Fright Night Costume Ideas and Tips
Scare Factor, Safety Play a Part in the Perfect

With Halloween on the horizon once again, it's that time of year to dream up scary costumes.

If you're the type of person who likes to make costumes for your children (or for yourself), you may need a month or so to gather all of the supplies and put the costume together. Or, if you prefer to buy a pre-made costume, the early bird will have first pick of the costumes and not end up with whatever is left over come October 30.

This year, based on hit movies and certain events, there may be a tendency to see some of the same costumes on trick-or-treaters parading through neighborhoods.

• With the passing of the "King of Pop," there may be a number of Michael Jacksons walking around. Considering the song "Thriller" is already a popular Halloween staple, trick-or-treaters clad in Jackson's signature red leather jacket of the 1980s and video zombie make-up may be making a comeback.
• Older trick-or-treaters, or children of parents with a witty sense of humor, may want to pay homage to another individual who passed before his time this year: top pitchman Billy Mays. All it takes is the requisite khaki pants, blue button-down shirt, and signature thick black hair and beard to pull off this look.
• Fans of the "Transformers" movies, may be creating their own Decepticon and Autobot costumes and acting out this larger-than-life action adventure.
• With the latest installment of "Harry Potter" drawing audiences this past summer, there's bound to be a few more witches and wizards strolling the sidewalks this year.
• Wannabe Wolverines are sure to don the signature sideburns and blades of this popular X-Men character after being reinvigorated by the "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" movie, starring Hugh Jackman.
• And let's not forget the scores of "Trekkies" who, based on the new "Star Trek" movie released earlier this year, will be dressing up as Kirk or Spock.

  There also will be plenty of costumed revelers dressed in unique or old standards when it comes to costumes. From goblins to vampires to cowboys, when creating costumes this year, keep in mind some safety precautions, courtesy of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC).

  1. When purchasing a costume, masks, beards, and wigs, look for the label "Flame Resistant." Although this label does not mean these items won't catch fire, it does indicate the items will resist burning and should extinguish quickly once removed from the ignition source.

  2. Purchase or make costumes that are light and bright enough to be clearly visible to motorists.

  3. For greater visibility during dusk and darkness, decorate or trim costumes with reflective tape that will glow in the beam of a car's headlights. Bags or sacks should also be light colored or decorated with reflective tape. Reflective tape is usually available in hardware, bicycle, and sporting goods stores.

  4. Costumes should be short enough to prevent children from tripping and falling.

  5. Apply a natural mask of cosmetics rather than have a child wear a loose-fitting mask that might restrict breathing or obscure vision. If a mask is used, however, make sure it fits securely and has eyeholes large enough to allow full vision.

  6. Swords, knives, and similar costume accessories should be of soft and flexible material.

  7. Children should wear well-fitting, sturdy shoes.

  8. Hats and scarfs should be tied securely to prevent them from slipping over children's eyes.

  9. As an added safety measure, children should carry flashlights or glow sticks. Young children should be accompanied by adults, and be restricted to daylight trick-or-treating, if possible.

  Apart from costume safety, it's important to warn children not to eat any treats before an adult has carefully examined them for evidence of tampering. Although incidences of candy tampering have declined considerably, there's always the risk.