Halloween costumes have traditionally been monsters such as vampires, ghosts, witches, and devils. Today, it has become common for costumes to be based on a character from a TV show, movie or comic strip, or choosing a recognizable face from the public sphere. All you need to create a Halloween costume is some creativity, a closet with some clothes, and a nearby thrift shop.

Hippie - Wear bell bottom jeans, long jeans with rips or a peasant skirt with leather sandals (i.e. Birkenstocks) on the top, wear a tie colorful shirt or dye a old t-shirt. Accessorize with love beads, peace buttons and funky sunglasses. 

Nerd - Wear a pair of pants that are really too short for you, a buttoned down shirt with a corny bow tie, white socks, black shoes and dark frame glasses and put a white band aid around the nose piece of the glasses. Also, girl could wear a skirt with long white socks, black flat shoes and the glasses.

Old woman - Dress with something look like old. Stuff some newspapers to create a large behind that juts out. Make up yourself to look like old, create wrinkle with a light brown color make up pen. Put baby powder in your hair and your eyebrow to turn into a silvery color and a hair net. Carry a ugly black purse and a cane. Complete the look with wire framed glasses.

Old man – Wear dark paints (cuffed), and jacket, dress shirt, mans flannel hat, walking cane and pipe. Gray the hair, with any of the commercial temporary colors, or dust with baby powder.

Cheerleader - First you get a short pleated skirt. Then you get a t-shirt or tank top that matches your skirt. Next you need pom poms which can be found at Wal-Mart. Then put your hair in 2 pigtails and tie it up with a matching ribbon. Add some tennis shoes for footwear.

Clown: Wear sweet clothes that are too large. Decorate by using either fabric paint, or markers. For those who dare try tie-die.  Tack on some large poms poms, add a cheap red or purple color wig and a hat. Get oil base make-up  colors white, black, blue, red, orange and/or yellow. Before you makeup the face find some pictures of clowns as example. Be very careful around the eyes.

Pirate - Form a fake wooden leg by wrapping your bad one in brown felt.  Wear sailor pants or jeans with a striped top.  Tie a bandana around your head and wear an eye patch.  Carry an empty alcohol bottle. 

Punk Rocker – Wear plaid pants or old jeans with t-shirt and write on it with a blunt marker "Anarchy". Wear a dog collar and high army boots. Gel your hair sticks up, and then spray green or purple hair color on it. Line your eyes with black eyeliner. Apply a few fake tattoos to your arms and neck.

'80s Girl Costume - Copied Madonna's looks in the 1980s. Put on a short miniskirt in any loud color or lacy leggings and wear boots. Put on a lot of makeup and red or pink lipstick. Spread hair mousse through your hair. Remember, the ‘80s saw the extravagance of strange hair colours and cuts. You want it to stand out. Get some rubber bracelets.

'80s Boy Costume –Wear a white suit with pink or white t-shirt and wear loafers without socks. Wear aviator-style sunglasses. Try to don’t shave for few days and let your hair get a little bit shaggy. You could also, wear an old Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden or Metallica t-shirt and wear your old jeans. Get asymmetrical long hair with a wig keep the top and sides short, and dropped off in the back to a longer 'shag' style.

Harry Potter - Wear a long-sleeved shirt orange with a red stripe across the chest. Complete the outfit with jeans and sport shoes. Get a pair of round glasses without lenses, or if you already wear glasses, use your own. Wrap a piece of clear tape around the middle of the frames. Make your hair as Harry's. Remember, one of his trademarks is his messy hair. Use Halloween makeup to create a dark pink scar in the shape of a lightning bolt in the middle of his forehead.

Austin Powers –Get a white shirt with long sleeves and pants blue or red. Put on a matching blue or red blazer. Put a lot of hair on your chest with a wig or try paint chest hairs with eyeliner. Find a big silver or gold chain. Find fake teeth to wear and get a pair of black glasses. Curl your hair with a curling iron or buy a wig.

Monster -You need is a pair of sweats and some felt. Cut the felt into shapes for bat-like wings, a tail, spots, and round piece for the tummy. You can use other colors of felt and add decorations to these pieces. You can use safety pins or sew the felt pieces onto the sweats. Paint your face to match and you're done. This is a great costume for small children.

Ghost – Use a white sheet that you don't mind cutting. Put the sheet over the person who plans to wear it, with the person's head in the middle of the sheet. Draw two circles around each of the person's eyes with a blunt marker. Remove the sheet and cut the eyeholes in the sheet using cloth scissors, and cut the bottom off if needed. You can enhance the eyeholes with black paint. Be sure there is complete visibility from inside the costume.