Thursday, October 29, 2015

Quick DIY Mystery Themed Halloween Costumes



Kerry Hammond is here today to show us a few mystery related Halloween costumes that you can throw together this year, some of them in a pinch.

Halloween is one of the only times when adults can dress up and not look foolish or feel like an out cast, since it’s frowned upon the other 364 days of the year. I thought it would be fun to celebrate our one public dress up day with a few costumes that have a mystery related theme. Some of them require a bit of preparation, but others may be thrown together from items in your closet. Of course, it does depend on what you’ve got hiding in your closet.


Miss Scarlet, in the Library, with the Candlestick

This costume only requires three things: a red dress, a book, and a candlestick. Feel free to tweak this idea for any of the clue characters, weapons, or rooms. If you’ve got five adventurous friends, you can even use them all as a group costume for a party. If you have time, you can embellish with a wig, red lipstick, and a faux fur collar or veiled hat.


Lizzy Borden

For this costume, you can really customize it to your own personal style. The one shown here uses a long sleeved dress (purchase one at a thrift shop because you don’t want to ruin a good dress), old-fashioned footwear, fake blood, red wig, and an ax. It’s helpful if you have someone else throw the blood at you. After all, you want the authentic blood spatter look of a crazed killer. Carry around your ax and look young and innocent.

Hercule Poirot

This one is pretty simple, but it helps if you’re slightly crafty. Download and print this fabulous mask from Eudeline Moutarde. You'll need a color printer. If you want to go the extra mile, wear a dark suit, add a cane and a bowler hat (Halloween costume shops have these and they’re inexpensive) and waddle around speaking in a French accent, telling everyone about your “little grey cells.”


Steampunk

This costume is more for fans of the Victorian inspired, HG Wells time travel phenomena. I am a big steampunk fan, so I wanted something that could be used for Halloween as well as other occasions. I don’t follow the rule of only one dress up day each year, so I am currently planning to use this costume for the adult Sherlock Holmes exhibit event in November. I purchased the brown felt hat and goggles at a costume shop, and the vest at a thrift shop for the male character, shown above. I added the pocket watch accessory to dress up the vest. 

Happy Halloween.


  

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