This year, Halloween falls on a Monday. This means having an impressive costume is even more important than it was last year because nearly everyone will be showing them off in the hallways. It’s time to get creative and festive! Here are a few tips and tricks (or treats) to help you create your best Halloween costume yet.

Get Inspired

Your costume journey can’t begin without knowing what direction you’re headed in. So, it’s important to have an idea of what or who you want to be and what you want your costume to look like. It’s easy to get inspiration on sites like Pinterest or even just by Googling halloween costume ideas. By looking up pictures of Heidi Klum’s, a German super model, annual Halloween bash you can get inspiration from what all of the top celebrities have dressed up as and (attempt to) recreate them. Or if you prefer to not use the internet for inspiration, you can even just browse around costume shops to see if there’s anything you’d like to try and make yourself.

“[I get my inspiration from] movies, T.V., and things…like bacon,” sophomore Blake Strand says.

Inspiration is everywhere. It’s the movies you watch, the books you read, and the aspects of everyday life.

Get Your Friends Involved

Don’t know what to dress up as? Just ask your friends what they’re doing and turn it into a group costume! This way you can plan your costumes together and can go trick or treating, or to Halloween parties together. Popular group costumes are the characters from Scooby Doo, Toy Story, and Mario video games. So, have fun coming up with a creative group costume to showcase your friendship and costume-making skills at the same time!

Know Where to Shop

Although Spirit Halloween, Halloween USA, and other party stores are filled to the brim with costumes, that’s taking the easy- and pricey- way out. There’s no need to spend fifty dollars or more on a costume that comes in a bag and is only going to be worn once.There are plenty of other alternative stores where the prices are lower and the quality is better.

“Depending on the costume, if it can be done at home, I’ll do it at home [instead of buying it],” Strand says.

One of the best places to shop for costumes is The Salvation Army. With racks upon racks of clothes, you’re bound to find something wacky or similar to what you had in mind. There you can easily find clothes of unique, vintage styles right at your fingertips. It may take time to hunt for exactly what you’re looking for, but the effort will make it much more satisfying.

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Another place to find great costumes is in a small store in downtown Ann Arbor called “Ragstock”. They sell costumes, resale clothing, and other random pieces great for a costume. There’s a lot of variety and it’s a fun place to look around while exploring Ann Arbor.

Recognize the Importance of Hair and Makeup

A lot of times it’s easy to  just focus on the clothing aspect of costumes. Of course it’s important, but sometimes your hair and makeup can make or break the look you want to achieve. Don’t be afraid to wear a wig or even use the spray on washable hair dye, which can both be found for low prices at Walmart. We can’t have a Cindy Lou Who without her looped braids or a Joker without his pale face and scarred mouth.

Although it’s easy to get caught up in creating the perfect costume, remember to have fun and be safe. After all, there’s always next year to wear another terrifyingly awesome costume.