With Halloween around the corner, students shared tips to create inexpensive costumes on a college budget.
Mara Cabangon, a junior psychology and Catholic studies major, shared her experience with making her own costumes on a college budget. She said that she gets most of her inspiration from Facebook. Some characters she has dressed up as in past years are Gaston from “Beauty and the Beast,” the sun from “Teletubbies” and an emoji.
This year, Cabangon will be dressing up as the Disney character Moana along with a group of her friends. She detailed her process of gathering pieces for her costumes.
“I get things from the thrift store,” she said. “Then I put them all together and hope they look right.”
Students recommended using items from thrift stores, “buy more than less,†and search for ideas on Pinterest.
Cabangon advised students to buy “more than less.” She explained that it is better to buy more material just in case they mess up or they need more than originally thought.
Laura Guempel, a graduate speech language pathology major, is also used to making her own costumes. During her years at Seton Hall, she has dressed up as Chip from “Beauty and the Beast,” a Teletubby and a mouse caught in a mouse trap.
Like Cabangon, Guempel also turns to the Internet for inspiration, but she mainly gets her costume ideas from Pinterest.
Some tips she has for making a costume are to search your friends’ closets, gather coupons and look at craft stores such as Michael’s. She also advised students to keep the weather in mind when making a costume.
“I always try to think if I’m going to be outside and be cold, or if I’m going to be inside and will I be hot,” Guempel said. “I generally recommend being prepared.”
She recommends avoiding over-conceptualizing or thinking of some incredibly complicated costumes. She explained that doing so will only increase someone’s struggle to put together an outfit and they will most likely run out of time.
Nathaniel Valyo, a junior economics and IT management major, gave advice similar to that of Cabangon. Valyo found that thrift stores are great when trying to make a costume.
When making a costume, Valyo recommended that students must keep the practicality of their costume in mind.
“I don’t recommend wearing anything that restricts movement or could potentially give you a heat stroke,” he said.
Vaylo added that college students must continually keep prices in mind, so they do not end up spending too much money. This year, Vaylo will be dressing up as one of his friends, which he is excited for mainly because of how cheap it will be to make.
Rebecca Amrick can be reached at rebecca.amrick@student.shu. edu.
