MAINE, USA — With Halloween around the corner, local experts are sharing some creative and budget-friendly options to put together a costume without breaking the bank.
If you have a dusty sewing machine ready to be pulled out of your closet, several sewing stores in southern Maine and beyond offer beginner classes and advice for novice sewers.
At the Sewing Machine Exchange in Portland, Molly Phoenix said she is always giving advice to customers around Halloween time, including ways to cut corners when working on a budget project.
"You want to make sure you have a nice quality thread so it's not breaking," Phoenix explained. "And then [you can] pinch on the fabric side because, you know, it’s a Halloween costume."
Currently, cotton fabric at some big-box stores is available for as little as two dollars a yard.
For those who might be intimidated by a large sewing project, Phoenix also recommended adding creative features to existing clothing instead.
"The hard work is already done. You can bring it in to fit or take that apart and make a cat’s tail or some ears," she added.
To avoid spending on ready-made retail costumes, finding clothing pieces at local thrift or consignment stores can also be a cheap way to assemble a costume.
"We are really encouraging DIY costumes this year. It means maybe getting something you’re going to wear after Halloween is over," Morgan Sewall of Goodwill Northern New England said.
Goodwill stores also offer regular discounts on select items through its "color of the week" system.
If you're looking for a more unique look, many local theatre companies use the Halloween season as an opportunity to clear out their costume closets by hosting tag sales.
Michael Donovan, the costume coordinator for The Portland Players, said folks might be able to snag pieces from several of their past productions of Mamma Mia, Spamalot, Legally Blonde, and more.
"Nothing over 20 dollars. We want people to be able to come in and get something great. ... But then that also allows us to bring new things into our wardrobe," Donovan said.
The Portland Players will host its costume sale this Saturday starting at 9 a.m. in South Portland.