Before you go out and invest in a costume, look deep into your closet for items that you can transform into something fascinating, frightening, bewitching or bewildering. Grab anything that you haven't worn in years as a candidate for ripping, tearing and cutting into new Halloween costume ideas.

With a little imagination, a neglected and long forgotten skirt becomes the basis of the mermaid tail. An old pair of pointy toed shoes polished off a witch's ensemble. Your costume jewelry may be just the accent you need to enhance a desired look.

A swim cap makes your hair disappear, leaving your head open for interpretation in any number of ways. Tights or stockings, when stretched over a wire, can be fashioned into wings. Socks, when stuffed with cotton or fiber fill, look an awful lot like ears.

The solid colored clothing of any kind in black, white, red or green serve as the perfect backdrop for any costume that's witchy, devilish or mystical. Just a bit of imagination, and you can create any look you can dream up.

Some basic costume items to get the creative juices flowing include:

• long or short black gloves

  
  

• tights in black, white, green, brown, white or stripes

  
  

• scarves

  
  

• stretch pants or tops

  
  

• long black or white skirts

  
  

• short black or white skirts

  
  

• black turtleneck, longsleeved shirt or leotard

  
  

• capes of any kind

  
  

• swim caps or tight fitting caps of any kind

  
  

• any clothing with interesting texture, such as faux fur

  
  

• unfashionable boots (they are spray paintable)

  
  

• pointy shoes

  
  

• unfashionable, oversized men's suits

  
  

• costume jewelry

  
  

• old hats that can be painted, cut or otherwise transformed

Find more Halloween costume ideas at the Halloween Fun Factory.

One of the more popular Halloween costumes that you can create from most things you probably already have around your home is the Indiana Jones costume. The basics include khaki pants, a safari shirt, boots and a leather jacket.

Not only is the Indiana Jones look great for adults, but it’s a quick and easy one for kids too! They can use the Indiana Jones bag to not only hold their Indy gear, but collect treats as well.

As you rumble through your closet in search of what to be this year, you may run across some of your old Halloween costumes. Some may no longer fit or maybe you've just outgrown the look. Whatever the case, you can recycle the old and create the new.

Here are some ideas for transforming your Halloween costumes of yesteryear.

1. A Clown costume can be transformed to a Jester costume. Just lose the wig and add a cape and wand.
2. Turn a Princess into a Fairy by adding a wand and some wings.
3. A Blushing Bride can be Frankenstein's Bride with ghoulish makeup, blood and a knife.
4. Dracula becomes Zorro with a shortened cape, mask & sword.
5. Casper the friendly Ghost turns into a Greek God by creating a Toga with a sheet and adding a garland.
6. The Devil easily transforms to the Lady in Red. Simply lose the horns and add a rose.
7. Turn a Gypsy costume into Carmen Miranda by adding a basket of fruit to your head.

Here are some inexpensive, homemade Halloween costume ideas for kids that will cost little money and show lots of imagination.

Scarecrow: An over-sized flannel shirt, some straw, and faded jeans with patches will make a great scarecrow. Stuff the jeans and shirt with plastic grocery bags and leave a little straw hanging out of the shirt and jeans. A little makeup will complete your scarecrow costume.

Ghost: Ghosts are an old stand-by that never goes out of style. Use an old white sheet with holes cut for the eyes and sew a simple treat bag out of a scrap of material or a worn out pillow case. You can dress your ghost up a bit by making lips out of red lipstick and a few false eyelashes. Or you could color a beard and moustache with markers. You may want to create a colorful ghost by using a sheet covered with polka dots or one that is brightly colored.

Clown: You can create a great clown with sweat clothes that are a bit to large decorated with fabric paint or markers. Sew on some pom poms, use an inexpensive wig with a large, colorful hat, and you could even stuff the clothing with tissue (although the tissue will be a problem if the need for a restroom break arises).

The following costumes can be made with clothing articles that are probably around the house. Second-hand and used clothing stores are also a good source for authentic costumes and accessories at reasonable prices.

• Gangster. A dark, preferably double breasted suit, with a dark shirt and a white tie to create the basics for a gangster costume.  A Carnation or fake flower in the lapel, a big cigar and a violin case should be added.  A wide brim hat provides the final touch.

• Harpo Marx.  Harpo can be created with a plaid shirt, a plain pair of baggy trousers supported by a pair of suspenders and an oversized rain or trench coat.  A cheap red or yellow curly wig can be used or bits of yellow yarn can be attached to the inside of a novelty crushed top hat.  All that's needed to complete the costume is Harpo's taxi horn.

• Pirate.  This costume requires either a full sleeved white shirt or tattered sleeved shirt open at the neck and tied at the waist.  Wear dark pants, preferably black, which are tattered at the bottom.  A headscarf can be made by using a triangular piece of cloth.  A sash for the waist can be made from a piece of material 8" wide x 72" long.  Another option is to mark and undershirt with a black magic marker to make a striped shirt worn underneath the outer shirt.  A big gold earring, and eye patch and sword can be added as accessories.

• Lady pirate.  Use a white sleeved blouse open at the neck and tied in a knot under the bust.  Wear either black shorts or a short black skirt tattered at the bottom.  Use a piece of cloth 8" wide x 72" long to make a sash for the waist.  A red kerchief should be worn around the head.  An earring and sword make the costume complete.

• Gypsy.  Use almost any type of white or colorful blouse and wear as many strings of beads or necklaces as possible to form the basic top of the costume.  Use a colorful full skirt, and add trim if desired.  Tie a long strip of colorful material around the waist for a sash and let the ends hang down at one side.  Boots, a headscarf, an earring, and a piece of lace or shawl thrown over the shoulders adds the final touch.