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Written by Eleanor Booth

No skin-tight PVC to be seen in this article!

Halloween is just a few short days away and the streets of London will be full of devils, witches and unicorns (because they are super scary, right?).  If you still haven’t got your costumes, then read on. Use our tips to keep your bank balance black, the planet green and the streets painted red.  

For a quick recap, Halloween is celebrated in the UK on 31 October. While it is not quite as big as it is in the USA, it is a big excuse for parties, horror films and pumpkin carving. Originally, a religious festival, it falls the day before All Saints’ Day for Christians and is called Samhain for Pagans. Day of the Dead is a Latin American celebration on the 2nd November. Please bear in mind those celebrating the religious event, rather than the party opportunity.  

Cheap, PVC-Free Costume ideas 

Ghost 

The easiest homemade costume in the book – grab a bed sheet and cut some eye holes – tadahhh you are a ghost. If you want to show a little more shape – how about one last outing for your summery white jeans or little white dress. You can even grab some white hair dye or add some biodegradable glitter along with halos from the Works – and suddenly you’re an angel.  

Pirate  

Grab an old shirt, wrap a belt around, a pair of shorts – and boom you are a pirate. If you want to make an eye patch – how about black cardboard and a satin or elastic band?  

 

Cat or mouse  

How many people have black leggings and a black vest top in their wardrobes or can borrow one? An eyeliner? Well there you have it – draw on your whiskers and you are ready to go. If anyone asks, you have the perfect line - “I’m a mouse duh”, courtesy of Karen from Mean Girls.  

For a variation – get the white and black face paint out, and you can be a skeleton. If you want a smarter look – trade in the black top for a black shirt or dress.  

 

Miss Havisham  

Search through the charity shops! The best costume I saw as an undergrad was a friend in a charity shop wedding dress for his rugby Halloween party. Here’s a chance to fill your literary ambitions and have a look to remember at the same time.  

Lara Croft/Action Man/Army  

You know those camo shorts/trousers you bought over summer? How about pairing them with a black top and belt – and you have an old school Lara Croft or Action Man on your hands. Swap the camo shorts/trousers for a playsuit and you could be a pilot, or Tom Cruise from from Top Gun if you have some aviators hanging about. 

Poison Ivy  

A green dress and some green body paint along with a red wig or something red to put on your head – and you have yourself Poison Ivy. Those needing a little assistance, grab some red hair dye. Other characters which are easy to emulate are Harley Quinn, Woody from Toy Story, a Playboy Bunny or Stranger Things. 

Whether partying the night away or watching horror films with the house mates – 

Here’s five top tips:  

  1. Check your wardrobe – it is amazing what you can find at the back of your wardrobe, so get looking! Those shorts, that shirt, that little black dress – they could all be the basis for your outfit.  
  2. Get creative and think outside the box – some of items from your wardrobe might need a little repurposing, but with a little creativity you can definitely have a cracking costume.  
  3. Check the charity shops – if you do need some new clothes why not check out the charity shops? You might even find something for when November comes.  
  4. Remember face paint – it is incredible what some face paint will do to a little black dress. When it comes to doing costumes cheaply, face paint is key.  
  5. If you do buy – buy something you can use again. One of the key parts of being a student is fancy dress, and items you can reuse are brilliant. I have a black jumpsuit which made me into an assassin, a mouse, a cat and Gamora; and a black tutu which has transformed me into a witch, fairy, skeleton and spider.  

 

For those still looking for plans – the official UCL Halloween Party is happening this Thursday at the O2 Academy.