How to Create a Cowboy Costume

You can be a rough-ridin' cowpoke, a slick Old West cardsharp, or a Hollywood-style cowboy, but remember: A ten-gallon hat is a cowboy's best friend. Follow these few easy steps to help you achieve the cowboy look ideal for Halloween or a costume party.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bandannas
• Cowboy Boots
• Cowboy Hats
• Country-western Shirts
• Bob Wills CD
• Country Western Dance Videos
• Cowboy Costume

1. Look for the biggest ten-gallon hat out there. A white hat once signified a good guy and a black hat a villain, but anything goes today.

2. Slick back your hair, and perhaps draw on an eyeliner pencil mustache.

3. Knot a blue or red bandanna or a checked handkerchief around your neck. Or make a bolo tie from a shoelace.

4. Git yourself a snap-button denim shirt or a white, blue or checkered one. Tack shops carry a whole line of fancy fringed and embroidered ones for a splurge.

5. Put on that vest and don't worry about matching patterns. The Wild West means just that.

6. Buckle up that huge, Texas-size belt buckle. If necessary, make a belt buckle from cardboard and paint it silver with your name in fancy print.

7. Wear jeans, overalls, or brown or black pants.

8. Create chaps from butcher paper, fake suede material or an old pair of pants with the seat cut out. Wear them right over your jeans.

9. Glue paper or fabric fringe along all your seams, or, if you prefer, along just the pant seams and sleeves.

10. Break out the boots or the brogues - the range is full of brambles and buffalo chips, you know.

11. Git your holsters from a toy shop and stash two cans of spray cheese, cap guns or flashlights.

12. Walk bowlegged.

Tips & Warnings

• Garage sales, tag and jumble sales, and thrift shops are indispensable for costumes. Also, fabric and craft stores, toy stores and costume shops are great for reasonably priced props.

• Tack and feed shops have the real McCoy if dressing cowboy - or cowgirl - is addicting.

• Cowgirls can wear exactly the same gear or any kind of full skirts or full-skirted dresses. Long, thin skirts are purdy too. Try petticoats or old-timey square dancing clothes as well.

• Too busy minding the ranch to pull all those costume items together? See the Things You'll Need list for ready-made options.

• Get used to walking in boots if you're a greenhorn on a long trick-or-treat roundup.