There is not a geek alive who at one point hasn’t wanted to dress as Mario for Halloween. Sure, you can go the easy route and pick up a generic pre-made Mario costume, but it is more fun and looks more authentic to piece it together yourself. The following guide will walk you through exactly what you will need to dress yourself as the most recognizable video game character ever.

• The Hat
  It just doesn’t get any closer than this one. If there were an award to be given out to companies attempting to replicate hats worn by video game characters, this company would win it. The only thing it is missing is Mario’s distinctive white patch with the red “M”. To solve this issue, cut out a white piece of cloth or iron-on patch from any fabric store in a circle with approximately a 1.5-2.5″ diameter and carefully draw the “M” on to it with a red sharpie. Once done, either iron or sew it on to the front of the hat. That’s it! You now have Mario’s legendary hat.
• The Gloves
  Every plumber needs a nice pair of perfectly white cotton gloves. This pair is cheap and fits the character perfectly. If you’re going all out, there are probably higher-quality pairs out there that still look the part, but I wouldn’t recommend spending to much on the gloves unless you plan on wearing them again.
• The Overalls
  Just about any blue overalls will work, so shop around and find a good comfortable pair. If, like me, you’re not keen on buying pants online, there are plenty of brick and mortar stores that still that carry these perpetually out-of-fashion pants.
• The Shirt
  Just about any long sleeve red shirt will do the trick and, unless you’re really in to overalls, this is the one part of the costume that you may wear out in public after you’re done with the costume, so pick something comfortable.
• The Boots
  Most people probably already have this part of the costume in their closet, but if you don’t, any good pair of brown work boots or hiking boots should look great.
• The Mustache
  You’ve really got two options here. Look around and find a fake one that looks convincing, or grow your own. Personally, I like the “grow your own” route, but if you can’t or you’re impatient, there are plenty of convincing fake mustaches available online, in party stores, or at any of the generic Halloween stores that pop up at the end of September and disappear after October.
• Other Accessories
  There are some absolutely terrific toys out there that will perfectly compliment a Mario costume. Some of the better ones include the sound effects keychain, stars, mushrooms, and goombas.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and if you do decide to use this as your next costume, please post pictures!

Here’s the final result:

Worried the world is going to end, you get stuck on a desert island, or {insert natural disaster here} ruins your city and you have to survive on your own? Then you need to quick - while there is still an Internet - build your own portable survival kit. The following guide will help you put together some essentials so you can survive in an emergency.

• Lexan Wide Mouth Bottle
  This bottle will serve two purposes. The first and most obvious is as a drinking bottle. Its second and more creative use is as secure storage for non-liquid items that you would like to keep safe, waterproofed, and away from damage. These things are virtually indestructible and virtually waterproof when sealed tightly, so almost everything in your survival kit will go in here.
• Swedish Firesteel
  Fire has been essential to humankind’s survival since we first harnessed its power. There are some nice windproof matches available that would fit nicely inside your survival kit, but even if you fill the thing completely with matches, you won’t get the 12,000 strikes you will from a single set of Swedish firesteel - and it takes up much less space. I don’t own any of this myself (yet!), but I’ve seen it used and I can tell you right now that this would be a life saver if you need to start a fire in the wind and/or rain.
• Leatherman Multitool
  Just as essential as having fire is having a good knife. A knife that can also serve as a pliers, saw, wire cutter, bottle opener, and much more is certainly a must-have for any survival kit. There are dozens of different brands of multitools out there with probably hundreds of models, but Leatherman reigns king when it comes to quality. Most of the small to medium sized models will fit in your survival bottle without issue, but make sure to get one that does.
• Hand Warmers
  The purpose these serve in your survival is obvious - they warm your hands. They can, however, also warm your feet or just about anything else. Stick a few packs of these in there for when you aren’t near the fire.
• Band Aids
  For when you cut yourself. Get a variety of sizes for different types of wounds. You’ll probably want to take them out of the box to better utilize the space in your survival bottle.
• Mylar Blanket
  This blanket isn’t made out of fabric, it’s made of foil-like material called mylar. When wrapped in it, it can reflect up to 90% of your body heat back to you, so you can stay warm in the coldest climates.
• Compass
  It always helps to know where you’re going, so get a decent quality compass. Most hand held compasses will fit in your survival bottle without any issues, so if you’re wandering around lost, you won’t have to wait until dark and rely on the north star.
• Rain Poncho
  If you’re going to survive the apocalypse, you’re going to need to stay dry when it rains. The easiest way to stay dry is to wear a cheap plastic bag with a hood, also known as a poncho.
• Emergency Radio
  This is the only thing so far that you will not be able to cram in to your lexan bottle, but many of the radios have a strap so you can easily attach it to the bottle. There are plenty of models available, so choose one with features you like and think you’ll need, but I highly suggest one that has a hand crank for self powering. Some even offer a small solar panel so it can be charged by the sun. You certainly want one that offers AM/FM radio frequencies, but many also offer emergency weather frequencies or UHF/VHF audio. This is essential in helping you find safety with living humans in the case of an alien attack, zombie uprising, or artificially intelligent robots take over the planet. Also, it can be handy to find out the weather forecasts during a storm.

The above items are all essential survival tools, but there are a few extras that you might also consider getting, such as tea light candles, batteries, a mirror (for signaling), weatherproof matches, and probably plenty more things that I’m forgetting. Know something else that you feel belongs in this list? Leave a comment and tell me about it.

Halloween is coming up and I’m sure all of you geeks out there are just ITCHING to find the right costume to impress your other geek friends. I have therefore decided to share the secret of the Dr. Horrible costume. For those of you who know me and are wondering, no, this is not my costume. I’ll be geeking it up in a completely different costume. So, without further ado, here’s where to get all of the parts for your Dr. Horrible Costume:

• The Goggles
  After searching all over the freaking place for goggles that will look decent atop your forehead, I found a pair that should work over at Amazon.com (where else?).
• The Lab Coat
  This one is probably the trickiest. The closest thing I could find is the A001 LOS ANGELES coat from the above manufacturer. I wasn’t actually able to find it for sale anywhere, but if you call them I’m sure they can hook you up with a distributor. If you’re lazy and/or not picky, there are tons of generic lab coats for sale at Amazon.
• The Gloves
  Nice looking white welding gloves are key to the costume. The pair linked above are nice and will do the trick, but if you want the actual gloves used in Neil Patrick Harris’s costume, here’s what you’re looking for.
• The Boots
  This pair looks perfect. I have no other suggestions, so just swing by Amazon and get these.
• Pants
  This is probably the least important part of the costume. I’m not saying you shouldn’t wear pants (because you should), but just swing by your local department store and pick up a pair of white pants, then tuck them in to the boots.
• The Freeze Ray
  Last, but certainly not least, any Dr. Horrible needs a Freeze Ray to Stop….. The World. Swing over to Amazon or your favorite toy store, find a suitable water gun, and spray paint it black.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my tutorial and if you’ve read this and use this costume for Halloween, or any other costume-wearing event, please post pictures here!