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DIY Swedish-Inspired Halloween Costumes
Whether you’re dressing up as your favorite Swedish character, or maybe one of your favorite characters who happens to be played by a Swede, we’ve pulled together a few ideas to get you going on Halloween.
Pippi Longstocking
Of course Pippi made the list! One of Sweden’s beloved children’s characters can come to life pretty quickly. The key things you need are ribbon and a clothes hanger. This will help you achieve that lighter than air pigtail look. For the rest of the ensemble, grab a green shirt and find a jumper that you can layer on top – stripes are ideal! And before you head out the door, don’t forget your freckles. Bonus points if you add a stuffed monkey on your shoulder.
Eric Northman
One of our favorite Swedes from one of our favorite American shows – Alexander Skarsgård in “True Blood.” And what better costume than a vampire? To get the look, wear a black button-up shirt (or zipped down, fitted tracksuit top) with a black tank top underneath. Pair that with black denim and some black boots, add some fangs and dabble on some fake blood and you’re good to go. To really get that Eric Northman look, make sure you’re showing off some chest, and don’t be afraid to strip off a layer or two as the night goes on.
Lisbeth Salander + Mikael Blomkvist
A costume perfect for couples, go as Sweden’s most famous literary exports from “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” series by Stieg Larsson.
For Lisbeth, it’s all about the accessories. Grab a spiked dog collar and fake earrings, and make sure you give yourself plenty of fake piercings and heavy black liner. Finish off the look with a black shirt, brown hoodie and black leather jacket.
Mikael’s look is a little easier. All you need is a white T-shirt, a green V-neck to go over that with a black leather jacket to finish the look. This is the late Michael Nyqvist version of the look. If you’re more of a Daniel Craig kind of guy, throw on a scarf and some horn-rimmed glasses.
Swedish Chef
Although a controversial figure in the Swedish community, this is one of the easier looks to pull off. Grab yourself a chef’s hat, a blue and white-striped shirt, a red bowtie, a white apron and a fake mustache and you’re all set. We don’t recommend grabbing a clever – especially if you pull your hat over your eyes like the Swedish Chef does. But, a wooden spoon and maybe a pot would be safe props to have on hand.
Pennywise
Marking a second appearance from the Skarsgård clan, the remake of “It” premiered last month starring Bill Skarsgård, featuring a coulrophobe’s worst fear – Pennywise the clown. The original Pennywise had more of a caricature wide a rounded nose and parted down the middle hair. The 2017 Pennywise is much more sinister. If you feel like scaring the mess out of your friends, get a fiery red wig and style it upwards. Match your face paint to include blood-like streaks down both sides of your face. Finish the look with a costume with lots of ruffled, Victorian collars and a bright red balloon and you’ll be a fright all night long.
