Buying Halloween costumes need not be scary

By Bobbie Katz, Special to The Sunday

Sunday, Oct. 11, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Halloween is just around the corner, and many of us still are searching for costumes.

Specialty stores have popped up all over the valley, offering a cornucopia of looks. But dressing to thrill can come at a steep price. For those who want to be creative on a smaller budget, there’s welcome news: Thrift stores across Southern Nevada sell costume possibilities with price tags that won’t come back to haunt you.

“The idea is to mix and match items,” said Ben Bondoc, manager of Deseret Industries, a 22,000-square-foot, year-round warehouse store filled with secondhand goodies. “You just have to enjoy shopping and spend time.”

Bondoc offered suggestions for creating your own low-cost costumes:

Girl’s princess costume

• The trick: Most thrift stores stock play or party gowns for little girls in their kids’ clothing sections. Pair one with a pair of sandals and complete the look with a tiara and a magic wand from the toy section. If more glitz is desired, add kids’ jewelry from the toy section or costume jewelry from accessories.

• The treat: gown, $3; tiara, $1; sandals, $2-$3; wand, 50 cents; jewelry, 50 cents; beads, $1. Her very own kingdom for about $8.

Boy’s cowboy costume

• The trick: Mosey over to the kids’ clothing racks, pick out a flannel shirt, vest, jeans and chaps, if the store has them (the store sometimes gets them in). Grab a pair of cowboy boots from kids’ shoes, then saunter on over to hats for a cowboy hat. To finish, strap on a toy gun and holster from the toy section.

• The treat: flannel shirt, $2-$3; vest, $1; toy gun and holster, $2 or less; chaps, $2-$3; boots, $2-$3; hat $1.50. An entire costume for just about $10.

Zombie

• The trick: The good news is zombies, big or small, wear anything. Mix and match a flannel shirt and T-shirt, shred a pair of jeans or overalls, then add a zombie mask, with or without hair. When you get home, splash everything with red paint to simulate blood. Consider adding a pair of shoes to bloody, too.

• The treat: flannel shirt, $2-$3; T-shirt, $1; jeans or overalls, $6; mask, $1-$3; shoes, $3-$4. You can paint the town with gore for about $15.

Adult soldier costume

• The trick: In the men’s or women’s clothing section, gather fatigue pants or camouflage shorts and a jacket in green, blue or brown. Match them with boots from the shoe section, a belt and white gloves from the accessory section. Military hats often can be found in the hat section. (At Deseret, all the military hats have had their patches removed). Add a sword or gun to the outfit after heading on over to the toy section.

• The treat: jacket, $6; pants, $4; boots, $6; belt, $1; holster and sword, $1.50; hat, $1.50; gloves, $1. The force will be with you for $20 or less.

Adult vampire bride

• The trick: An assortment of gowns typically can be found in the women’s clothing section — wedding gowns, nightgowns, ball gowns, short gowns. In accessories, you can shop for an assortment of wigs. Add some fun shoes, and if one’s available, a cape. And don’t forget new vampire teeth, which Deseret sells in collectibles, alongside secondhand jewelry.

• The treat: gown, $10-$15; wig, $2; shoes, $4-$5; cape, $4; vampire teeth, $1. A deal for under $25 that you can really sink your teeth into.