Halloween at Home: Activities and Costumes
Halloween is this Saturday!!! đ đ» đ đȘ And this year is not a normal Halloween!
COVID-19 has thrown all events and holidays into pure chaos and with so much uncertainty, people are looking for ways to bring normalcy and events back into their lives. For ELE, events are about taking a moment from our lives and celebrating the NOW, thatâs why weâre doing this Halloween at Home series. Just because we are staying in this year, that doesnât mean you have to give up the holiday. Since many of us are forgoing big parties and trick-or-treating this year, weâre delivering fun activities to bring the spooky vibes to your house! Halloween used to be so simple, all you needed to do to prepare was buy a costume and candy, but this year our activities and costumes are going to have to change! Letâs be honest, Halloween costumes can be really pricey, but why put in the investment if youâre spending the holiday at home? This list will also feature costumes that you can make using makeup only! If youâre looking for a chill Halloween, one where you sit on your couch and binge-watch spooky movies with plates of delicious food? Check out our blogs on our Must-Watch Halloween Movies and Spooky Snacks.
P.S. We know many of our readers live in DC, so check out the cityâs official guidelines for Halloween celebration and safety. Stay tuned on our social media accounts for even more Halloween looks!
ACTIVITIES
Visiting a Pumpkin Patch or Apple Orchard
Alright so technically this isnât a house-bound activity, but it can be a safe and socially distanced option! This outing is great for friends, dates, or family outings! Wear your mask and enjoy the crisp fall air, ciders, sweet treats, views, and take home some pumpkins or apples! Not only is picking your produce super fun and festive, but you can use them for even more activities once you get home (more to come)!
Pumpkin Carving/ Painting
This is a classic Halloween activity that hasnât been affected by the pandemic! Whether you went to a pumpkin patch or your grocery store, it doesnât matter, all you need for this activity are knives and other arts & crafts supplies! You can make a classic jack-o-lantern or if youâre feeling artistically inclined, create something completely unique! This activity is for anyone who enjoys crafts, whether you like it spooky and scary or you want to make a glitter princess pumpkin, thatâs up to you! This activity is fun with everyone, and if you have kids, theyâll love playing with the pumpkin âgutsâ! Pro Tip: hollowing out the pumpkin? Season and bake the seeds for a yummy snack!
Bobbing for Apples
Again, another classic fall activity that is usually done at home anyways! Get your apples from a previous apple picking activity or buy them from the grocery store; either way, itâll be a fun competition! However, we do suggest (due to its slightly unhygienic nature) that you only play with people that you have continuous contact with and are still self-isolating (working remotely, wearing masks in public, social distancing). Consider giving each person their own tub of apples to be even more sanitary!
Decorate the House
Creating a festive environment can take your Halloween to the next level! Bring the Haunted House to your house! This one has multiple activities so bear with us!
Make a Halloween Wreath
There are so many options on how to design these, make it a traditionally spooky one, or fill it with candy!
Make Ghost Place Cards
Make ghost place cards out of fallen leaves! Simply paint them white and add two black dots for eyes and boooooom, little ghosts for your dining table!
Make Creepy Creatures out of Rocks
Find rocks around your house and paint them to look like any Halloween creature you want! We suggest zombies, witches, vampires, ghosts, monsters, and Jack-O-Lanterns!
Halloween Scavenger Hunt
This one is for the families who are missing out on trick-or-treating. Have any leftover plastic Easter eggs? Paint them into little jack-o-lanterns and stuff them with Halloween candy! Follow a traditional scavenger hunt format of giving everyone clues and have them search for them! Are your kids too young for riddles and clues? Simply hide them in your yard (not well) and have them look!
Make Slime
This is a great option for parents who are trying to entertain their kids in a simple, cost-efficient way! Check out this simple kit from Target!
Movie Marathon
For the perfect chill night in⊠cuddle up with something yummy and enjoy the show! Not sure what to watch? Weâve got you covered with ELEâs Must-Watch Halloween Movies!
Pro Tip: if you plan on going âSeriously Scaryâ, we suggest you donât watch it alone!
Cooking/ Baking
Make delicious and festive goodies to eat while you do any of these activities! Weâve collected and created some of our favorite Halloween Spooky Snacks, check it out!
COSTUMES
Why spend an arm and a leg on a costume when weâre staying in? If youâre like us and LOVE Halloween too much to give up on dressing up but donât want to break the bank, here are three makeup looks you can create using makeup! Complete these looks by throwing on your nicest black outfit and youâre ready to go!
Clown
What youâll need:
Eyeshadow: to outline and fill in the shape (lines from smile up to the eyes). This can be any color, I chose red!
Something Decorative: to fill in the shape (Something from your arts & crafts collection! Can be crystals, pearls, sequins, and/or glitter),
Glitter glue or eyelash glue: to use as an adhesive for your decorations (if you are using heavier/bigger decorations, youâll need a strong glue)
Glue Stick or Soap: to slick down your eyebrows! Clowns donât have noticeable eyebrows, so youâll want to slick these down as much as possible!
Glue Stick: Drag brows here we come! Apply generous amounts in an upwards motion, pushing the eyebrows upwards and sticking your eyebrows down into the skin. Once they are properly stiff, take something flat and press the eyebrows up and press into the skin, laying it as flat into the skin as possible (I used the back of my tweezers, but if you have a metal spatula, that actually works better). Once it is pressed into the skin, set with loose powder to make sure it sets (this will prepare the skin for makeup to lay on top of it). Cover with Concealer by gently pressing into the brows (I recommend using a full coverage, cream texture concealer), and set again with powder. BAM! No more brows!
Soap: An old school stage makeup technique! Using a bar of soap (clear is best) and an eyebrow spoolie (brush. If you don't have one, you can use a clean mascara wand). Spritz your soap and spoolie with water or setting spray, and work into the soap bar until your spoolie is covered in product. Brush your hairs with the spoolie upwards, applying a generous amount of product. Once every hair is coated, use something flat (I used the back of my tweezers, but if you have a metal spatula, that actually works better) to lay it into the skin by moving the hairs upwards and flattening it against the skin. Once it is stiff, and laying flat on the skin, set with loose powder to make sure the product sets! Cover with Concealer by gently pressing into the brows (I recommend using a full coverage, cream texture concealer), and set again with powder. BAM! No more brows!
Lipstick: Pick a complimentary color to the eyeshadow you chose! I suggest overdrawing your lips and blending the outside for an authentic look!
Liner and False Lashes: This is for the glam clowns, feel free to skip this step if you donât wear lashes!
Foundation, Concealer, Loose Powder: Used in the previous steps! Do your foundation as the first step of this look.
Makeup Credits: Nicole McNamara (Instagram: @nicolecelestem)
Makeup Credits: Nicole McNamara (Instagram: @nicolecelestem)
Shego (Kim Possible)
What youâll need:
Foundation, Concealer, Brows: do your face makeup/base as usual!
Green eyeshadow (whatever shape/intensity you want!)
Liner: Do a wing, can be subtle or dramatic!
False Lashes and Eyelash Glue (skip this step if you donât wear lashes)
Black Lipstick or Eyeliner: Fill in upper lip
Nude Lipstick or Concealer: Fill in bottom lip
Loose Powder: Set your lips with this by pressing into the lipstick after application, this will keep the black and nude lip colors from blending together at the center of your mouth.
Makeup Credits: Nicole McNamara (Instagram: @nicolecelestem)