So it’s another Halloween in a pandemic year, I love costumes and dressing up. Before the pandemic made big gatherings a distant memory, I used to be very enthusiastic about cosplay and costume making. I still am, despite not having a place to wear any costumes I make but I look forward to Halloween for the opportunity to dust one-off. But at the same time, I am someone that really likes to wear a new costume every time, because hey I don’t always get the chance to wear a costume at all, I want to make it special

Personally, I have no problem with mask-wearing in costume, though I understand how the pop of the white surgical mask can really take you out of the look you were going for. That’s why I’ve been brainstorming ideas for costumes that incorporate a face mask. That way you can have your cake and eat it too.

Phantom… of your Workplace:

Every opera needs a phantom, but why limit yourself, be the phantom of YOUR workplace. In the style of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous musical, the Phantom’s mask conceals the right half of the face from the forehead down just before the lips. As much of a stickler as I can be for following established designs, where there are scissors and plastic Halloween face masks, there’s away. Additionally, you could add mod podge and newspaper in strips to reinforce the mask and add some texture, once that dries you can paint it with acrylics, and then you have a totally unique mask. The lower half of the costume is really a Value Village run but you can make do with a suit shirt, vest or jacket, and a cape (think overdramatic). Really the key with the phantom is dramatic and dark, but I’m not condoning terrorizing your coworkers or overloading your office with candles. 

Sheet ghost:

The humble sheet ghost can be delightful on its own, but in a pandemic year, it works even better because the sheet just covers up everything including the mask. Anyone who’s ever made a sheet ghost costume will tell you it’s harder than it seems, you can’t just throw a sheet over yourself and call it a day because it will just slide around constantly, and once you factor in the eye holes it’s a lot better to have the top attached to your head so that it stays put. There’s a couple way to accomplish this but a lot of people sew a hat in a similar color to the sheet underneath, and that will keep your head and the eye holes lined up. Alternatively, you could also use a round bike helmet or skate helmet and adhesive-backed velcro on both the helmet and the sheet. The sheet ghost is a good last-minute costume because there are more options you can go about it and the material you need are probably items you already have or are cheap to buy. 

Considerate vampire: 

My favorite last-minute costume idea is always a vampire, the reason being all you really need are fangs, a touch of makeup, and a can-do vampiric attitude. Vampires run the gamut in terms of the dress so there’s not really a wrong way you can do the outfit, it’s really the teeth that are the special part. The funniest part about vampire costumes to me is the act because if you’re a vampire you can be out there dressed to the nines like Dracula and announce yourself as a vampire OR you can play it subtly. Dress like a regular human, just trying to blend in with your human workmates but subtly letting them think something weird about you. The fun part is in the reveal, which in pre COVID times was a little harder to pull off. Generally, I would keep my head low while talking to someone before flashing a cheeky fanged smile at them at the end to make them laugh. Incorporating the mask is even more effective at getting a laugh because they can’t see the teeth, to begin with, and when you drop the mask in an appropriate setting it’s pretty much guaranteed to get a laugh from somebody. 

You’re just a considerate, workplace vampire. 

 Dune Sandworm 

With Denis Villeneuve’s Dune hitting the big screen this weekend, there’s only going to be one costume to rule them all and I’m not talking about Timothee Chalamet I’m talking about the real hero of the story, the mighty sandworms of the Arrakis.

My design is one that is more of “the last week” before Halloween costume, but I feel confident someone with more skills could finish it faster than that. Additionally, my version lacks the teeth but mimics the shape, so you can also hide a face mask under it. 

I’ve included the directions on the pages themselves and there are two methods using sheets and pillowcases, so hey maybe you and a friend both want to go as sandworms? Always say yes to more sandworms.

Additionally I think that you could apply a nontoxic glitter spray to the mouth part of the worm if you really wanted to take it to the next level but I do recommend a spritzing of spicy aromatic body spray to the worm suit as it will add a layer of authenticity to it (remember it is said that you could smell the worm before you saw it)   

I came up with a design before I researched other people’s but I found this great tutorial here for a more accurate sandworm, and this one also has teeth. https://www.instructables.com/Dune-Giant-Sandworm-Shai-Hulud-Costume/