Happy, Horrible Halloween Hair

Introduction

Halloween is coming fast and the pressure to look scary is at an all-time fever pitch. But here's the deal--it falls right between paychecks and you just don't have the cash to buy yourself a cool new look for all those great parties. What do you do??

Worse, what if you're a teenager or younger and you've already used up all your allowance, you've been beat out of all the good-paying chores by your little brother, and Dad's saying No to a cash advance.

What to do? Not to worry.

If you can find a few inexpensive items I guarantee you'll turn heads (around and around) come Halloween.

(Check out Jane's second article on Halloween Hair)

I have found over the years that you don't necessarily have to have a whole costume to pull off a great Fright Night look. You can just confine your costumery to your hair and go with it.

What follows are five of my best Cheap and Scary Picks for

Halloween Costumes On The Cheap:

The Look You'll Need

(1) "It Came From Space"

• Metal colander (from Target or kitchen store)
• Small crochet hook (from craft store or knitting supplies)
• Temporary hair color pomade or hair mascara. Note: Be careful of the type of hair color you use. Some colors will not come out, no matter how temporary they claim to be.
• Stiff hair spray or strong hair gel
• Plastic water gun
• Large black trash bag
• Belt (optional)

Make openings for your head and arms in the trash bag, and put it on. Place the metal colander over your head, and using the small crochet hook, carefully pull strands of your hair through some or all of the holes.

Apply the temporary hair color pomade to the strands of hair coming through the holes.

Spray or gel your hair so that the strands stand up straight.

Feel free to make up your face if you like, and carry the plastic water gun (this is only for effect, now--don't get weird on me and fill it with Kool-Aid or worse).

If you've chosen to wear a belt, you can stick the water gun in it for the more casual alien look.

The Look You'll Need

(2) "Movie Theater Floor"

• Large sheet of cardboard
• Several candy wrappers
• Large popcorn bag
• Assorted pieces of gum (chewed or not), mints,
• Candies, etc.
• Bobby pins, glue, scotch tape

Cut a hole in the center of the cardboard so you can put your head through it. For a more snug fit, cut to the center of the cardboard, then cut out a circle roughly the diameter of your neck. (Once you get it to where it's comfortable, you can tape it together when you're ready to go.)

Place the cardboard on the floor, and glue on candy wrappers, gum, etc. in a random pattern. Allow glue to dry.

Now take the candy wrappers and use bobby pins (or whatever works for you) to attach them to your hair. Roll down the top of the popcorn bag to make a hat, and put it on.

Now attach the completed cardboard "floor" around your neck.

Yuck! You are transformed into a sticky movie theater floor.

The Look You'll Need

(3) "Urban Legend #47 - Spiders in the Bouffant"

• One or two rolls of white toilet paper
• NON-permanent black magic marker Crumpled-up
• balls of newspaper (small)
• A few sheets of red cellophane or plastic wrap,
• crumpled up
• Plastic spiders of all sizes (optional)

This is a truly hideous costume, and it should be mentioned that people seeing you may lose their lunch.

It just depends on what kind of effect you want!

Wrap your entire head in the toilet paper, and add the balls of newspaper as you go to create a lumpy effect.

When you're done wrapping, make an opening in the front (or wherever you like) of the wrapping, and stuff in the crumpled-up red cellophane. You want to give the impression that your head is exploding.

Attach the spiders wherever you like, and/or use the non-permanent black magic marker to make trails of spiders on your skin.

Scream a lot.

The Look You'll Need

(4) "Shocked Mom"

• A jar of hair grease (do NOT use Vaseline since it is virtually impossible to get out of the hair)
• Stiff hair spray
• Black or brown eyeshadow
• A cotton ball
• A small toaster
• Housecoat & slippers

(This look involves some acting on your part; you'll need to do some realistic staggering.)

Cover your hair in hair grease. Really goop it in because you need to make the hair stand up straight.

Spray, spray, spray--this 'do's got to hold up for the night!

Using a cotton ball, smudge the black or brown eye shadow around your hairline and under your eyes.

Shuffle in your slippers and clutch the villain--the toaster.

The Look You'll Need

(5) "Nightmare #10:

• Hair curlers (the bigger, the better)
• I Overslept" Hair net (optional)
• Green or blue facial cream
• Ratty nightgown

(This is a look that is not for the timid!) Put the curlers in all over your head, and cover with a hairnet, if you like. Smear on the green or blue facial so that it covers your face except for eyes and mouth. Slip into that ratty nightgown and look as stressed out as you can.

So--there ya go! Cheap and easy Halloween costuming pretty much from the neck up. Creativity is the key here, and I hope that these five favorites of mine will inspire you to greater heights.

Party on, dudes and dudettes!

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Original Publication Date: 10/1/2001 - Revised Date: 07/18/10

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