Lodi's Halloween Survival Guide

Best Costumes Made From Things You Already Have

Chick Magnet: Cut pictures of women (or men) from magazines and safety pin them to all black clothing.

Lodi Grape Bunch: Blow up small green or purple balloons and use safety pins to attach the balloons to black or same-colored clothing.

iPod Commercial: Dress in all black and use black make-up to cover any exposed skin. Carry around an iPod and dance wildly like the silhouette you are.

Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Showers: Wear blue surgical scrubs, glue cotton in a patchy pattern all over the shirt and carry a squirt gun.

Runaway Bride: Wear a bridal gown and sneakers.

Can-can Dancer: Wear an old, long, frilly skirt. Attach empty cans underneath so that when you lift it up to dance everyone will see your can-cans.

Bubble Bath: Wear pink, blue or white clothes, with small pink, blue or white balloons attached. Wear a matching bath cap, also with balloons. Carry a back scrubber, a rubber ducky, and for an added touch hang some soap on a rope as your belt. Optional: Take a toy tub, cut out the bottom and form straps to hang from your shoulders.

Upside-down Person: Take a pair of old pants, cut small holes for mouth and nose, put arms where feet normally go. Take a large long-sleeved shirt and put it on your legs. Take a mask and staple, tape or sew it on to the collar of the shirt. Finally, take a pair of shoes and put them on your hands.

Spice Girl: Wear solid color clothes and attach spice labels (or actual spice bottles if you can).

Mona Lisa: Wear all black clothes, no make-up and a very long, straight wig. Carry around an empty picture frame. If anyone asks who you are, hold up the frame and give a mysterious smile.

CSI Detective: Wear a jumpsuit with "CSI" stenciled on the back, and carry a black kit labeled "Crime Scene Kit."

Action Figure Still in the Box: Find a large sheet of cardboard big enough to fold around your back and sides. For the front, use a clear shower curtain with holes or a slit cut into it so you can reach out. Then paint the box, attach accessories to the inside and elastic straps for yourself, and dress up as whatever action figure you want to be.

Tornado: Dress all in black, paint your face black, wear a black stocking cap and black gloves. Find a bunch of "miniatures" — barnyard animals, Hot wheel cars, tractors, houses, etc. Attach all of your accumulated stuff to black yarn or string, and fasten to your clothing with glue or pins. When someone dares to ask what you are, spin crazily around the room making a roaring noise.

Flower Power: Wear a flower costume, attach an electrical cord and let it drag behind you.

Hairy Potter: Wear a huge wig, attach fake hair to your arms and legs. Carry around a bag full of pots and pans.

Chia Pet: Buy some bagged green moss and glue it to your clothes. Dye or spray your hair green. Write Chia on your arms or legs. (You can even paint your skin orange for the full effect.) Others suggest covering your body with duct tape, sticky side out, and rolling around in fresh-cut grass.

The 102nd Dalmatian: Dress in white leotard, tights or long underwear and glue or stitch felt circles to clothing. Cut ears out of felt and glue to white bathing cap.

Fireman: Wear a yellow slicker and dark pants tucked into boots with a fireman's hat that is usually $2-$3 at most children's stores. Cut a badge out of cardboard and burn a cork to smudge on the face for an authentic look.

Source: http://www.costumeideazone.com/parenthood.com

Makeup Hints

To concoct creepy creations at home, makeup artists suggest using products found in grocery stores, which allow for easy cleanup and less chance of irritation.

• For different skin textures (burned, scarred or lumpy), apply a paste of water and either oatmeal or dry cereals.

• For blood, mix corn syrup and red food coloring.

• Mix flour and water for a simple adhesive.

• Use eyelash glue or spirit gum (found at costume stores) to attach heavier objects.

• Prepare gelatin and apply to the skin, then paint it with cream makeup to make scars or burns. For zombies, apply tissue paper to the gelatin before it dries.

• To make a scab, apply a mixture of coffee grounds and sugar using a "glue" made from flour and water. Use lipstick under the "scab" for inflamed skin.

— Source: The Washington Post

Cheap And Cool Halloween Decorations

Kmart

Paper lanterns, $4
Halloween tissue paper, $2-$4
Pumpkin candy bowl, $5
Assortment of festive paper plates, $2.29
Party pack of napkins, bowls, 2 sizes of plates, $10
25-inch haunted light-up tree, $20
3-foot tall noise-making flying ghost, $16
Flying skeleton reaper, $16
Skeleton tombstone with light-up eyes, $30
Kids' costumes (pirate, girls velveteen, Superman, firefighter and knight), $12-$17
36-inch cat and witch dolls, $20

Big Lots
36-inch spider web, $2
Color changing skull, $7
Skeleton head staff, $7
Various decorations for indoor and outdoor (bats, skeletons in cages, skulls, spiders, witches), $3-$7

Target
Children's angel wings, $2.50
Dog ears & tail, $2.50
Inflatable grim reaper archway, $80
6-foot tall inflatable jack-o-lantern, $90
Fog machine with 32-ounce bottle of fog juice, $20
Addition 1-Quart bottles of fog juice, $5
Costumes, $20 and up.

Walmart
Zombie/ Werewolf teeth, $1
Halloween make-up, $1-$2
Wigs, $5-$7
Masks, $5-$15
Party supply assortment, $1-$2
3-foot tall skeleton, $17
Assorted bones, $1.88/ bag
Halloween garland, $3
$4 Bottle of blood
5-foot long rusty chain, $5

Ooga Booga on Lower Sacramento Road
Kids costumes, $18 and up
Adult costumes, $30-$160
Large alien prop, $70
4-foot long spider fence, $10
Giant spiders, bats, crows, $8 and up
Wigs, $10 and up
Scary/strange masks, about $15
Netted tattoo sleeves, $27
Evil Jack-in-the-box rigged to an air compressor that makes gun-shooting sound, $900.

Spirit Halloween Superstore on Kettleman Lane
Life-size vampire host, $100
Large demons, $50 and up
Adult costumes, $100 and up
Vampire, devil, werewolf hands, $7
Masks, $25 and up
Flickering chandelier, $40
8-foot tall blow-up Frankenstein, $50
30-inch tombstones, #3
Six strings of bats, $4
100-foot long caution tape, $7
Mini strobe light, $1
Sound effects player, $20

Top 10 Horror Movies

1. "Psycho"
2. "Alien"
3. "Les Diaboliques"
4. "The Shining"
5. "Aliens"
6. "Faust"
7. "Jaws"
8. "Das Cabinet de Dr. Caligari"
9. "The Night of the Hunter"
10. "Bride of Frankenstein"
Others include: "The Exorcist," "Rosemary's Baby," "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," "Frankenstein," "Night of the Living Dead" and "Dracula."
Source: http://www.imdb.com

Lodians Favorite Costumes

Willis and Vickie Marzolf

I met my wife in 1989 at a Halloween party. In 1995 we were married and had a Viking wedding. It was an occasion to remember.

Makenna Santos, 7

My favorite memory and special Halloween was (this year) because I had a horse show, and there was a costume contest. I won for most creative costume.

Jean Lane, 75

I've been Spider granny, Abraham Lincoln, a Chinese scholar, Elvis, Marilyn Monroe, Cher, a Playboy bunny, a geisha and Lady Godivah. The one I had the most fun with was when I played Elvis Presley.

Stanton Gwyn, 13

When I was six years old, my mom bought me a cool ninja costume. It was way too big; I wore that same costume for the next five years until I was 11 and was too big for the costume.

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Lodi's Halloween Survival Guide

Trick-or-treating, parties and staying in with a scary movie are various ways that Lodians are having fun on this spooky holiday.

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