Funny Halloween costumes are often the characters we remember long after the holiday. The keep us laughing and stretch our imagination. The unexpected appearance of a simple funny Halloween costumes when frightful and terrifying is what we expect increases the laugh factor. There's no limit to the possibilities for humorous outfits as you can pull ideas from popular culture, from the internet or from old time cartoons. For a different slant you might opt for satire or present the other side of a political issue in a way that is hilarious.

You don't want to do the same old thing that's been done year after year. There is humor in most topics and most characters but it can take some thinking to come up with a new concept. Try to look at common daily examples in a new way, add a twist or exaggerate a detail and you have something truly funny.

A woman dressed as Barbara Walters or Sarah Palin is the same old thing. A man cross dressed and exaggerating the speech or characteristic mannerisms of either woman could be hilarious. Perhaps a man dressed as Palin carrying a huge tube of lipstick looking for pigs? It's best to poke fun without being mean spirited with your costume. Keep it light hearted to keep it funny.

Inanimate objects can be even funnier than using a living person as your character. You might be a piece of mail with an odd address. Using lightweight sheets of foam paint the foam pink, draw some random curving line with a black marker, and turn into a piece of discarded bubble gum by wearing a light weight chair on your head. Think way outside the box when you look at food packages or characters on TV. How do you think a chicken feels about chicken noodle soup? What about a cross dressing rooster pushing ""pure noodle"" soup?

Even if you hate them, clichs and famous sayings can be incorporated into a costume. There was the famous "I've fallen and I can't get up" commercial that was a popular source for humors years ago. Even this has been incorporated into humorous outfits. Tetris pieces are another popular one, go as your favorite shape!

It's easy to get carried away when planning funny Halloween costumes. Safety and comfort are important for those around you and for you personally. Your costume should allow ease of movement, a good field of vision and you should be able to rest or sit without discomfort. The most common mistake is to make a costume so wide that no one can get close to you. If you plan to attend a party you don't want to take up half the room because your costume is ungainly.

Humor is subjective so take the audience you will have into consideration when making signs or adding suggestive props. For an all adult party you might find anything goes but it's different if children will be present or if your boss might be in attendance. Some stores and malls will not allow a costumed person to enter unless masks are removed. This is a security precaution to keep in mind if you will be wearing your costume on the streets for trick or treating.

Many funny Halloween costumes can be created out of everyday items, if you have a creative eye. Take some time to come up with possible concepts, you may be surprised how many you think of. Try to keep it simple as well, the less complicated the design the easier it will be to manage and wear. Remember, gender boundaries don't apply at Halloween either, so consider ideas you may not otherwise! Funny Halloween costumes always stand as the most memorable of all. Edited by Hetsil Protage