CREATING CLEVER IDENTITIES: COSTUME DESIGNERS BOOST CREATIVITY AROUND THE HOLIDAY

Mae West, Xena the warrior princess, Charmander, M&Ms, devils, witches and cartoon characters will be ringing doorbells again this Halloween when for one night children and adults take on new identities.

Some will choose ready-made costumes while others will create their attire.

Danielle Kershaw plans to go trick-or-treating as a Gothic lady. She plans on adding black lipstick and eye make-up in keeping with the Halloween theme.

Her costume isn't coming ready-made though.

"My aunt is making part of it," she said, "and I've been digging around everywhere for the rest." A good place to "dig" is a local thrift store. Shops run by organizations such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army normally have a large selection of clothing an accessories in a variety of sizes and styles.

Ruth Sauerbrunn, a professional seamstress for 30 years, has a special talent when it comes to creating costumes and other apparel. Sauerbrunn only has to visualize the finished product in her mind and she is able to create it. She frequents the Goodwill Store in search of items she can re-do.

"If I happen to find a dress with sequins, I can see something else in there and take it home and re-do it," she said.

Some of her creations include Chewbacca from Star Wars, a Ninja Turtle, Zena and a Joan Crawford outfit she put together from whatever she could find. "I can take anything and make something else out of it," she said.

The cost of having a costume made professionally can be quite expensive, however. Hancock Fabrics has a large variety of patterns and fabrics available for the home seamstress.

"We see a lot of grandmothers coming in who are making costumes for their grandchildren," said Ruth Stewart, manager at Hancock. "Pokemon costumes are quite popular this year," she said.

Chris Cunningham has something a little different in mind for his Halloween costume this year. "I'm going as a trash can," he said. Cunningham intends to buy trash can and cut out holes for his arms and legs.

Almost anything around the home can become a costume with a little imagination. Step into a clear plastic bag with holes cut for legs and arms. Fill the bag with colored balloons and it's an instant bag of jelly beans.

Cut the bottom out of an old laundry basket. Use rope tied to the top and looped over the shoulders like suspenders. Drape laundry over the sides, stick in an empty bottle of detergent, add fabric softener and a unique costume has been created at a very minimal cost.

Don't forget about yard sales. A bag of costume jewelry would be great for a child wanting to dress as a gypsy.

For the really artistic and energetic creator, papier-mch can be used to make animal heads. Cover a large balloon with papier-mch to form the cherry to top a sundae made from a hula hoop and brown paper.

Check under the bed, in grandma's attic and the neighbor's garage. The costume of the year may be lurking nearby.