by Candace Williams

Created on: September 13, 2010

Good ,better and best costumes can be found without breaking your budget. Look in your own closets at what you have which is just hanging there waiting to be slightly altered. Check with friends and family members who may have costumes or clothes and accessories which can be made into costumes with just a little effort. Scour second hand shops both for costumes, clothes and hats you can pick up for pennies on the dollar. Yard sales are another source of great costumes since they often are not reused and may be up for sale near you this weekend. Sales at many stores are another source of great costumes. Whether it is an official costume or

an outfit which lends itself to that treatment you will be glad you looked for the sales when you get to the end of October and look at the balance in your bank account.

Your closet

Look for old formals which can be cut off and belted in for a new look. Add costume jewelry or silly tights. Mismatched tops and bottoms can easily create a clown's wardrobe. Add a crown and you have a princess or queen. An old bathrobe can be used to create a sick person with some makeup added to enhance the look. Or a crown with a bath robed little one can be one of the three wise men for a Bible themed costume. Kids love to play dress-up in Mom or Dad's castoffs or in big sis or brother's clothes!

Sometimes right in their closet is something which can be altered slightly to become a costume. A yellow and black striped shirt paired with a black pair of pants can be a dandy start to a bumble bee costume. Add some glued on glitter to a fancy dress and your little one can have the start to a butterfly costume. An old fashioned bonnet can turn a dress into a pioneer costume. Just as a beat up hat with a piece of rope for a belt  can make a boys blue jeans and ragged shirt into a Huck Finn or Tom Sawyer type costume.

The Second Hand Store

Many thrift shops have sections where you can find an assortment of clothes to turn yourself or your child into a new identity. An old suit and derby can make your banker costume. Or a detective can be dressed in black so he can sneak around and catch the bad guys. There may be clothes which were some body's uniform which is a built in idea for what you may become for a day. A waitress, cook, salesman or baseball player may be easy finds at a thrift shop since people rid their closets of these outfits when they change their jobs or pastimes.

Yard Sales

Now that fall is here people are making a last effort at ridding their homes of clutter. Some of that clutter is just what you need to create a new identity! Could you find clothes to create an old lady and an old man. Then add a little powder to the hair and wrinkles on the face and wow you have a great costume. Some extra socks can be stuffed and sewn together to create a tail for a dog or cat costume and with the addition of some second hand clothes and whiskers drawn on you only need a meow or woof woof to convince onlookers of the new identity.

Of course if you prefer an official store made costume you may find that there is one for sale at a neighbor's yard sale. Most folks who use these purchased costumes don't reuse them. So don't be suprised to find a stash of them for salejust down the street and one block over. You may find Superman's cape or a Raggedy Ann or Andy complete with the red wig or mask you had enjoyed  a tot down the street is up for grabs at his mother's garage sale.

Dressing up as somebody new is fun for the whole family. But it doesn't have to be a baffling duty if you look around your home, neighborhood and community for good ideas. There are a wealth of resources out there just waiting to be uncovered.

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