Most folks who claim to hate costume parties don’t really hate the dressing-up aspect of such affairs. No, what they loathe is the stress of finding inspiration: that sudden ah-ha when you come up with a brilliant costume idea. A good costume takes effort, sure, but there’s work work and then there’s fun work. Fortunately, with the right attitude and a willingness to revel in the wonderful silliness of make-believe, creating the perfect costume – without spending a fortune, either -- doesn’t have to be a chore. Check out these tips and tricks for creative costuming on a shoestring budget …

The second technique, oddly enough, tends to be the less stress-inducing, provided you can let go of your inner control freak enough to go with the flow, and let your imagination run free. One of my favorite costumes ever consisted of a crazy head-to-toe, fluffy-sugary-pink ensemble that served as the basis for a completely made-up supervillain (as in, made up by me) that I called Cotton Candy. The inspiration for it all? I’d spied a pink tutu-clad shopgirl while out costume-shopping -- and suddenly, found myself overtaken by the irresistible urge to get decked out in candy hues.

Going with option A, on the other hand, has the advantage of allowing you to be exactly who or what you choose to be … providing the perfect opportunity to live out your secret fantasies. If you’re planning to impersonate your favorite pop star/ movie character/ icon/ superhero/ whoever, do a little research and find as many photos of said personality as possible, to make sure you know what to look for when you head out to the shops.