Halloween costumes aren’t just for the young.
Seniors who want to should be able to dress up as anyone they want and join the fun — whether at home, in a senior center, or even in long-term care.
However, choosing appropriate and safe Halloween costumes for seniors and the elderly should be the priority. This is a challenging task as most costumes are made for the young.
If you don’t want to spend much money on a costume but still want to enjoy Halloween festivities, don’t stress!
Here’s a list of DIY and Homemade Halloween costume ideas for seniors and the elderly that are guaranteed to be easy and affordable!
1. Farmer Costume
Farmer costumes are easily one of the most classic Halloween costumes. They are easily recognizable and only require a few things that you might already have at home.
Here is what you need for your farmer Halloween costume:
- Overalls
- Boots
- Flannel or plaid shirt
- Handkerchief or bandana
- Hat
- Shovel or pitchfork (optional)
All you have to do is get dressed and carry a few farming items around for this costume — which is very convenient and cheap.
2. Popeye and Olive Oyl Costume
I already mentioned a Popeye and Olive Oyl Halloween costume above. However, several options are available if you still want to dress up as the two cartoon characters without spending a dime.
Dressing up as Popeye and Olive Oyl is a classic Halloween costume with nostalgic roots for many seniors with your spare clothes found in your closet.
Here’s what you need for your costume:
Popeye:
- Jeans
- Brown shoes
- Black t-shirt
- Red bandana
- Captain’s hat
- Pipe
Olive Oyl:
- Brown shoes
- Black skirt
- Red blouse
3. Mr. Monopoly Costume
Milburn Pennybags, lovingly known as Mr. Monopoly, is a great Halloween costume — especially if you want to impress the kids.
Here is what you need for your costume:
- Black suit jacket
- Black pants or blue pants
- White dress shirt
- Red tie
- Wooden cane
- Iconic white mustache (real or fake)
- Bag of money (optional)
Hmmm… Wait a minute…. Where’s the monocle?
We didn’t list it because Mr. Monopoly never actually officially wore a monocle.
It may be shocking, but this is an example of the Mandela Effect that has bewildered many people for decades. However, it’s still your choice if you want to wear a monocle.
4. DIY Cat Ears Costume
This DIY homemade cat ears costume will be a bit more complicated than just wearing spare clothes and some props.
This will require some basic arts and crafts skills you may have obtained over the years, but don’t worry because it will be an easy and creative craft worth your time.
This cat ears headband can be worn by itself, or you can wear it with a simple black shirt or dress. You can make your own headband in about 10 minutes.
Here is what you need to do to make your own cat ears costume.
Materials:
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Glue gun glue sticks
- 1 Headband
- Black chenille pipe cleaners
Instructions:
- Step 1: Cut your black chenille pipe cleaner to about 12 inches long. This will leave you plenty of room to mold your ears, no matter what size you want them. Make sure to pull off any loose chenille of the ends of the pipe cleaner where you made your cuts.
- Step 2: Evenly fold the pipe cleaner in half. This will help you estimate where to place the cat ears once you start bending and molding them.
- Step 3: Start shaping one cat ear slightly to one side of the halfway fold mark. Fold the pipe cleaner’s wire upward into a point about 1.5 to 2 inches tall, then back down to form one ear (pinch the wire between your fingers as you are shaping the ears to help define the ear shape).
- Step 4: To create your second ear, repeat this process on the other side of the pipe cleaner.
- Step 5: Prepare and heat up your glue gun. Then, place a line of glue at the center on the underside of the headband — gluing the center of the pipe cleaner to the underside so that the cat ears will still stick up above the headband.
- Step 6: Place another line of glue halfway down the inside of one side of the headband. Glue the tail of the pipe cleaner — the additional section beyond the ear — inside the headband, just like how you glued the top center. Repeat the steps on the headband’s other side using the pipe cleaner’s opposite end.
- Step 7: Use scissors to trim any excess chenille fur towards the ends of the pipe cleaner for a clean look.
And you’re done! Place the cat ears on your hair, wear a black shirt for your costume and enjoy your Halloween night.
Final Words
Enjoying the fantasy of a Halloween costume doesn’t have to end with your childhood.
Even as we grow old, we can still have fun and showcase our creativity by wearing Halloween costumes that best represent our personality and creativity.
We know that finding the appropriate, safe, and comfortable costumes is key to giving our seniors a pleasant Halloween experience.
We wish you a successful Halloween night full of fun!
Originally published on GrayingWithGrace at:
