Want a really unique costume idea? Do you like the vintage look? The contrast of a black and white costume can create a really stunning visual effect and they leave lots of room for creativity.
Get some great vintage inspired black and white costume ideas here.

Any costume ideas that promise to be “easily put together from either thrift stores or your friends’ closets” are always going to be winners. Especially when they’re movie costume ideas and the how-to is jam packed with amazingly styled photos. Check out these fun and detailed costume ideas from the BrightestYoungThings:

The Royal Tenenbaums
Home Alone
Beetlejuice
Heavy Metal Parking Lot

Welcome ladies and gentleman to Dr. Snake Oil’s Internationally Acclaimed Traveling Exhibition of Medicinal Wonderment! Here you will find the most amazing tutorial, designed especially to show how you too can create a traveling Medicine Show costume! We’re reviving the classic Snake Oil Salesman that used to travel the country selling a magic elixirs along with a host of fantastic circus and sideshow acts.

It’s an easy one (like most of our tutorials) because we know you don’t have gobs of time or money to spend on a Halloween costume. So step right up and take a taste of Dr. Snake Oil’s magic elixir…

Remember the Yip Yip Martians from Sesame Street? Yep yep? Unh huh unh huh? Instructables user sliny shares a pretty easy tutorial for making this costume idea. It’s almost no-sew except for the mouth area where a needle and thread can be used. k7lim also documented a version of the Yip Yip costume on Flickr which makes for a great photo reference.

Below are some more completed DIY Yip Yip costumes for inspiration. Like the first image shows, this makes an easy group costume idea since you just need to choose different color “fur” for everyone. When making several at one time should be easy to set up an assembly line style of production. Although the idea comes from a kid show, this is definitely an adult costume due to the visibility. The black mouth opening uses …

Here’s a super easy tutorial that can almost instantly create a costume: a fabric mask. No sewing is required for these Carnivale/Mardi Gras style masks, just glue and the embellishments of your choice. Since it’s such a quick and easy project, it would also make a good activity to do with the kids. Maybe a craft idea for a children’s Halloween party?

For a full-face mask, try this tutorial with pictures for a paper mache mask. This method gives you endless possibilities and is more durable than fabric alone.

For inspiration, Faceless Autumn and Deviant Art’s The Mask Club have lots of creative examples.

Have you made your own mask? Show off your creation: leave a link in the comment!

Craftster user grenouille78 made an amazing costume for Dollar Store Challenge Round 2. The rules are simple: spending $10 or less, make something fabulous and hopefully totally unexpected out of items bought at a dollar store. The entries were all amazing, but grenouille78’s reimagining of the iconic Scarlett O’Hara spring dress is really inspiring. So what was used for this costume?

hula hoop
no-skid kitchen mat
green drawstring laundry bag
package of 200 coffee filters
shamrock garland
2 white tablecloths
package of garden stakes
2 water noodles
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TOTAL COST= $10

As we’ve mentioned before, the only thing you really need for a costume is some imagination. Even cardboard boxes and the clothes from your closet can be transformed into a Halloween alter ego.

Other entries into this contest that might help jump-start your Halloween planning;

Tea Party Hat
Hungry Monster Hoodie
In Case …