Designing a homemade Halloween
Charlie Sheen, Snooki, Angry Birds and zombies are four of the most popular Halloween costumes of 2011, according to a CNNMoney report. While there are sure to be throngs of walking corpses and Jersey Shore cast members at the Howl this year, some students are bypassing the popular Halloween shops altogether and constructing their own unique costumes instead.
Hiccups
Erik Nilson, a junior in environmental engineering, said he decided on his costume after several friends introduced him to his cartoon doppelganger named Hiccup — the rebellious protagonist from DreamWorks’ “How to Train Your Dragon” released in 2010.
“I went to the DI and found a cheap leather jacket, and bought that,” Nilson said. “I tore off the sleeves and the collar. I just got some boots and a green shirt.”
All he needed was brown pants and his simple costume was complete, he said. He is without a dragon to train, however.
“I tried getting someone to be (Toothless) with me,” Nilson said. “One of my friends gave me a little Toothless doll so I’m thinking I’m going to find some way to attach it to my backpack.”
Nilson said he is confident fellow Halloween party-goers will recognize his getup.
“I feel like it’s pretty spot-on,” he said. “I have actually had it planned for a long time.”
“Usually, honestly, my costumes are just thrown together and they look that way,” he said. “Usually, I don’t know what I’m going to be until that night.”
Last year, he found his costume in his closet, which turned into Paulie Bleeker from the film “Juno”.
Intergalactic Planetary
Chelsee Niebergall, a senior majoring in print journalism, is taking astronomical measures to get her unwilling husband to dress up for Halloween this year, she said.
“We are young, married college students who are dirt poor, so we have to be super creative and make our own costumes,” Niebergall said. “I’m going to take some cardboard boxes and cut big circles out of them and paint me as the sun and him as the Moon, because he should revolve around me.”
She said her husband doesn’t know about the planned costumes yet.
“I actually got the idea because we went to the USU homecoming parade and there were these people dressed up as planets walking in the parade,” she said. “I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, that’s what we’re being for Halloween.’ And my husband was like, ‘If you’re making me dress up as a planet, I’m not going anywhere.’ But, we’ll see about that.”
Niebergall said she and her husband are heading to a party in Roosevelt, Utah, where they will participate in several “Minute to Win it” games while eating several themed refreshments.
“My favorite part of Halloween is all the Halloween treats — caramel apples, pumpkin flavored pancakes,” Niebergall said.
Niebergall’s favorite costume was when she dressed as Gene Simmons when she was a young teenager, she said.
“(Kiss) was my favorite band growing up and my dad was also obsessed,” she said. “He did all the makeup on me and everyone thought I was crazy. I have noticed that when we go to Halloween parties, everyone thinks they’re way too cool to dress up. I like to do it because I think it’s fun and I don’t really care that no one else has dressed up.”
Walk like an Egyptian
Lindsay Nemelka, a senior in English, is only crafty once a year.
“I sew once a year for Halloween,” she said.
Last year, she sewed a gypsy costume and she is already planning on a complex batgirl uniform for next October. This year, she altered a dress pattern to create an Egyptian costume.
“I think this one is the most detail-oriented,” she said. “This is my favorite one so far.”
Nemelka said she has a folder of 200-300 costume ideas, and though she generally sketches her ideas out ahead of time, she doesn’t begin making her costumes until the week before Halloween. This way she can devote an entire day to Halloween music and sewing to finish her costume, she said.
“I hate going to Halloween parties and someone is dressed exactly the same as you,” she said. “Halloween is definitely my favorite holiday of all time. I love fall; I love the season. I love the candy and the treats.”
Nemelka said she is going to the Howl on Saturday, but a single night of costumed celebration is not enough to fill her quota.
“I wish Halloween would last a whole week,” she said. “I would be all over that.”
– noelle.johansen@aggiemail.usu.edu