QUICK COSTUMES
Dress up for any Halloween event with these ideas inspired by pop culture,
Halloween falls on a Monday this year, which means that kids and grown-ups will start the week with a post-Halloween sugar crash. “More than half of Canadians surveyed say they will still go to a Halloween party despite it falling on a Monday,” Value Village said in a statement after conducting its annual Halloween Trend Survey. Whether you’re trick or treating with the kids or headed to a Halloween bash, we’ve got you covered with some easy pop-culture-inspired costume ideas that you can pull together with a quick trip to the thrift store, craft store or possibly the back of your closet. By Debra Norton
Hillary Clinton
We can all agree that the presidential election is a little surreal and at times, even a little scary. That makes it perfect for Halloween, right? Dig through your closet for a pantsuit or head to the racks of the thrift store to pick up a bright red ensemble. Just add pearls, a wig and some sensible pumps. Don’t forget the big smile — oh, and watch your back for those creepy types. You’ll need: á Pantsuit Wig (we got ours at Value Village — it was Hillary-themed) Faux pearls Sensible pumps á Hillary button (if you can scare one up — or modify one you already have)
Heart eyes emoji
What’s your favourite emoji? We heart this little cutie dressed up as the heart eyes emoji. It’s a perfect opportunity for little ones to get involved in the crafting process — it’s as easy as cutting and pasting. All that’s required is cardboard, paint, felt and some cord. You’ll need: Cardboard Scissors Yellow paint Pink and black felt Glue gun Stretchy cord Hole punch To make the emoji, cut out a large circle from a piece of cardboard. Paint it yellow and let dry. Cut out hearts from pink felt and a smile from the black felt. Using the glue gun, adhere the felt to the painted cardboard. Use a hole punch to make two holes in the top of the circle. Insert a piece of cord through the holes so that the emoji can hang loosely from the neck.
Ash Ketchum
Ash Ketchum is a main character in the Pokemon anime series. Its newest game, Pokemon GO, a popular virtual reality game, made headlines this past summer. It became a bit of a phenomenon with sightings of families out together for after-dinner strolls or spouses gone missing with extra long trips to the corner store. It’s an easy costume to pull together; most of it is probably already in your closet. We found most of the pieces for our model at Old Navy. Red hat Blue vest White polo-style top Green T-shirt Jeans Running shoes Green backpack (ours is by Herschel Supply Co.) Red ball Yellow duct tape White duct tape Green gloves Scissors To make the ball, apply white duct tape to the bottom half of a red ball. Add a piece of black tape around the centre of the ball. Cut out a circle from white paper and use black marker to draw on the paper, tape or glue in place. To customize the vest, apply yellow duct tape to the pockets and bottom of vest. Cut off the fingers of a pair of green gloves.
Party animals
Be the life of the party dressed as — you guessed it — party animals! This is a great couples costume. You can’t get much easier than a store-bought mask and a cocktail party outfit from your own closet. Whether you are a sly fox or an iconic Toronto raccoon, this speedy costume will leave you lots of time to party. You’ll need: Party outfits Store-bought masks (we got ours at Party City)