LEWISTON — It’s almost Halloween. Don’t wait to the last minute, or spend too much, for a great costume. Saving money takes time and planning.
There may be stuff lurking in your closets, or a relative’s or friend’s closet, that would make a great, and cheap, costume with a little imagination and some accessories.
There are a series of graduation gowns hanging in my closets — in black, white, blue and red — which won’t be worn again. They could be turned into an angel, a choir singer or a Gothic graduate.
How about all those bridesmaids gowns? They could make a great princess costume for a girl, or a drag costume for a boy. Of course, that boy has to have a good sense of humor.
One Halloween, my son Charlie dressed as Dolly Parton. He wore my boots, one of my dresses and some of my makeup. We bought Styrofoam balls and a white, curly-haired wig to make him look Dolly-like. Once dolled up, he strutted around like a girl. He was a hit; the costume so cheap.
That same year, my son Eddie dressed as Pee Wee Herman. From our closets we found a white dress shirt, dress pants and a suit coat that were too short for his arms and legs. We bought a red bow tie, and used face makeup to make him look paler. He talked like Pee Wee. He was a hit; the costume so cheap.
For a free costume, find friends with children and trade costumes. Who wants to be Dracula two years in a row? Dana DeCato (743-8192) is holding a costume swap at her Norway day care, Pebbles and Pals, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. You can bring in a costume and trade for free, or buy a costume for about $5, DeCato said.
If all available closets are cleaned out, do what the college kids do: head to Goodwill.
All thrift stores are gold mines for vintage clothes that hold so many possibilities. But in recent years Goodwill has expanded it’s Halloween offerings.
“Halloween has always been the busiest time of year for us, it’s been that way for a long time,” said Michelle Smith, of Goodwill of Northern New England. “So we decided to really pump it up with costume ideas, plus some of the new costumes and accessories to use with your own premade costumes.”
Throughout the year, store managers pull costumes out of the donation stream. As Halloween grows near, the donated costumes are distributed to stores.
On the racks Wednesday at the Lewiston and Auburn stores were an adult “princess” gown, size 10, for $6.98; fun, vintage dresses of several styles and sizes for $6 to $8; children’s costumes ranging from superman to ladybugs, and furry vests and matching hats to turn kids into black or brown bears, all for $4.99; and a child’s vampire black cape with red lining for $2.99.
Both stores had boxes of used hats, most for 99 cents, to turn mortals into witches, cowboys, princesses, Shrek or Uncle Sam.
To supplement donated items, Goodwill now sells new products from vendors who have overstocks or discontinued items. There were baby costumes (up to 25 pounds) of an octopus, a dinosaur and a butterfly for $7.98. Adult costumes for $9.98, including a zombie crossing guard, a Gothic Geisha and a blown-up deer that lights up.
Accessories include large, plastic pitchforks for $1.98, Dracula teeth and medallion for $1.98, sequin masks for $1.98, and stick-on facial hair for 98 cents.
For more low-cost ideas, Goodwill offers a couple brochures in stores.
In “Spook-tacular Costume Ideas,” it tells how to turn sweatpants and shirts into a spider, cat, cow, pig, dragon, bug or butterfly. Affordable costumes include a ghost, angel, nerd, hobo, hunter, rock star or Frankenstein.
The “Costume Idea Guide” shows how to take old clothing and turn it into a ghoulish girl, pioneer girl, American tourist, pirate or roller waitress.
Pee Wee and Dolly didn’t make the list.
bwashuk@sunjournal.com
Lewiston’s Goodwill employee Christeen Redlon, left, helps co-worker Vicky Ridlon find a Halloween costume for Ridlon’s 13-month-old grandson Ryen Hartung. The Goodwill store at 1035 Lisbon St. has expanded its Halloween offerings this season.
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