I had planned on being a zombie this year for Halloween ever since watching Resident Evil 3 and becoming obsessed with zombies in general. However, the Monday before Halloween, I was caught off guard, for I thought Halloween was the following week. So I hurriedly made my zombie costume in 90 minutes, but it still turned out pretty well. As I take my inspiration from Resident Evil, my zombies are not the dirty type that come out of the grave, but instead are bloody victims of some zombie virus and are ripped up from struggle with other humans.

P.S. I apologize that this came on after Halloween of 2007 was over. As I said, I only remembered Halloween was coming up on the 29th, I got my coat on the 30th, spent 30 minutes in the afternoon of the 30th, and woke up at 5 AM on the 31st to do the blood. However, do have fun next Halloween.

Step 1: Clothing

For clothing, I'd suggest some lighter color such as grey, white, khaki, etc.

In my case, I wanted to be a zombified researcher so I chose a white button up, some white slacks, a belt, a tie, and a lab coat. My tutorial will be using these articles of clothing.

Step 2: 30 Minute Destruction Fest

Tools: Hand Hoe

Pants:
First take the pants and bash it unevenly all over the place with the hoe with moderate strength. Make sure it pierces through, but also make sure the holes are all small to medium in size. About 25% of the pant should be covered in holes.

Randomly pick some of the holes and tear a little bit with your hands.

Choose one of the kneecaps of the pants and chop a "X" shape making sure not to connect each of the tear. Then use your hand to tear the knee area apart to whatever size you want. Make sure it's hand torn after the initial tearing for the effect of struggle.

On the opposite leg, go to the ankle area and hoe it up and rip a hole the same way you ripped a hole in the knee area.

(Don't forget the back of the pants)

Shirt:
Rip the side of the pocket down.

(Optional: Heart area - smash a small "X", rip it slightly, and char it with a lighter to make a bullet hole effect.)

Use the hoe and create holes in 5 to 10% of the shirt (front and back just in case you ever take off your lab coat).

Pick two or three of the holes and tear them a little bit with your hands.

Pick one shoulder and weaken the support using the hoe. Make sure to rip it using your hands and not completely with your hoe. Tear it down about 6 inches.

Pick opposite arm and using the "X" technique create a hole in the lower arm region.

Lab Coat:
Rip one or both of the pockets.

(Optional: Heart area - above the area of the shirt's bullet hole, do the bullet hole for the lab coat)

Shoulder (depending on which side you picked earlier) should be ripped in the same way.

Arm (depending on which side you picked earlier) should also be ripped in the same way.

Cover about 25 to 45 % of the lab coat with small and medium sized holes with a few wider hand torn ones.

Step 3: 1 Hour Blood Fest

Contrary to what most other tutorials may say, do not go crazy with the blood. That ruins the effect.

Mixing the blood:
Red and brown acrylic paint - 7:1 ratio (may be too little, may be too much so decide for yourself how much you want depending on how dark you want your blood to be) + water (make sure the paint solution is fairly liquidy)

Do the painting preferably 2 hours before you use your costume.

Pants:
Put your pants outdoors or on the bathroom floor or somewhere else easy to wash. Dip your paintbrush into the blood solution, move the paint brush over the pant, and flick your wrist letting the blood splatter all over the pants. Keep doing this until about 15 to 20% of the pants covered with blood splatter. (make sure the sides of the pants are splattered too)

Search for all the larger holes and half of the small and medium holes and paint them.

Put your pants on and paint the largest holes (knee cap and one on opposite leg). Also use your hands and wipe paint on your skin.

Shirt:
Also do the splatter effect on about 10% of the shirt (front and back).

Put the shirt on the floor and paint the ripped shoulder and lower arm.

Put the shirt on (doesn't matter if it's not dried) and use your hands to wipe paint on your exposed upper arm and lower arm.

Then paint the bullet hole, the three larger holes, and 25 to 50% of all the smaller holes you made.

Lab Coat:
Same as the shirt, but use the splatter effect on 50% of the coat.

Step 4: Final Preparation

1. Put on shirt and pants.

2. Tuck shirt in.

3. Find a leather belt (one of those that business people or other dorky people wear) and put it on.

4. Pull one side of your tucked in shirt out.

5. Find a dorky tie, put it on, then loosen it moderately.

6. Put on lab coat.

7. Adjust the shoulder and lower arm to make sure there is proper alignment.

8. Get some blood colored lipstick and draw on your face. Here are some suggestions: two or three squiggly lines from top to bottom; one circle on one side of your forehead with a squiggly line going down your eyebrow and across your eyelid. (You can see how I did my face on the picture in the next step)

Step 5: Time to Haunt

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have made this video, nor was I the one to have posted it on YouTube.

This clip from Shaun of the Dead gives fantabulous instructions on how to act like a zombie. Now go out and have fun! Bite some people! *moan*