Year after year, Halloween is an exciting holiday in our household. When else can you load up on sugary treats and dress up as your favourite character?

Since my kids were little, deciding on Halloween costumes is the highlight of autumn. We start thinking about what to dress up as for Halloween as soon as school begins in September!

There is no doubt that your little goblins and ghouls are excited to dress up as a Marvel superhero or, for older kids, a villain or frightening figure from a favourite Horror film. The truth is, many of the popular costumes are expensive to be worn likely only once.

My son is a horror film buff, and loves to dress up as classic villains such as Michael Myers, Joker, and Freddy Krueger.  A Nightmare on Elm Street is one of most popular Halloween horror movies ever made. Even today, Wes Craven’s horror film is a cult favorite, spawning a franchise of sequels, a TV series and a movie remake.

Freddy Krueger is a classic horror movie villain. Unlike other horror villains, who are often supernatural creatures or undead monsters, Freddy Krueger is an angry ghost who only appears in his victims’ nightmares. Freddy Krueger is a serial killer with a burnt face, and wears a glove armed with razors to kill his victims in their dreams, still gives fans nightmares.  He still remains one of the most infamous villains in movie history – and a popular Halloween costume because of Krueger’s iconic look.

If one of your kids prefers to dress up to scare his/her friends and is asking to dress up as Freddy Krueger, you’ll be likely surprised to discover the hefty price tag that goes along with a store-bought costume. A Freddy Krueger sweater alone will run you $50. That doesn’t include the mask or the hand, mask or hat.

Here is a less expensive and crafty way to get the Freddy Krueger look for less!

How to Make Your Own Freddy Krueger Costume

Instead, you can check thrift stores for a plain red crewneck sweater or long-sleeve tee, or purchase this sweater for $9 at Wordans, or $15 at Old Navy. Then, use fabric paint in green to paint the stripes; I bought green acrylic craft paint from the dollar store.

First, I taped the stripes on the sweater. Then I placed cardboard inside the two layers of the sweater so the paint wouldn’t bleed through. Paint the stripes, and allow to dry. I only painted the front of the sweater, not the back.

For the hand, you can purchase one on Amazon for about $16. Or instead, you can pick up a pair of brown gloves from the dollar store, four plastic knives and some paint. Using sandpaper, dull out the sharp part of the plastic knives. If you can find silver plastic knives, even better – if not, paint them silver.

For the mask, if you can find one for a good deal at a Halloween store or online, go for it! But for a less expensive option, you can use an old red tube of lipstick to paint burn marks. Buy a top hat from the dollar store and the costumer is complete!