How do some people come up with great Halloween costume ideas, while others end up punching holes in a bed sheet? Follow these three easy steps to make sure your bed linen remains in tact this year.

 

1. Pick your theme

 

First, narrow it down by picking a theme. Some examples of themes are Science Fiction, Classic Halloween, TV Characters, Cartoon/Superheroes, Famous People, Screen Gems, Movie Monsters, Historical Figures etc. Another kind of theme is to figure out if you want your costume to be spooky, sexy, creative, terrifying or funny.

 

Best Theme Nomination: Two of my friends arrived together, one as the Listerine guy and the other as a Toothbrush, to become the plaque-fighting duo from the commercials. Their theme - hilarious!

 

2. Narrow it down

 

Now that you’ve discovered your theme, it’s time to narrow it down further. If you’ve decided on a funny theme, what makes you laugh? If you’ve chosen TV characters, begin by listing your favourites. Let’s say you’ve chosen Screen Gems. What names pop into mind? Carey Grant? Marilyn Monroe? Audrey Hepburn? Frank Sinatra? All right, you’re the biggest Marilyn Monroe fan ever. Let’s run with that.

 

3. Twist the idea

 

Your mind is probably now swirling with names of actors, historical figures, sci fi characters or superheroes. Great! But anyone can dress up as Superman and go to a party. It’s the girl who arrives as a guy in Superman drag who gets the attention, and the prizes for most creative costume. How can you twist your current costume idea to make it something memorable? In this example, we’ve established that you’re the biggest Marilyn Monroe fan ever, which reminds you, for some strange reason, of the song Beautiful People by Marilyn Manson. Tra La! Marilyn Monroe Manson! Arrive decked out in Marilyn’s famous white dress and white-blonde locks with goth make up and torn black nylons. Okay, you may not be the belle (or beau) of the ball, but you can be sure no one else will be dressed the same, and you’ll definitely get compliments on your creativity.

 

Best Idea-Twist Nomination: A friend dressed in a blue jumpsuit, tied a rubber chicken around his waist with a length of cord. What was he? Why, a chicken cord-on-blue.

 

If you don’t discover your perfect costume the first time, start from step one again, but choose a different theme. With a bit of brainstorming, you’ll land on the perfect costume for your Halloween party – now put down the scissors and back away from the bed sheets.

 

 

Mystery Maiden writes and facilitates murder mystery, general mystery, forensics and custom mystery games for Shot In The Dark Mysteries. For more party host tips, quizzes and more, visit www.shotinthedarkmysteries.com. The Mystery Maiden can also be reached via email at mysterymaiden@shotinthedarkmysteries.com.