Easy Halloween costumes no longer need to follow the traditional themes of witches, zombies and goblins. Today, children are less concerned about following the traditions than about dressing up to have fun. Many of the bought or hired costumes head down the super hero or movie character path. Instead, it's possible to create unique and imaginative Halloween costumes without going to the expense of buying or hiring professionally made costumes.

A few old clothes, a creative choice of accessories, some make up, a touch of originality and exaggeration, and you are all set. Let's look at some easy ideas.

A doctor costume is easy to put together. You just need an old white jacket or coat. Then, use some plastic tubing to make a stethoscope or find an old one yourself. If you want to look a little older, you can paint a red cross on the coat and give yourself a distinguished moustache. Then, see if you can get an x-ray photo from someone in your family that you can carry around with a clipboard. All that's left is the treat bag.

The same white coat that can make you into a doctor can be used to transform you into a geeky nerd or a mad scientist. The important part is using the right accessories. A nerd needs a pocket protector and lots of pens, while the mad scientist might look great with an Einstein-esque wig. The more creative you let your imagination get, the better the costume will look.

A simple yet elegant dress and some fancy dress shoes can be the base for a great princess costume. Make the outfit unique by lots of jewelry, especially things that sparkle and shine. A princess needs a crown, necklace, ring, wand, and brooch. Don't forget the royal make-up.

You can turn regular jewelry into something perfectly exaggerated by pasting on fake gems and attaching some shiny silver foil. For a treat bag, use a shopping bag from a high end retail store.

Old clothes can provide you with a truly believable hobo costume, too. You can rip some holes in and sew patches onto your costume clothing. A bottle in a paper bag, a well worn felt hat, and some face paint can make your get up quite convincing.

The hobo face paint should top things off, leaving you looking dirty and tired.