38 Easy DIY Halloween Costume Ideas
Holiday Attire for the Whole Family
This Halloween, unleash your imagination to craft the perfect costume that speaks to your or your child’s personality. Whether you're attending a spooky soirée, trick-or-treating with friends and family, or celebrating at the office – we’re sharing a treasure trove of simple DIY Halloween costume ideas that will inspire and excite the whole family as you embark on your costume creation journey.
No-Sew Costume Ideas
When looking for a last-minute costume idea that doesn’t require sewing skills, a lot of time, or supplies, here are some of your best bets!
Bag of Jellybeans: Wear a clear garbage bag with colorful balloons inside to transform into a bag of jellybeans.
Bubble Bath: Wear all white and attach small, white balloons all over your clothing to resemble bubbles. Add a rubber duck as a fun accessory.
Buttered Toast: Use two-inch-thick foam to make a large square with rounded edges and spray paint it with several shades of brown. Use foam and yellow fabric to make a butter pat.
Cactus: Make a no-sew cactus costume using a green sweater and white pipe cleaners. Don green leggings or pants and shoes to complete the outfit.
Emoji: Wear all yellow and use face paint or a cardboard cutout to create your favorite emoji face.
Error 404: Attach a printed "Error 404: Costume Not Found" sign to your clothing.
Gumball Machine: Attach colorful pompoms to a white shirt, make a coin slot with felt, and dress in a red skirt or pants to transform into the cutest gumball machine ever! (Instructions here!)
Identity Thief: Attach "Hello My Name Is" stickers with different names all over your clothing for a funny identity thief costume.
Jellyfish: Attach strips of iridescent or light blue fabric to a clear umbrella to create the tentacles of a jellyfish. Simply hold the umbrella above you, and gracefully glide through the crowd as the most adorable jellyfish imaginable.
Static Cling: Dress in all black and attach random socks, dryer sheets, and other laundry items to your clothing using safety pins.
Punny Costume Ideas
Provide laughs all night long with a punny costume that also serves as a guessing game – how many people will get it?
Cereal Killer: Attach small cereal boxes to your clothing and carry a fake bloody knife for a punny cereal killer costume.
Dunkin' Donuts: Dress as a basketball player with a jersey and carry a box of donuts for a clever pun costume.
Smarty Pants: Attach Smarties candies all over a pair of pants to become a "Smarty Pants."
Formal Apology: Dress in formal attire and carry a sign that says "I'm Sorry" to be a "formal apology."
Hawaiian Punch: Wear a Hawaiian shirt and boxing gloves to become "Hawaiian Punch."
Taco Belle: Dress as a taco and wear a princess tiara and hoop skirt to be a "Taco Belle."
Breadwinner: Wear a medal and carry a loaf of bread to be the "Breadwinner."
Freudian Slip: Wear a slip with famous Freudian terms written on it to be a "Freudian Slip."
Chip on Your Shoulder: Tape a potato chip to your shoulder to be a "Chip on Your Shoulder."
Pig in a Blanket: Dress in pig ears and a snout with a blanket draped over your shoulders to be a "Pig in a Blanket."
Pop Culture & Timely Costume Ideas
Fad costumes are all about capturing the essence of a current trend, meme, or key subject matter – here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Celebrity or Politician Look-Alike: Dress up as someone famous from the world of actors, musicians, athletes, or even recent headline-making politicians.
Jolene: Put on a red wig and a Jolene name tag. Ta-da – you're the classic Dolly Parton song!
Mother Earth: Dress in brown or green and deck yourself out in vines and flowers with paint and craft store supplies – you can even add some butterflies or birds to your creation. (Ideas here!)
Netflix and Chill: Dress in comfortable loungewear and carry a cardboard cutout of the Netflix logo with a bag of popcorn.
TV or Movie Character: Rock your favorite TV or Movie Character costume! Classic favorites that are totally "in" again include characters like Barbie, Indiana Jones, Wendy Addams, and the Pink Ladies from Grease.
TikTok Dancer: Dress in trendy athleisure wear and carry a phone with the TikTok app open, ready to dance.
Video Game Character: Choose an iconic video game character like Mario or Luigi, Princess Peach, Pac-Man, or a character from "Fortnite."
Viral Video Star: Dress up as a famous viral video character, like "Charlie Bit My Finger".
Zoom Meeting Costume: Dress professionally from the waist up, wear pajama bottoms and don slippers for a Zoom call costume.
Classics With a Twist (Imaginative Mash-Ups)
Put a fun spin on a classic Halloween costume for a more unique ensemble that stands out. What cool variations of the classics can you come up with?
Dia de los Muertos Princess: Paint your face like a sugar skull and wear a dress inspired by your favorite princess, incorporating colorful Dia de los Muertos patterns and flowers.
Glam Vamp: Instead of the traditional dark and gothic vampire, go for a glamorous vampire with sparkling makeup, glittery accessories, and elegant attire.
Gothic Fairy: Take a classic fairy costume and give it a gothic twist with dark makeup and black attire.
Haunted Mermaid: Combine a mermaid costume with ghostly elements, like tattered fins and a pale, haunting makeup.
Hipster Scarecrow: Give the scarecrow costume a modern and trendy twist with hipster-inspired elements – oversized glasses, beanies, and quirky accessories.
Renaissance Ghost: Dress up as a ghost with a renaissance twist, wearing a hauntingly beautiful period gown or attire.
Steampunk Witch: Add a steampunk twist to the classic witch costume with Victorian-inspired clothing, gears, and goggles.
Superhero Villain: Put a twist on a classic superhero costume by portraying the villain version of the character with dark makeup and devious accessories.
Zombie Influencer: Dress as a zombie with ripped and torn clothing, but carry a phone and pose like an influencer taking selfies.
Have a happy Halloween!
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