Dress as a YA Character for Halloween Part II

Wishing my American readers a safe and fun Halloween!

If you are celebrating and need a last minute costume, I'm here to help! Most of the stuff you need is probably sitting around your house right now!

Costume One: Tris from Divergent (Katherine Tegen)

This one is easy: dress in black, and maybe put some faux tattoos on your collarbone:

Photo from http://thedivergenttrilogy.com

Finally -- don't highlight the spoiler unless you've read Allegiant -- (start spoiler) you can carry around a vial labeled "death serum"and stage your own death scene… (end spoiler)

Costume Two: Katniss from Catching Fire (Scholastic)

The movie is coming out soon -- help out all those people who haven't read the book with a great costume…

Option one: fire jumpsuit. Dress in black fitted clothing and use fabric paint to make it look glowing orange and red.

Option two: wedding dress. Head to the thrift shop or borrow an old wedding gown or white prom dress from a friend. Pile on the pearls. If you're really ambitious, you can make the white gown breakaway like in the book and have a slinky black one underneath….

Did you see the dress from the movie?

In case you missed my 2012 costume feature….here are even more ideas!

Costume One: Sydney Sage from the Bloodlines series (Razorbill)

1. Throw on khaki pants or skirt with a plain white blouse. Sydney's known for being an understated dresser.

2. Use gold face paint and a brush...

...to paint this design on your cheek:

Tattoo pattern from VA Wikia

Then carry a can of Diet Coke or a Starbucks cup around. Done!  Optional: blond wig and a hot, dark-haired guy with green eyes to follow you around and make snarky comments.

Costume Two: Anna from Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Tor)

Find a long white (or light colored) dress that you don't mind splattering with red paint or fake blood 

Use purple eyeliner to make "purply veins" all over your face, neck and arms. Then put on some black lipstick. 

Buy fake blood to splatter the dress with or make your own here with corn syrup, food coloring, and chocolate syrup. Yum!

Don't forget those crazy eyes!

Costume Three: Karou from Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor (Little, Brown BYR)

Buy a blue wig or use temporary blue hair paint. Once your hair's all blue, you can twist it up and stick a paintbrush into it. Or make a braid. 

Tie a wishbone on a cord around your neck. Eat the chicken first, or make your own wishbone out of Model Magic.

Make yourself some hamsa tattoos. You can find a temporary tattoo tutorial here.

Carry around a sketchpad and pencil. You can also tote around a little bag of teeth. Raid your kids' tooth fairy pillow, or get out that Model Magic!

Costume Four: Sexy Steampunk

Dress in Victorian-inspired clothing -- think high heeled lace-up boots paired with a black skirt, plus a corset or a lacy blouse or cami. Don't sweat the outfit, because we'll dazzle them with gadgetry!

Raid your junk drawer, craft drawer, jewelry box, toolbox, and garage. (Or just hit the hardware store.) Here's what you're looking for: gears, washers, brooches and pins -- any old costume jewelry you can take apart, fake gems, metallic buttons -- any interesting little bits of shiny stuff. Think like a magpie!

Superglue all your finds into a fabulous necklace and spray the whole thing with gold or silver spray paint.  You'll get something like this:

Or this:

There are some great tutorials at BeadingGem.com, which is where I got the photo above.

Warning: it is entirely possible that people won't "get" who you're dressed as.  Just see it as a chance to talk up your favorite book.

Have fun, don't take candy from strangers and don't forget to email me a picture!