The bummer about kids Halloween costumes is that they’re pretty much a one-time use item. Kids grow so dang fast, and unless you’ve got younger kids to pass down those costumes to, they’re useless to your family after the season. Thankfully, you can help out other families in need and give new life to a used costume at the same time. Preschool Rock has set up a Halloween Costume Exchange that allows you to donate your kids used costumes and get a 20% discount off a new costume for this year. Pretty sweet deal.
How Does the Halloween Costume Exchange Work?
Parents seeking free Halloween costumes:
Look through the listings of free Halloween costumes.
When a desirable Halloween costume is found, the parent contacts the Halloween costume donator via email to arrange for shipment.
Parent receives Halloween costume in the mail just in time for Halloween!
Parents wanting to donate a Halloween costume:
Complete the Halloween Costume Exchange Donation Form.
Your Halloween costume will be posted on PreschoolRock; PreschoolRock will email a code to you that will give you 20% off the cost of a new Halloween costume from Anytime Costumes.
How simple is that? So if you’ve got any kids costumes laying around please donate them so that a family in need can have a great Halloween.
Has anyone ever told you that you look like someone famous? You know, “that guy from that show” or “the girl in the funny commercial”? Even if your face seems so unique that no one has claimed you have a celebrity doppleganger, chances are you resemble somebody famous. Even if it’s just slightly, this could be a good way to help you choose an interesting Halloween costume.
We tried using the free online service MyHeritage Face Recognition to see if we resembled any actors. Our idea being that if we did look similar to an actor it might be fun to make a costume based on a character they played. The database of “celebrities” at MyHertigate isn’t exhaustive by any means, but you will get a lot of different results based on each picture of yourself that you upload. As you can see with our model Alison, there was 1 common look alike (Alexis Bledel), but her 2 slightly different headshots produced 6 different look alikes.
Now we just need to pop onto IMDb and see if any of these supposed dopplegangers played roles that were;
1) of any interest to us, and
2) had costumes that were recognizable enough to reproduce.
Let’s see, Reese Witherspoon’s characters in Legally Blonde and Election were pretty recognizable, but that’s about it. Well, Catwoman too, but with a mask involved that pretty much negates the idea of being a “look alike”. We tried again using several pictures of ourselves and found a few more interesting and costume-worthy results, so it really depends on the photos being used.
Try it yourself and let us know if you get any good costume ideas!
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Nothing proves that point better than this video of a home haunter scaring trick-or-treaters with a stilt-wearing Predator costume. If you’re looking for something to freak out your Halloween visitors, few things garner the explosive response that “spring stilts” do. Their construction gives the wearer a surreal, monstrous walk that can transform any good costume into a terrifyingly great one. Imagine a scary costume idea- evil clown, Predator, bloody corpse, werewolf, nameless creature– whatever freaks you out. Now imagine it towering 3 feet above your head. Your costume just went from unsettling to scream-worthy with the addition of one item.
The only real catch is the price. Homemade stilts are dirt cheap and will still give you a great affect, but the “jumping stilts” (aka: poweriser or powerizer stilts) cost considerably more. We’ll start with the more economical option first, then move onto the more expensive alternative.
To make your own “pole stilts”, there are 2 main options: hands-free or hands-required. There are free plans online to make your own hands-required adjustable stilts, but these aren’t ideal for costume usage since your hands will be occupied holding the stilts. If you’re brand new to stilt walking, these would be a good beginner pair to learn construction and actual stilt walking techniques. After you get comfortable with that model, you can more safely move onto the hands-free type. Here is an incredibly detailed tutorial for hands-free stilts.
Now it’s time for the really cool ones: spring stilts! These are generally in the $300-$500 price range for adults, made of either fiberglass or carbon fiber. They allow for some inhuman physical feats, such as jumping up to 6 feet in the air and running strides of up to 9 feet in length! I was a little skeptical of those numbers, but according to GJS, “Jumping Stilts have been considered for military application. One particular set of stilts was tested by the US Air Force. The user maintained an average speed of 23 MPH over ¼ mile distance, while chasing a military quad.” Imagine the terrified screams as you go hauling down your street on Halloween night at 20 MPH, chasing naughty trick-or-treaters.
Apparently spring stilts are also a really good workout, so you can better justify purchasing them if you use them for fitness purposes, too. Then again, I think scaring the bejesus out of people is justification enough, but you may have different priorities.
CAUTION: Remember that stilt walking is potentially dangerous, so prepare accordingly. Read up, wear well-padded wrist guards and knee pads, use proper stilts, put lots of practice time in, and don’t put yourself or others in danger by performing stunts that you haven’t mastered yet. Stay safe, daredevils!
RELATED PRODUCTS: “Grabber” or “Reacher” costumes have crazy long arms and give the same creepy, inhuman affect as stilts…
When making costumes, there are usually many versions you can create, varying from easy and cheap to labor-intensive and bank-breaking. For costume armor, the most authentic replicas are made with plastic, fiberglass, sheet metal: all requiring a bit of skill and special supplies as well as being a little dangerous. Kudos to anyone who takes on that challenge, but for the rest of us there’s Armor For the Fiberglass-Phobic. The unlikely material of Craft Foam (available at Joann or any craft store) gets transformed into good looking, movable armor and accessories, and just about anyone can do it. For an even more detailed explanation of the process, check out Using EVA Foam for Costume Accessories, Hats & Headpieces. Want an even easier foam costume? A 2D costume looks awesome and can be made in less than an a couple hours.
As a die-hard Halloweenie, you know “it’s never too early” to start planning for the Big Day; but when should you actually start? Dependent upon he complexity of your Halloween plans, the answer could range from a mere month to developing a year-round hobby of it. Most of us fall somewhere in-between even though Halloween tends to sneak up on even the best prepared. One day you look at the calendar and have 9.5 months left, then suddenly you’re rushing around the night before to put together a costume. With so many variables to think about- costumes, decorations, food, treats, haunts, new horror movies, etc.- it can be easy to forget some crucial elements until the last minute. We’ve put together a guide that will help you easily begin planning a killer costume now so you can spend October having fun.
Decide on Your Costume: Make this all-important decision now so you can concentrate your efforts. If you’re having trouble deciding on just 1 costume, try to narrow it down to characters with similar traits. For instance, most super heroes are muscular and wear bodysuits, Jedi wear robes and carry light sabers. This will still allow you to focus, while having some leeway until you are ready to decide.
Hair: Wigs are the standby for costuming, but nothing beats authentic hair for realism. Hair grows at an average rate of .5″ per month, so with 9 months prep time you can add about 4.5″ to your current length (although factor in small trims every 6 weeks to keep it looking healthy). Facial and body hair grows at very different rates for everyone, but most men can whip up some Wolverine chops in a month or less. Alternately, if your hair is already too long and you want to cut it, just plan for a haircut a week or so before Halloween. Some hairstyles, like mohawks, will require both growing and a haircut.
Body: New Years resolutions to hit the gym are easily broken, but dedication to a costume may be the incentive you need to make it happen. Whether your Xena costume requires bigger muscles or you need to drop a few pounds to be a more convincing Jack Skellington, take your time and do it safely. Starting as soon as possible will allow you to make small changes in your diet and lifestyle that will be easier to stick with. For a less permanent solution, investigate your prosthetic and padding options.
New Skills: Napoleon was right; it’s all about the skills! Would you be convinced by a Neo or Agent Smith that didn’t perform at least a little martial arts? Every good costume has at least one ability associated with it, and you’re going to seem much more convincing if you can actually perform them. It may be something as small as learning a couple magic tricks or even becoming a decent swordsman to become Captain Jack Sparrow, but it will sell your costume.
Obtaining Difficult to Find Items: It’s called “limited edition” for a reason. If you wait until October to find that 1995 Boba Fett Don Post helmet that you need, you’ll probably only end up with a crappy substitute. Make a list of every item you think you will need, and any items that can’t be obtained at the store every year around Halloween should be planned for now. This especially includes vintage items and custom made pieces. For many costumes and accessories you can usually find quality fan-made replicas on eBay: Star Wars, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Matrix, every anime and Manga character imaginable, and even a lot of TV shows are represented. Start watching for your rare items now, and you’ll have time to locate the perfect ones for your costume.
Accents, Dialogue & Presence: Humans are sight-oriented creatures and our first impressions of a costume will definitely come from the outfit and accessories itself. After that first glance, though, it is the intangible aspects that will make your character come alive. We’ve all seen badass costumes acting out of character, and although it may be funny, that’s probably not why you’re spending months preparing a costume.
When dressing as a character from film or TV who has an accent, getting that accent down will make a huge difference. Copy what you hear, and Google your desired accent to learn a few pointers. Perhaps even more important, though, is presence. This can be an elusive concept, but the first step is to try method acting. This will effect your facial expressions, your timing, body language, choice of words, and how you react to situations. Become your character, and your costume will knock everyone’s socks off.
What are you planning for this year? If you’ve got a tip for long term Halloween costume prep that we didn’t mention, please let us know in the comments.
This Navin Johnson (“The Jerk”) costume is really quite simple. All you need is an ashtray, a paddle game and a remote control, and that’s all you need. And some matches. The ashtray, and those matches, and the remote control and the paddle ball. And a lamp. The ashtray, a paddle game and the remote control and the lamp and that’s all you need. You don’t need one other thing, not one- except for a chair.
Accessories are what make The Jerk costume really recognizable so don’t forget to get as much as you can. The costume itself is simply made up of a robe with white shirt underneath and white boxers/shorts. You can leave it at that, or you can go all out and add the black shoes and socks with black pants around your ankles. Just remember it’s a little hard to walk around with pants around your ankles, but if it’s a commitment you are willing to make, then go for it!
Add another dimension to your costume by reciting the monologue that Steve Martin so effortlessly gives. The entire monologue can be found here in text and you can watch the 4 minute clip in the video below.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Nothing proves that point better than this video of a home haunter 
Now it’s time for the really cool ones: spring stilts! These are generally in the $300-$500 price range for adults, made of either fiberglass or carbon fiber. They allow for some inhuman physical feats, such as jumping up to 6 feet in the air and running strides of up to 9 feet in length! I was a little skeptical of those numbers, but according to 
As a die-hard Halloweenie, you know “it’s never too early” to start planning for the Big Day; but when should you actually start? Dependent upon he complexity of your Halloween plans, the answer could range from a mere month to developing a year-round hobby of it. Most of us fall somewhere in-between even though Halloween tends to sneak up on even the best prepared. One day you look at the calendar and have 9.5 months left, then suddenly you’re rushing around the night before to put together a costume. With so many variables to think about- costumes, decorations, food, treats, haunts, new horror movies, etc.- it can be easy to forget some crucial elements until the last minute. We’ve put together 
