Zombies! These frightening slow-paced, cold beings are a popular choice for Halloween costumes. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to put together a zombie costume. Just choose what kind of zombie you want to be, and transform your clothes and body in order to be ready for your costume party or your zombie walk.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Deciding Your Zombie Style
Step 1. Choose a traditional zombie
If you want to embody the classic zombie type, go for a traditional style. Be a shuffling zombie who is slow and mute with dead eyes.
You won't need any specific clothing for this guy. Wear whatever is handy, like old T-shirts and jeans
Step 2. Transform something cute into a zombie
Do you want to be a prince or a dancer who was turned into a zombie? Pick a cute identity that went terribly wrong.
At this point, your costume from last year may be very useful. If you have an old ballet dancer outfit or prince costume hanging somewhere, you can transform it into zombie clothes if you don't mind destroying it in the process
Step 3. Have a zombie costume as a couple
Do you have someone special who also likes zombies? Be it a zombie couple, like zombie newlyweds, or maybe a famous couple in history that has come back to life.
Go to a used clothing store to look for wedding outfits
Step 4. Be a famous person
Do you have a favorite superhero, children's story character, or Disney character? Pick one and turn it into a zombie!
Make sure you have a costume on hand that identifies you as your character. You can do something recognizable like Little Red Riding Hood, who has a simple outfit
Part 2 of 3: Transform your clothes into a zombie suit
Step 1. Make your clothes look old by using food coloring or tea
Zombies don't wear new clothes so you have to make your clothes look old to be more realistic. Use a spray bottle filled with water and a few drops of brown or black food coloring or black tea to make your clothes look old.
Spray your clothes unevenly to make the aging look more realistic
Step 2. Wear your clothes by ripping them
Zombies stumble everywhere, bumping into things. Therefore, to make it realistic, tear up the clothes. Also, tear your clothes a little with a buttonhole blade or a utility knife. Don't be afraid to use your hands to make some small cuts as well.
- To make the tears look realistic, cut in random areas, varying the size of the cuts and the number of damaged parts.
- Remember that your clothes will have to stay on your body, so don't get carried away by rips and tears.
Step 3. Stain your clothes with dirt and mold
Take your clothes outside, and rub them against dirt and mud to get the grimy zombie look. Add some mold to your clothes by mixing some liquid latex and oatmeal and letting it dry on your clothes.
- If you have time beforehand, you could bury your clothes outside for a week.
- You can find liquid latex at any costume store, convenience store, or online.
Step 4. Add blood to your clothes
Zombies have a lot to do with blood, so add some of it to your clothes to help enhance the effect. Use store-bought blood or create your own. Then splash it on your clothes using your bare hands or sponges.
- Make sure to step away from your clothes to see what it looks like from a distance.
- An easy recipe to make your own fake blood is to combine some corn syrup with a few drops of red food coloring. Then add a little chocolate syrup to thicken and darken the blood.
Step 5. Burn your non-flammable clothing very carefully
Very carefully, use a lighter to burn parts of your clothing to achieve that zombie look.
You should always do it in an open area, away from flammable surfaces and with a fire extinguisher handy
Part 3 of 3: Turn Your Body into a Zombie
Step 1. Make the wrinkles with liquid latex
Apply a light layer of liquid latex to your face using a sponge. Then, stretch your skin while drying the liquid latex with a hair dryer. This will ensure that your face looks old and tired.
- Do it before putting makeup on your face. This way, when you apply makeup, the wrinkles will appear deeper.
- If you are allergic to latex, you can easily make your own liquid to replace the latex. Mix 1 cup (240 ml) of cold water, ¼ cup (60 ml) of tapioca flour, 1 packet of plain gelatin, and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of solid coconut oil.
Step 2. Make up to pale your face
Make sure your face is pale by applying very pale skin-colored makeup. You don't want your natural skin tone to give you away as someone alive!
Do not use blue or green tones as zombies always have earth tones
Step 3. Make your tongue look dead with food coloring
Zombies shouldn't have pink tongues, so mix a drop of black food coloring with your mouthwash and spread it all over your mouth. This will make your mouth and tongue look perfectly lifeless.
Step 4. Make your eyes appear sunken
Make your eyes look sunken by putting some dark purplish brown makeup around your eye sockets and along your upper and lower eyelids.
Darken your lids more by using a black eyeliner on top of the purplish brown you used
Step 5. Wear colored contact lenses
Colored contact lenses are a great way to silence the life in your eyes. Try a pair of red, green, or another dark shade.
Colored contact lenses should only be used with a prescription, even if they are not corrective lenses. You can get them by going to your ophthalmologist and getting a prescription
Step 6. Create open wounds on your face and body with liquid latex
Mix a little liquid latex and cotton wool, tissue paper, or toilet paper in a container, and then apply it to your face or arm. Let the mixture dry halfway and tear off a few pieces. With a sponge, apply some dark earth-tone colors and then add blood to the mixture.
- If your liquid latex wound is going to cover any hair, add a layer of petroleum jelly first.
- When you're done being a zombie, you can peel off the liquid latex to remove it.
Step 7. Add blood to your face and body
Use a cotton swab to apply some blood stains to your face and body.
- You can make the blood drip or stain certain places.
- Go ahead and make your nose bleed!
Step 8. Mess and oil your hair
Don't forget to make your hair look gross to complete your zombie look. Mess it up with a brush and twist it all up. Use a hair spray to make sure it stays in place when messy. Use conditioner while your hair dries to make it look greasy and gross.
- You can find a colored hair spray if you want to add a darker shade of black or brown to your light hair. You can buy it at any local pharmacy.
- Get creative, and put leaves or branches in your matted hair.
- If you don't want to ruin your hair or have to deal with detangling it later, get a cheap wig that you can destroy.
Advice
Experiment with fabrics and makeup ahead of time, taking plenty of time to prepare and fix mistakes before an event
Warnings
- Test any product on a small section of your skin ahead of time to make sure you are not allergic to it. Avoid using liquid latex products if you are allergic.
- Be careful not to scare others, especially young children or others who can be easily scared. Stay in good spirits and make everyone have fun.