A lot of people spend weeks working on their costumes for Halloween. They tediously plan out every detail and go to several stores, purchasing the material they need. On occasion, however, and despite our best efforts, some of us drag our feet when it comes to putting together a costume. We either end up wearing a piece of crap, buy a dumb “slutty” outfit from the nearest Spirit (and shiver our butt off all night), or we don’t wear a costume at all.
All this can be avoided! Here are some easy Halloween costumes from the popular Left 4 Dead game. Most of the costumes can be put together with items around the house! YES, all of these costumes can be top-of-the-line outfits, but these tips are for those who are running out of time.
Survivors
Zoey
- Pink zip-up sweater.
- White shirt.
- Blue jeans (cuffed at the ankle).
- Black Converse.
- Hair in ponytail.
- Toy guy.
- Use a little cocoa powder on the face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
Francis
- Leather Vest (or black fabric vest).
- White shirt.
- Blue jeans.
- Black boots.
- Bike gloves.
- For tattoos, you can either buy a bunch of temporary tattoos or grab a sharpie and doodle on your arms. I have tattooed my Gamer’s entire back for an art project using sharpies, so it does work. Just make sure he showers and scrubs his arms with a loofah or exfoliant right before bed and for the next two days…and wear a long sleeve shirt. But it does come off easier than you think. Make sure that you do a test run if you have sensitive skin. The sharpie will come off on your bedding if you don’t shower before your first night of sleep. I know it’s a little extreme…but these are last resort ideas.
- Use a little cocoa powder on the face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
- A toy gun.
Bill
- Green army jacket (or anything close in resemblance).
- Cargo pants.
- White shirt.
- Barrette.
- Buy a beard or use melted marshmallows to stick cotton balls to your face.
- Boots.
- Cigar.
- Use a little cocoa powder on face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
- Toy gun.
Luis
- White button-up.
- Red tie.
- Black pants.
- Black belt.
- Black shoes.
- Use a little cocoa powder on the face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
- A toy gun.
Zombies (A little more tricky, but do-able)
- Blue hoodie (Duct tape around wrists and upper forearms)
- Brown Sweatpants (you can substitute with brown khaki pants)
- Duct tape around thighs and ankles.
- Grey makeup on face/hands.
- Any black shoes.
- Blood can be made with red jam.
- Use a little cocoa powder on face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
Smoker
- Rubber snake for a tongue.
- Green button up shirt
- White under shirt.
- Blue jeans.
- Any dark colored shoes.
- For boils you have a few options:
- Apply a coating of Vaseline over the area, add white tissues to simulate the look of blisters. You’ll need to add more Vaseline.
- Get a band-aid about the size of the boil you want. Then, dip some tissue (toilet paper works best) into a mixture of PVA glue and water, and form it onto the band-aid. Make a groove by pushing a pencil about halfway into the tissue. Wait for it to dry and cut around the hardened glue and tissue. Peel the backing of the band-aid off and place it in the desired location. Use makeup to blend it onto your skin. 3. Burnt marshmallows work excellent for giving the appearance of Burnt Skin. Burn the marshmallow- peel off the burnt area- open and apply to skin when cool enough to handle.
- Use a little cocoa powder on face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
Witch
- Use Vaseline in your hair to make it look stringy.
- White undies.
- White tank top, cut in half.
- Dirty your hands and feet with cocoa powder.
- Paint your nails and toenails black or brown.
Horde (Zombie)
- You can wear any outfit you want – just tear it up, then smear red food coloring and cocoa powder all over it.
- Use pale make up over face.
- Give eyes bags with some black and/or purple make up.
- Use flower or baking soda, mix it with water and apply clumps to your face for open wounds.
- Use jam for blood.
- Use a little cocoa powder on face and clothes to give the illusion of dirt.
Tank and Boomer
Good luck… These two characters kinda fall out of the “easy, homemade” category.
Accessories
- Med Pack – Maxi Pads, Red Duct Tape, Paper
- Molotov – Beer Bottle, Gauze or Toilet Paper
- Pain pills – Any ol’ white bottle of pills (Tylenol bottle works well)
- Flashlight
- Toy Gun
Have a Safe and Happy Halloween! I’d love to see some great pictures!