Cheap and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes

Hello, Halloween procrastinators!

This is certainly not the year for buying pricey, ready-made costumes (although apparently "Gilt Man" and his buyers didn't get the memo...) or even for splurging on clothes and accessories to put your own together.

Instead, here are some cheap and easy (but not boring) DIY costumes for this recessiolicious Halloween:

Crayon: dress all in one color, and wear a cone party hat in the same color. Face paint optional.

Cocktails: there are lots of fun, easy, and original ideas to be had in this category. For instance, be Sangria by dressing in purple and stringing candy fruit onto jewelery. Added bonus: purple makeup.

Song Titles: another category full of possibility. They're so easy but people will get a kick out of them they're original, and surprising. "The Long and Winding Road" requires only black clothing and yellow duct tape dashed along the legs and torso. "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" promises lots of fun with glitter and sparkly jewelery! Note: by no means feel confined to Beatles songs!

Bat(/batman/batwoman): Dress in all black and use an umbrella to fashion bat-wings!
First, remove the shell of the umbrella from the tube and cut it in half. Next, pin each half to the sides and arms of a black dress. Cut ears out of black paper and attach them to a headband with a little glue

Wind-up Doll: It's easy and its cheap, and you get to walk around acting creepily wide-eyed and soulless all night!
Wear light foundation and paint circles of rosy blush on your cheeks. Wear any cute dress, and a big hair bow. Key elements: big fake eyelashes and, most important, fashion a wind-up out of cardboard.

As you can probably tell, I happen to prefer costumes not based on actual humans or human characters. But that's just me...

Get Skilled

Back in June we realized that having a set of skills, especially uncommon ones, are helpful in surviving a recession. Duh.

Well your opportunity has arrived, my underskilled friends. On Saturday, October 10th the Brooklyn Skillshare offers a fun-packed day of getting schooled in getting skilled.

Do you want to learn how to fix your own bike, make your own butter and kombucha, prepare raw food, or tap dance? All of the above?? I thought so!

All they ask in return is a suggested donation of $10, and the schedule can be found here.

Death is a Debt We All Must Pay

At least that's what Euripedes said, way back in the day.

But during the recession many families are realizing that the extent of this particular debt is somewhat negotiable. For years, U.S. families have broken the bank to plan and execute nice funerals for their loved ones - according to the National Funeral Directors Association, the average funeral costs about $7,300, and that's not including the cemetery plot and burial fees!

This clash of this hard-to-manage expense and a down-the-drain economy is leading to two changes in the industry. One, cremation is up. Funeral homes often see an increase in cremation requests during a recession, and they certainly have this time around, with some funeral homes even reporting that interest in cremation has surpassed rates of earth burials. The former can save a family up to $4,000 or 5,000. Still, the U.S. has one of the lowest cremation rates in the developed world -

But also, many families are choosing home funerals. In all but six states no law requires that families consult a funeral home regarding their family member's burial. So, like the family profiled in this New York Times article, many are handling the arrangements themselves. The family profiled spent a total of $250, dressing the body themselves, holding a "wake"of sorts in their home, and using a homemade coffin.

A DIY funeral - very recessionista.

Recession Weddings: Party Like its $19.99

Well, it is now officially wedding season, which for many a lovestruck 20-something means stress, starvation, pain, tears, and, above all else, debt.

The average cost for U.S. weddings peaked in 2007 at an unbelievable $28,000 - this is enough dough for a down payment on a house, a brand new car, or a romantic cruise for two around Europe - ten times over. And all of this is spent in one measly day!

So far in 2009 the average is down to $22,000 and falling, due to the recession slapping some sense into the wedding-crazed. Here are some popular cost-saving tips making the rounds.

Don't give out party favors. This isn't a 3rd grade birthday party where your guests are little goobers desperate to prolong their sugar high with a doggy bag of cheap candy. Wedding favors are a recent invention, and are not necessary or even appreciated - most are left behind on the table.
Do your own music - a professional wedding band can cost anywhere from 2,400 to over $5,000. Save it for the honeymoon (or your rent) by plugging an ipod into some good speakers. This also allows you to avoid all of the unknowns that come with a wedding band (think bitter Adam Sandler singing "Love Stinks" to the happy couple in Wedding Singer.)
Never say "bridal." Retailers salivate at the word, because it means the stakes are high and you will pay whatever it takes to find the right whateveritis. That makes you, my friend, the sucker. "Bridal" shoes typically cost twice as much as regular dress shoes that could easily fit a wedding theme, and don't even get me started on the "bridesmaids." Its almost impossible to find "bridesmaid" dresses for less than $300, and no one wants to wear OR see a "bridesmaid" dress anyway! Use your imagination and find some nice dresses (no taffeta or pastels) without the "bridesmaid" label. Shh, no one will know.
Barter. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. When money is short, kick it pre-capitalism style and exchange goods for services. See if any of the wedding vendors have a use for one of your many skills and talents, or offer to advertise their services on your wedding program for a discount.
The Dress. Many brides are not willing to compromise when it comes to The Dress, but wedding dresses are sometimes the most expensive element of the whole affair (the average dress is $1,000 and many are upwards of $4,000) Buy a second hand dress and you could save half. Encorebridal.com and PreOwnedWeddingDresses.com are two popular sites but their prices are still outrageous - BravoBride is a better bet if you actually want to spend less than $500.

Street Food, It's Always Been You

If you are unemployed and still waiting to land that career-tracked Dream Job that has something to do with your college major or your interests: forget it, that ship has sailed. But your cart has arrived.

Workman's Cycles, a bicycle manufacturer in Queens, is calling our attention to the wonderful opportunity that is the food cart. They are adapting to recession by moving away from their traditional product and towards building food vending carts, anticipating business from people who have lost their jobs and are seeking a new means of income.

At $3,000, these carts can be considered a recession-friendly way to begin your exciting career as an entrepreneur or venture capitalist. (That heartwarming gem is for the convo where you ask your parents/friends for a loan. Thank me later.)

The best part of this is that now all new yorkers, employed or otherwise, now have a WHOLE NEW reason to rationalize indulging in the deliciously unhealthy street food that New York is famous for. Eat away, you are helping the common man!

DIY: Prom Dress

Apparently, prom season is coming up. Cue a collective shudder as the lucky among us thank god that we are no longer in high school.

And, moving on.

Today the Brian Lehrer Show discussed the (surely recession-influenced) movement towards DIY dresses this season. Bass Arts Studio in Montclair, NJ will host a seven-class "Make Your Own Prom Dress" workshop starting March 23rd to teach some useful skills to those New Jersey teenage divas. At $345, the class is a joke for anyone who seriously wants to save this season. But, its the thought that counts, and this one's got a lot of potential.

Find your own pattern and teach yourself instead, and now you're thinking like a Recessionista. Luckily, they have that kind thing on the internets these days - sewingpatterns365 is a particularly good site for prom dress sewing patterns as are Lanetz Living and Burdastyle.com.)

Threadbanger.com is also a great website with instructions on DIY dress projects, both making one from scratch and updating an old design. I love the newspaper print prom dress!

If the thought of sewing your own prom dress is a little bit daunting - think Molly Ringwald in Pretty in Pink and try not to shriek in horror - thrifting your dress is a good alternative. Urban Jungle in Bushwick has a ton of great prom-worthy dresses as does Beacon's closet, in Park Slope or Williamsburg.

Anyone out there have more ideas for Brooklyn vintage prom finds?