Some students have found the way to be unique on Halloween, while saving money, is to make their own costumes.

Sophomore Eli Bodey, who plans on dressing up as the Brawny paper towel guy, said his costume only requires two items: a roll of paper towels and a flannel shirt.

Bodey explained how making a costume gives students more opportunities to be what they really want to be.

“Halloween is like the one day out of the year to wear whatever you want or be whatever you want and you should be it,” he said. “Get into it.”

Although some may not constitute as making a costume, junior Dan Tokar said, “If it’s creative to yourself, then it’s making it.”

Like Bodey, Tokar said people really like to make costumes their own and they “might as well go all out.”

In addition to being able to commit better, Tokar said he has been making his costume ever since he came to college and it is overall cheaper than purchasing one.

He also shared the idea that making a costume of something he really wants to be versus buying something he only sort of wants to be, allows him to commit better to the concept.

“I feel like if you can’t be what you are in your Halloween costume, then you’re not really portraying who you want to be,” Tokar said.

Freshman Megan Feeley added to this idea and said creating her own costume is more fun and original.

“I’d rather make mine because it’s not just buying a pre-bought thing and it can be unique,” she said. “It’s unique to yourself instead of having just a generic costume that other people may have.”

Associate professor of pop culture Marilyn Motz said pre-bought costumes are less original, which provides less opportunities to be what people want to be.

“While making your costume gives you the choice of who or what you want to be, the commercial production is going to be focused on what it is that most people want to buy,” Motz said.

Feeley said how standing out on Halloween is important because that’s what makes the holiday exciting.

“It’s fun to see what everyone comes up with; to see everyone’s different ideas,” she said.

Feeley said she was able to easily find DIYs online for her minion costume and that it is convenient, especially for creative people.

“I think it’s cheaper to make your costume, especially if you’re pretty crafty and know how to make things,” she said.

Motz said making your own costume is considered more challenging and innovative.

She also explained how many fan communities of pop culture references chose to make their own costumes because it shows their commitment to the community.

“In a lot of fandoms, I think there is still a lot of value on making it yourself,” she said. “A lot of times people spend a lot of time, money and skill, and it would be very expensive to buy something of that quality.”

She also described examples in history where making costumes is part of the participation of the event.

“It goes back hundreds of years, when it was a common form of entertainment,” she said. “In reenactment groups, creating a costume is a major part of that participation.”

“It’s valued to put the effort into making it,” Motz said.