Zombies top cheap Halloween costume ideas

Zombies seem to be everywhere these days, so it’s likely they’ll be one of the most popular costumes this Halloween. Even though times are tough, you don’t have to give up an arm or a leg (pun intended) to join the ranks of the walking dead.

Local thrift stores are a popular place to get everything you need for the perfect zombie look, from inexpensive clothes to makeup and accessories.

At Value Village, they even have special costume consultants to help put together a unique getup.

“I’ll get them fake blood, they can take it home and splash it all over, we can get them a wig, some shoes, some makeup and their good to go,” says Anya Lynch with the Ballard Value Village.

Lynch says what’s really popular this year is to turn a famous dead person into a zombie. A favorite once again is the King of Pop, Michael Jackson.

“I would suggest a wig, glove, black jacket, maybe some black pants and some really fancy shoes, some little accessories here and there.” And Lynch says you can do it for less than $20.

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs is also a popular and inexpensive costume idea this year. All you need is a black turtle neck, jeans, running shoes and glasses.

For that “winning” look, there are plenty of Charlie Sheens running around, especially since you can find the tacky shirts he made famous at most thrift stores along with an inexpensive black wig (goddesses not included.)

With a little imagination and a couple of bucks, you can come up with some pretty clever ideas of your own. Here are a few I found that should inspire:

If you need some help, YouTube is a great place to start. There are a number of videos detailing how to make a costume or do some special makeup, most for just a few bucks.

Among the favorites, pop star Nicky Minaj, the most searched for celebrity costume this Halloween.

And perhaps the scariest costume of all:

-Josh Kerns/97.3 KIRO FM