DIY Halloween Costume 2012

 I have really gotten into the spirit of Halloween within the last 5 years. It was hard to really get into it when your mom handed down the same clown jump suit for all 3 kids each year, depending on who fit it that year. We took our turns as either a clown, or a karate kid. Blah....

Ever since I started challenging myself to make cheap and quick costumes, I've had alot more fun with Halloween. The previous budget was everything under $10. This year I had much less time to shop for materials and make the outfit.

 I just bought this leopard dress from Forever21, size small, for $17.90. It needed a little work as you can see with the wide arm holes and the long bunching skirt.

Flip inside out, cut the bottom as short as you wish. I should've known that the back needs to cut a bit higher than the front to make room for any junk in the trunk. My skirt rose up higher than I liked so I wore bicycle shorts underneath.

No cutting needed for the arm holes.Just pinch what you want to take in and sew a slanted line like above to take it in. If I really had the time and wanted to get fancy, I'd open up the two sides and take in the waist too because it was bunchy. But just the arm holes will do.

 Cut 4 triangles out of the extra bottom piece you cut off from step 1. They can be all leopard or two leopards and two black sides. Sew 2 sides, flip inside out, stuff with cotton, sew up the bottom. Exactly like you would sew a pillow. Hot glue each piece to one of those snappy hair clips (like the ones they use in gymnastics).

Draw leopard spots on your face with eyeliner pencil and fill it in with yellow and orange eyeshadow. I primed my face before this too and wet the brush with water so the eyeshadow would be more pigmented. Reminiscent of 2010's giraffe makeup, no? 

 Curl hair, draw dramatic cat eye makeup. I Googled "leopard makeup" and took inspiration from the first page of image results. False lashes would look good here too but no time. No dress rehearsal this year. I got ready in under an hour right after work so the first try had to work or else...

Lastly, and optionally, draw leopard spots on your legs with marker. If I had time, these spots would go all the way up the left outter leg. This was inspired by that contestant from X-factor who basically draws this on everyday.

Don't forge to look fierce, leopard fierce!

Everyone at "The Company" used to dress up for Halloween and it was a fun work event. At "The New Company," no one dresses up and I was forewarned about this. Instead I donned my costume to go for happy hour with a Capless Cap'n Crunch and scarfless Tony the Tiger (NOT TIGGER!!! she says).