Halloween costumes can be expensive, especially when people want  something different every year.

Ceramics teacher Kaycie Baltunado said, “I have made a costume using materials I had lying around the house such as beads, ribbons, shells, old skirts, wire, flour and newspaper.

“Anyone can make their own costume. Just be creative and use techniques you have learned in art class such as papier-mâché to create a mask, or put together recycled materials like newspaper and bottles to create a costume.

“You could even use old clothing by cutting them up and sewing them back together, then add on embellishments such as paint and sequence,” she said.

Using household items with a little creative thinking can save money by making costumes rather than buying new ones.

Theology teacher Leilani Asuncion-Tagupa said, “I usually do make my own costumes. Last year, with some bubble wrap, an umbrella and clothes from my closet, I was able to make a jellyfish costume.

“I make my own costumes because when you go to stores, there are always the same type of costumes being sold. Sometimes the costumes can be too short or too revealing.

“By making my own costume, I can add my own twist to make it conform to my personality. It also saves money depending on what I want to add to the costume,” she said.

Homemade costumes show originality and when a family makes them together, it makes for nice family time.

College counselor Randy Fong said, “In the past, I have made my children their own Halloween costumes. I once dressed my kids as Woody from Toy Story, a robot, even a toothbrush. I also have dressed up as Frankenstein for Halloween here at the Academy. All I needed was some old boxes to make the majority of my costume.”

Junior Tiffany Lau said, “My younger brother made his own costume for his school’s Halloween dance this year. He decided to dress up at Clark Kent, also known as Superman.

“All my brother had to do was wear a blue shirt under his white collared shirt, put on regular dress pants from his school uniform, draw a Superman symbol and top it off with his glasses.

“His costume was quite creative and inexpensive. I was a little jealous that he found all parts of his costume lying around the house. It was also cool because not many people dress up as Clark Kent,” said Lau.