine with an old worn brown pillow case (for your treats), a big burlap sack (which will require some needle work and buttons (fyi its your head)) stretched over ball shaped wire frame and tada! A big pumpkin lollipop is a nice touch but shouldn't be considered a must.


So, maybe dressing up as the holiday isn't your particular point of interest; but you like the idea of a costume with reverence. Take a look at entry 5!

5.Pagan Gods  

Though their worship and reverence ain't what it use t be; these paganistic idols offer a wealth of choices for the costumer in need. Ranging from the armor heavy complexity of the Romans, to the gaudy accessorizing of the Egyptians and the elegant simplicity of the Greeks; there is bound to be a pagan god to fit your taste. Those of you interested in doing something like an encumbered Mars, or a bird headed Osiris; I hope you started it already, because we are down to crunch time! Hands down, the easiest way to whip up a quick divine costume is to go the toga route. Traditionally earthy tones are recommended, however this is Halloween and these are gods; just please avoid neon. Think about who your interested in and what they represent. For example, if you are a fan of Poseidon, blue is going to be a good color to represent water. More interested in a mother goddess, well than think browns and greens (colors of earth and trees (you know life giving things)). Try to accentuate the concept and colors of the god through make up; shimmering may be a good start if it fits your deity. Accessories, should be some what moderate (aside from the Egyptians or Romans) focusing mainly on sashes, broaches or chalices; and again should only be used if applicable to your particular idol. However, if you are doing a more earthly themed god, definitely consider accentuating the costume with some artificial foliage; namely vines and leaves.

The number 4 entry on our list will take us away from the divine and back to more monstrous humans!


4. A Deep One Rising

That's right folks another entry on our list, from the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft (what can I say, the guy knew creepy). The idea behind the Deep Ones is simple; human followers of Cthulhu and Dagon, who forfeit their humanity and become slithering, scaly, fish like people. That costume might be a little tricky, but a Deep One Rising, is simply a person who's beginning the transformation. The trick with this costume, is to not look full blown fishy. In terms of clothing, think more along the lines of fisherman (not the people on bass boats at the lake, the ones on the big ocean boats with nets (ieer entry on our list, from the mythos of H.P. Lovecraft (what can I say, the guy knew creepy). The idea behind the Deep Ones is simple; human followers of Cthulhu and Dagon, who forfeit their humanity and become slithering, scaly, fish like people. That costume might be a little tricky, but a Deep One Rising, is simply a person who's beginning the transformation. The trick with this costume, is to not look full blown fishy. In terms of clothing, think more along the lines of fisherman (not the people on bass boats at the lake, the ones on the big ocean boats with nets (ie. beanies, thick jackets, warm pants, corn cob pipe, etc)). Also, another option is to be a cultist undergoing the transformation, after all the two are kind of related. No matter which wardrobe you decide to use, the real details of this costume will lie with make up and scales. Think fishy! Greens, and blues are safe colors, but the options are as numerous as the fish in the sea. Next, your going to want to apply scales, sporadically on your showing skin. Rubber and latex prosthetics make wonderful materials for the scales, simply cut the shapes and size you want from the prosthetic, color accordingly with the make up you plan to use and apply with spirit glue.  Gills are an option, but not a necessity, it depends how far gone your humanity is. This is another costume with a wealth of custom options, depending how elaborate you want to go. For example, if for some reason you have bulbous eye goggles, consider using them and making your face that much fishyer! Also, you can use the acrylic nail trick we discussed for vampires, to make a set of piranha like teeth; you will have to file them more like needles and use a lot more, but it can achieve the desired affect. Slime is always a nice touch for a fishy costume too, so consider smearing some Gak (I don't know if they still even make Gak, but if not substitute for a Gak like substance) on your hands!

Alright, alright, I will quit with the H.P. costumes. Number 3 is about the most traditional Halloween costume ever!


3. A Witch

Be it the warty hags of Macbeth or the sultry enchantress costume purchased from a boutique; the witch is a staple costume for honoring the season. Sure there are plenty of stores that sell pre-fabricated get ups, but honestly this costume is a cinch. The most common costumes will be composed of a pointed hat with a matching gown; however, this is not the only way to be a witch. Robes also work for the primary attire; and also help to breach the gender lines. Green make up and warts can work, but are extremely cliche. Don't make the mistake of believing that a witch must be heinous. Colors for your wardrobe are fairly diverse: black being popular, but whites, grays, browns and greens are all excellent choices as well. The main detail to any witch costume is the accessories; rings, pendants, necklaces, brooms, wands or chalices are a variety of items which can make your costume soar. On the jewelry front its a good decision to stick with "witchy" symbols; pentacles and earth stones (quartz, onyx, amethyst, etc) will help you stay true to the lore. Older styles of brooms are nice (try to avoid the plastic ones sold in cleaning departments), but a wand can be an easy substitution (not the black wands with white tips like a magician uses; a simple well formed branch will do nicely). A fancy chalice is a superb accessory to drink your "witche's brew" from, though the reference is slightly more obscure to the general public. The best part about the witch costume is the versatility behind it; don't feel locked into perpetuating the haggard old stereo-types, just please avoid carrying your athame around on All Hallows, as sharp pointed objects to not mix well with booze or children.


As the list draws to a close, its time to get down to the nitty-gritty about what this holiday represents. According to legends, October 31st is the evening when the veil between our world and the spirit world is the thinnest; its only appropriate for the number two costume to embrace the concept of death.


2. Grim Reaper/A Reaper/Death

Here it is ladies and gentleman, coming in at number two on the list is a being or concept we all must face one day. The obvious choice to this costume is a black robe, skull mask and a scythe; its a classic and it works. I can't stand rubber masks myself (they are so damn uncomfortable) so I try to avoid them if at all possible; but that leaves a bit of a predicament, given most of us have skin over our skulls, am I right? Well thanks to modern media (entertainment like A Dirty Job, Dead Like Me and Supernatural) death has received a face lift for modern society. A reaper can be many, rather than one and robes are soooooooo Dark Ages. How about a stylish harbinger of death, wearing a suit (or other formal attire). Black is still your go to for color, however the clothes of a reaper are not that important (stick with the robes or dress formal and your set). Here we have another costume which comes down to accessorizing! Namely make up. You must look gaunt, if you plan to forfeit the skull mask. Try to use a color which makes your skin look ashen and ancient. Accentuate it by highlighting your bone structure and you are all but ready! A scythe can be a nice touch, but really isn't necessary and should only be used if it is a prop (not real!). Hour glasses make for a convincing costume, as they represent our time is running out. Also, you may want to throw on a pair of gloves rather than doing your hand make up (this way you can't touch people to make them die). It's a quick and easy costume that is always sure to be a favorite!

Drum roll please for the number 1 one costume on the list.....................................................








1. Zombies

Of course Zombies are on the list! They're the new vampires! The monsters of the current generation! And the apocalyptic scenario that everyone (or at least someone they know) has a survival plan for! Not to mention, it is hands down, the easiest costume to do. You won't have to buy any new clothes or outfits for this one; simply sacrifice stuff you already have to make your Halloween costume. The zombie can be done with the simple application of a light colored foundation, in conjunction with fake blood. Those who are more talented with make up, may find themselves adding gashes, rotting flesh, partially decomposed holes or even protruding bones; but the best part of the zombie is their individuality. Running over the shirt your plan to wear for this costume can make you a road kill zombie. Punching holes in the outfit and adding more blood can make you a bullet ridden zombie. They can be drowned, burned, drained or even have their guts hanging out. If it can result in the death of a human, it can be the basis for your zombie costume; but avoid head shots, we've got to keep some level or reality in the costume.

Have a happy Halloween everybody! And remember to be safe and stay somewhat sane!