The month of October has students wondering what they want to be for Halloween and considering the possibility of making their own costumes.

Students may shy away from taking this task, thinking that they do not have the skills or the equipment. However, there are easy ways to make costumes.

“We have a whole section on no-sew costumes on our website,” said Amanda Cox, a Jo-Ann Fabrics employee.

There a DIY guide online to making a costume and Halloween prints are on sale at the store, Cox said.

Making a costume can be less expensive than simply buying one, but there is a lot more time and planning involved than a single stop at the store.

“It will fit you perfectly,” Cox said. “No need to worry about universal store sizes.”

A way to make a homemade costume look more professional is to add store bought accessories. Visiting a dollar store or Walmart and buying inexpensive add-ons may make a costume more polished.

“I have the dress for my costume, I just need to get an apron, maybe a tray,” said Lily Zhen, junior political science major.

There is another alternative to making a costume piece by piece: re-sale shops such as Goodwill at 1037 S. Annie Glidden Road in DeKalb are budget conscious Halloween stops.

At these stores there is a wide selection of lightly used clothing that can be used in costume making.

“We recently set up an NIU party-wear section,” said Judy Furlung, assistant store manager at the DeKalb Goodwill.

“We have ugly sweaters, western apparel, 80s and 90s clothes, and more.”

Going to the Goodwill store can be less time consuming than making a costume from scratch, and a last minute alternative. Also, it is relatively inexpensive.

“Even if you needed a dress, it would only cost $6.99,” Furlung said.

The Goodwill shop has only children sized pre-made costumes in stock, but Furlung said the store frequently gets new stock.