How to Make a Black Bin Liner Dress
Maximum impact, minimum input. What can you dress as for Halloween on a tight budget and with less than 10 minutes to get ready?
Think back to Halloween as a kid. If you're anywhere near the mean age of us Snappers, your Halloween memories will be all about the good-old garbage bag. This household item was so versatile, it became the staple go-to for Mums across the UK, for pretty much all Halloween outfits.
Twenty years later, Halloween outfits are bigger and better than ever before. It takes hours if not days to craft the perfect outfit, and not to mention some serious budget.
So we have decided to share our top 10 DIY costume ideas to help you save time and money this Halloween. Without further ado, check out the costumes and what our Instagram followers rated each fancy dress outfit – along with our tips on what you need, how long each took and each cost.
The Witch – Sam
What you need:
1 x black bin bag, 1 x pumpkin cauldron, 1 x set of weird witches finger tips (available at Let's Party, near the bronze cows), a cone witch hat and a household broom. Plus the shared make-up pack.
Time to create:
3 minutes
Method:
Cut head and arm holes in a bin bag. Then use liquid eyeliner and smudge around the eyes. Attach the long fingers or fingernails to the person's fingers – we used sellotape as the sticky pads didn't really work. If you have a broom, grab one for the photo.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 1 x Bin Bag | £0.20 |
| 1 x Cauldron | £0.99 |
| 1 x Set of Witch Fingers | £2.25 |
| 1 x Witch Hat | £1.99 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £5.43 |
Spook rating:
6/10
The Vampire – Jack
What you need:
Bin bag, black liquid eyeliner, white make-up, blood, 1 x piece of black A4 card, red lipstick and vampire fangs.
Time to create:
7 minutes
Method:
Cut the black card into a triangle, cut the bin bag down the middle and tie at the front as a cape, then sellotape the triangle upside down to the bin bag (easier if the person is wearing it), use white facepaint, liquid eyeliner for smudged dark eyes, blood dripping from the corners of mouth and red lipstick.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 1 x Bin Bag | £0.20 |
| 1 x Set of Fangs | £2.25 |
| 1 x A4 Black Card | £1.50 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £5.29 |
Spook rating:
8/10
The Skeletons – Luke, Tom, Callum T & Jess
What you need:
1 x black bin bag, white make up, black liquid eyeliner and masking tape.
Time to create:
4 minutes per outfit
Method:
Lay out the bin bag on the floor, cut a hole in for the head and arms, make a masking tape skeleton on the bin bag (we used a google image for help). Use white make-up on face, draw eyeliner around eyes and smudge, draw a skeleton mouth on the persons face to finish.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 1 x Bin Bag | £0.20 |
| 1 x Making Tape (shared; £1, £0.25 per person) | £0.24 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £1.79 (per outfit) |
Spook rating:
Luke: 3/10
Tom: 4/10
Callum T: 5/10
Jess: 9/10
The Bat – Sonny
What you need:
1 x black bin bag, eyeliner, share in sellotape, scissors (we didn't buy these, we just had them), white make-up and black liquid eyeliner.
Time to create:
7 minutes
Method:
Put holes for head and arms in bin bag, lay two bin bags flat and cut them in jagged wings, then sellotape to the person's hands and to their t-shirt at the back. Draw a bat shape on their face with the liquid eyeliner.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 2 x Bin Bag | £0.40 |
| 1 x Sellotape (£0.25 per person) | £0.25 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £1.99 (per outfit) |
Spook rating:
8/10
The Spider – Hamez
What you need:
1 x black bin bag, 2 x pairs of tights, 1 x newspaper, string, white make-up and black liquid eyeliner.
Time to create:
9 minutes
Method:
Stuff all the tights with balled-up newspaper, then tread through the back of the t-shirt (or a bin bag made into a t-shirt) and put it on the person. Then use string to tie the tights to the individuals wrists, and to each leg. Use eyeliner to draw a web on the face of the person to finish.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 1 x Newspaper | £1.00 |
| 1 x Tights | £4.99 |
| 1 x String | £1.00 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £8.33 (per outfit) |
Spook rating:
9/10
The Nun – Callum M
What you need:
2 x black bin bags, 2 x pieces of A4 paper in white, sellotape, white make up and black liquid eyeliner.
Time to create:
5 minutes
Method:
Cut a hole in the bin bag for head and arms. Put on the bin bag, and wrap another bin bag around the head. Then cut the card into two long strips which will be wrapped around the person's head and neck, secured with sellotape. Cut the other piece of card into a semi circle and sellotape it around the bin bag. Use the leftover card as an upside down cross, and staple it to a piece of string as a necklace – we coloured this in with a highlighter.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 2 x Bin Bag | £0.40 |
| 1 x Card | £3.00 |
| 1 x Sellotape (£0.25 per person) | £0.25 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £4.99 (per outfit) |
Spook rating:
10/10
The Sexy Cat – Petey
What you need:
1 x black bin bag, 2 x hair bands (and ideally long hair), eyeliner, sellotape, 1 x pair of tights, newspaper, sellotape, leftover A4 Black and white card from the nun & count dracula outfits.
Time to create:
6 minutes
Method:
Put hair in two buns for ears, cut A4 card into ear shapes and sellotape around the buns, use eyeliner for whiskers and cat nose. Stuff one leg of a pair of tights with newspaper and use the second leg to tie the tights like a belt. Also we re-used Sam The Witch's nails for cat claws, which we used sellotape to stick on as the sticky pads weren't great. Use black bin bag as a bin bag t-shirt.
Cost of outfit:
| Item | Cost |
| 1 x Bin Bag | £0.20 |
| 1 x Tights | £2.99 |
| 1 x Newspaper | £1.00 |
| 1 x Make-up Pack (shared; £13.48, £1.34 per person) | £1.34 |
| TOTAL | £5.53 (per outfit) |
Spook rating:
7/10
If you're on a budget, and you need scarily good results… get in touch on info@snap.je We're second to nun. Snappy Halloween, have a wicked time.
How to Make a Black Bin Liner Dress
Source: https://snap.je/last-minute-halloween-ideas/