Weird Costume Ideas

Ditch the traditional mask this year for one that's sure to shock.

This Halloween, be anything but ordinary. Represent the grotesque, merge two unusual and unrelated costume ideas, replicate obscure pop culture groups or be weirdly distinctive. No matter who or what you decide to be this year, you'll be sure to stand out at every Halloween event you attend in a weird costume.

Grotesque

A representation of something grotesque will have everyone looking twice at your weird costume. Dress up as gum on the bottom of a shoe. Wear bubblegum pink sweatpants, leggings or stockings and a pink zip-up jacket. Wear the hood over your head and affix a sneaker to the top of the hood.

Dress up as a trash can by cutting out the bottom of a trash can and wearing it around you the whole night. Glue random "trash" to the can, such as crumpled paper bags, plastic plates and forks. Dress in all black and make up your face in a drab gray or sooty black.

Merge

Merge two costumes for a weird yet creative look. The more obscure the two ideas are, the weirder they will be when combined. For example, wear a sexy robot costume, covering yourself in silver and wearing a partial robot mask, but merge it with a chicken costume. Wear one yellow legging and one silver, one yellow shoe and one silver, and amid your robot gear affix random feathers to your costume.

Turn a favorite childhood idol into a zombie with a zombie Mr. Rogers costume. Dress up in his trademark cardigan and tie, but cover your hands and body in white powder. Make up your face to look sleep-deprived and crazed, and dishevel your clothing.

Group

Grab a few friends to help you represent your favorite popular culture group. Dress up as the cast of the "Pee-wee Herman Show," including Pee-wee in his classic gray suit and white shoes, the red dress and white stockings of Penny, the genie costume of Jambi, and pink and white dress of Miss Yvonne.

Dress up as the band Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem from "The Muppet Show." The band includes Muppet rock stars Dr. Teeth singing and on the keyboard, Janice playing guitar, Sgt. Floyd Pepper on bass guitar, Zoot on saxophone, Animal playing drums and Lips playing trumpet.

Distinctive

Be the Firefox logo by dressing up as a tiger with animal ears, face-paint and an all orange outfit. Hold a globe around with you the whole night.

Dress as an iPod commercial by dressing in all black. Wear black makeup on your face. Attach a large poster board in a bright color to your back so that it stays with you the whole night as your "backdrop." Plug in your headphones and start dancing.

References

• Legendary Halloween: Weird Halloween Costumes
• Family Education: What Works: Costume Ideas: Bubble Gum Stuck to a Shoe
• The Daily Green: 25 Unforgettable Homemade Halloween Costumes Made from Recycled Materials
• My Disguises: Cute Firefox Logo Costume
• Fox News: 8 Killer Do-It-Yourself Last-Minute Halloween Costumes
• Pop Candy: Pop readers' Halloween costumes, part two!