This year, consumers are faced with a familiar trend, this time Halloween. Costumes are expensive, but they haven’t kept up with consumer demand.
Costume shortages and soaring prices are causing people to turn to their crafty side and make their own Halloween costumes from household items and thrift stores.
Sarah Janzen, owner of Blenderz Garment Recyclers, says making your own costume is a fun experience that’s easy on the wallet.
“A lot of people come in saying they’re going to the Halloween store or looking at Halloween costumes, but the prices are $40, $60, or even $100. It’s very unaffordable and the quality is very low. is also low,” Janzen told CTV News Edmonton on Tuesday. “People are upset about it.”
Janzen explained how the children’s costumes were of “very low quality and difficult to pass on to other generations, even younger siblings.”
“Nowadays,[costumes]last for one season, and you’re lucky if you can wear a costume for one night,” Janzen said, adding that finding inspiration for potential costumes isn’t that difficult.
“Pinterest… When it comes to finding (or finding) costume inspiration from your home or closet, there are many ways to search. Halloween costumes. ” Janzen said.
When looking for inspiration online, Janzen said it’s important to be open and flexible about what kind of costume you want to create.
“If you start with one thing in mind, it’s going to be pretty difficult…you’re going to end up buying items to make that particular vision come true,” she said. “Once you start looking at things[with an open mind]you start thinking, ‘Oh, I have this in my closet, I can put this together, this is also in my closet.'”
Janzen said you can create a completely new costume without spending a fortune by simply adding a few pieces to a costume you already own.
“If you’re wearing blue clothes, blue pants, a blue skirt, or a blue shirt, all you need is a clever headband with some necklaces and you’re Cookie Monster…like the black wig from Pulp Fiction. The girl (Mia Wallace) and the white shirt…Mario Brothers is so easy and so fun because you basically just get the overalls and then you put on a red shirt or a green shirt and a hat…those are really fun. , it’s really easy,” she said.
“Buying recycled items for your Halloween costume is better for the environment and much easier on your wallet,” she added.
“A lot of (the costumes) also allow face painting or face makeup to go with the costume, and people will understand what that is about,” Janzen said.
Other benefits of making your own Halloween costume include having more space to wear a jacket under your costume for trick-or-treaters, and having less material to throw away when your store-bought costume eventually breaks. This can be mentioned.
Janzen also said that there is a joy that comes from completing and wearing a handmade costume that you cannot get from store-bought costumes.
With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Even Kenny.
