Halloween Costumes for $5 or less

When I was younger, August rolled around & I had my Halloween costume already nailed down...or at least down to several choices. Now...October creeps up faster than the stranger that catches you checking yourself out in the mirror.

How many of us have a lot of extra time to hunt down Halloween costumes for the whole family? And costumes that won't max out our credit card too! In honor of National Costume Day this Sunday, I've put together costume ideas that are $5 or less, easy to make & are unique (sorry...not gonna find the typical pirate or princess costume here).

*Below each picture, I'll link to the source if you want to find out more details

via Family Fun

via Family Fun 

via Family Fun

So cute & so simple...just use a white posterboard.

via Family Fun

via Family Fun

Isn't this brilliant? Made with silver & white cupcake liners.

via Parents

via Parents

Love the coke bottle scuba gear!

via Real Simple

*This safari costume is made up of a paper bag (vest) & toilet paper holders (binoculars)

via Country Living

Soo easy...old box + plastic cups + spray paint = Lego man!

via pinterest

I think I have found my costume for this year! :p

via pinterest

So cute but I'm not sure how they did the Easy Mac container.

via Pinterest

This may end up to be over the $5 limit, if you don't already have the correct color towels but I thought it was a cute idea & still inexpensive.

via Pinterest

I love this costume b/c I think it could be a great adult costume too. I would just need to brush out my hair, wear my glasses & leave my eyebrows untweezed!

via Pinterest

Isn't this so presh?? I want a baby just so I can dress them in this outfit. :p

The costume ideas above are obviously not my own ideas. I have a few of my own, but unfortunately I didn't have a rolladex of kid models to help me out (I mean...how awkward would that be??? creepy creepster), Guinness (my stepdog) gave me a 25 page rider (contract & expectations) & I had to draw the line at paw rub & Mike...well...the look he gave me when I asked if he'd model costumes for me said it all. So...I'm just going to list my ideas & describe them. Hopefully next year, I'll have some willing participants.

COSTUME IDEAS (under $5):

Reality TV

Take an old box, cut out a square on one side, add a "power" button, volume buttons, paint black/silver & set it over your head...YOU are reality TV

Swiss Cake Roll 

Take 1-2 white towels & 1-2 dark brown towels. Lay the white towels down on top of the dark brown towels. Roll the combo around your mid-section & pin in place - Swiss Cake Roll

Iron Chef (America)

Get a chef hat, an iron & tape a small american flag on your back or on the front of your shirt.

Kids At Play 

You could do this with two pieces of yellow posterboard. Attach ribbon to the top of either piece & write "Kids At Play" on one of the pieces of posterboard.

Oreo

Take two trash can lids, spray paint black & wear white clothing. Attach the trash cans with white ribbon that rest on either shoulder.

Rubix Cube

I had thought of this idea & thought...woah...what a great idea. Yeah...someone has done it before. ;p Just take an old box, spray paint black, cut out squares of different colored construction paper & glue to the box. Leave space for your head, arms & legs.

Minion

Wear a yellow ski cap with eyes cut out (go around the eyes with black magic marker), wear a yellow shirt & gray pants.  

If you live around the Atlanta area, check out the Costume Swap in Smyrna. Drop off your gently used costumes between now & this Friday. When you drop a costume off, you get a ticket & you can come back on Sunday to get a "new" costume. What a great way to save money!

Go to: http://smyrnavinings.macaronikid.com/

Do you have an easy Halloween costume idea? What about a favorite costume you've worn in the past? Did you ever win a costume contest? I did, in middle school. I was a California Raisin & I carried around a boombox that played "Heard it Through the Grapevine." Yep...me dressed up as a dried up grape...that dances...that's a winner. ;p

Creepy Crispers (Halloween Treat)

Whether you're having a neighborhood Halloween party, you're a room mother or you just love rice crispy treats (which basically covers everyone else...cus, come on...who doesn't love rice crispy treats??), this next party-penching party treat is perfect.

Here's what you need: 

Follow the usual Rice Krispy recipe -

3 Tablespoons butter or margarine

1 pkg marshmallows (10oz jumbo or 4 cups miniature marshmallows) 

6 cups rice crispies 

* Melt butter on low heat & then add the marshmallows

* Stir until marshmallows are melted 

* Add the rice krispies & stir until combined. Take off heat.

* Add a couple drops of your preferred food coloring to the mixture until combined.

 Roll out the Krispies 

 I used a glass to cut round shapes from the rice krispies. 

Tip: I sprayed  non-stick spray on the glass to make sure it didn't stick. I also sprayed it on the rolling pin.

Make sure you roll out the rks (rice krispies) as soon they come off the heat to make sure they're still pliable. 

 After the shapes are cut, put bamboo skewers (I used the small ones) into the RKs. 

( I layed them out on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray)

 Cut the marshmallows into quarters. 

 Put the black licorice jelly belly onto the marshmallow (I had no problem getting it to stick b/c the marshmallow was so sticky).

"I got my eye on you." (couldn't resist)

 Add the "eyes" to the green monster krispies.

(I'd stick these in the fridge for a bit to make sure they harden a bit)

I decided to use black twizzlers as a filler. 

I thought they looked cute until my husband Mike started giving them "voices"...now I'm a little creeped out. (hence the title...creepy crispers) BUT, they taste delicious. ;p 

I tried a different filler to see how it looked. I think I like the black licorice but there are definitely some options if you wanted to display them. 

Let's talk about the cha-ching-chang of these treats - 

Rice Krispie Cereal $2 (on sale & Publix brand)

Marshmallows $1

Black Jelly Bellys $0.19 (I only got what I needed)

Butter, Food Coloring, bamboo sticks, plastic treat bags - $0 (already had)

Black Twizzlers - $2

(If you decide to use the gummy worms, they're about the same price as the twizzlers b/c I got two bags)

Grand Total: $5.19 

(This ended up making 12 crispers but I could've stretched it to 14 if I hadn't had "samples" ;p) 

Total per treat: $0.43 or $0.37 (if I hadn't been generous with my own samples)

More Halloween fun to come... :-)