Yard Waste = Free Halloween Costume: How to Make Creepy Masks from Fallen Palm Tree Fronds

I want my Halloween costume to take as little effort as possible and be cheap—extremely cheap. That means I don't want to pay 50 bucks for some costume online or spend all day playing with liquid latex, and I most definitely do not want to visit a super crowded costume store in Hollywood.

Thanks to redditor Doctorinister, I've found my Halloween costume this year, and all I really have to do is walk down my block and pick up one of those annoying palm tree fronds that are all over the street.

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Here in Los Angeles, palm trees line every other street, as they probably do in Florida, Hawaii, and some parts of Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Now, if you're reading this in Minnesota, while some species of palm trees could actually survive in such cold temperatures, I doubt you'll find any, but you could also ask a friend to send you one.

Image Credit panoramio.com

Strong winds knock the fronds off palm trees, so if it's a windy day, chances are you'll find some leafy wood lying on the ground. Not all palm tree fronds will make good masks, but if you find any, you'll want to basal part of the frond, the thick wood part that connects the leaf with the tree.

Image Credit deviantart.net

After Doctorinister had a good collection of woody fronds, he carved them up into masks using a Dremel tool, sanded them, and coated them with polish or wood finish. If you don't have a Dremel, you can use a carving knife as well. Just draw out your design with marker or pen and go to town.

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To see more of his masks, check out his gallery on Imgur.

Finding a piece of bark and making my own mask sounds a lot easier than driving up the 405 to buy a Barack Obama mask. Yes, I have done him before and the ladies loved it.

Tree-lined street image via Michael Jiroch, palm tree image via Helerina, frond image via Backyard Nature, all other images via S1n1st3r