Are you looking for last-minute Halloween costumes? Here are a dozen that are cheap, cute, and easy to DIY with only a few supplies.
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Halloween is coming up fast. But it isn’t too late to have a great costume, even if you have little or no budget. And even if you aren’t the best seamstress around.
Last-minute Halloween costumes can be cute and fun. I’ve been making up costumes forever because my kids always wait until the last minute to decide what they want to be.
The trick is to use a combination of homemade DIY ideas and thrift store finds. These costumes require little effort but are lots of fun.
In fact, you may already have everything you need at home. A cheap, cute, last-minute Halloween costume doesn’t mean you have to go as something boring.
Halloween costume ideas
1. Fairy princess
My oldest has wanted to be a fairy, a princess, and a ballerina. One year, I think she even wanted to be a fairy princess ballerina. All you need are a matching skirt, shirt, and leggings.
You can usually find cheap leotards at a thrift store if you want to go that direction. Add wings from the dress-up stash or pick up a pair at the dollar store. Make a paper crown.
2. Skeleton
The easiest way to make a skeleton costume is with good old-fashioned duct tape! Start by putting on all black clothes, such as sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt.
Grab a roll of white duct tape and start making bones. Cut pieces for the arms, legs, and spine. Make sure you leave space where the joints are. Add some shorter pieces for ribs and a few wider pieces for the pelvis.
3. Zombie
You can easily whip up a zombie costume using things you already have at home. Gather some old clothes and a pair of scissors. Cut and tear just enough to add character.
Rub cocoa powder or cinnamon onto the clothes to make them look “dirty” and give them a fresh-from-the-grave look. Pat a little baby powder or flour on your face and dark eye shadow around your eyes. Draw on scars with black eyeliner.
4. It’s Raining Cats and Dogs
This last-minute Halloween costume idea is also punny. Dress in a raincoat and boots.
Get a small umbrella (a clear umbrella is even better) and some small plush cats and dogs. (You could also print pictures.) Use a hot glue gun or safety pins to fasten the plush toys to the umbrella.
5. Black cat
One of my favorite costumes as a kid was a black cat. For this one, you need to wear all black – pants and a long-sleeved shirt.
Make a pair of ears to wear on a headband. Start by cutting black felt or fabric pieces into two triangles. Cut a smaller triangle of pink felt and attach it to the front of each black one. Hot glue the ears to the headband. Use spray starch to make the ears stand up if needed.
Use eyeliner to draw whiskers on your face.
6. Jack o’ lantern
Dress all in orange, whether that’s a shirt and pants or a dress and tights. Cut jack o’lantern face pieces from black felt or fabric.
If you don’t have a fabric stash, an old t-shirt works great too. Cut two triangles for the eyes and a zig-zag shape for the mouth. Hot glue the face to your outfit.
Top your costume off with a green stem. Take a few green pipe cleaners and wrap them around a headband. Bend and shape them until you’re happy with the look.
7. Witch or wizard school student
To dress like you attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, all you need is a school uniform look. Start with dark-colored pants and a white dress shirt.
Add accessories in your house colors, such as a necktie, hair bow, socks, or sweater. Pick up a stick from your yard or the park that’s about 10 inches long to carry as a wand.
If you want to add a robe, check your local thrift store for a plain black or dark-colored bathrobe.
8. Smartie pants
If you love a good pun, dress up as a “Smartie” pants. Get a package of Smarties candy and attach them to a pair of pants.
If you want to take the joke a little further, dress a little nerdy. Wear a polo shirt (bonus points if you have a pocket where you can stick pens and a calculator) and a pair of glasses.
9. Superhero
You can be a specific hero (like Captain America) or create your own superhero.
Find a solid-colored shirt. Print your hero’s logo on transfer paper and iron it onto the shirt. For something simpler, cut the shapes out of duct tape and just stick them on. Print a paper mask, like these Avengers printable masks.
You can also create your own hero, like Super Bunny. Just put on pants and a shirt in any color. Make an easy t-shirt cape and a paper plate eye mask to maintain a secret identity. Add a pair of gloves.
10. Fresh fruit
All you need to start your fruit costume is a big t-shirt and a matching pair of leggings. Add the details of the fruit using a marker or tape.
- pineapple – yellow shirt, add black “V” shapes to look like the spikes
- strawberry – red shirt, add yellow dots from to look like seeds
- grapes – purple shirt, add small purple balloons
- watermelon – pink shirt, add black teardrop shapes to look like seeds, add a band of green along the bottom
- apple – red shirt, add green leaves to one shoulder
11. Grim reaper
For something a bit more spooky than silly, dress as the grim reaper for Halloween. You’ll need all black clothes, plus a black robe with a hood.
Paint your face white and blackout your nose to look like a skeleton.
To make a scythe, start with a long cardboard tube like the kind that holds gift wrap. Cut a piece of cardboard into a curved triangle and wrap it in silver duct tape. Use more tape to attach it to your tube handle.
12. Fancy ghost
A ghost wearing a bedsheet might be cliche, but it’s also very cute and easy.
Find a white sheet, tablecloth, or piece of fabric that is large enough to go over your head and hang past your waist, but not to the ground.
Mark where you want the eye holes to go and cut them out. Now get silly with the accessories to make your ghost stand out!
Find the craziest leggings and shoe combo. Use tape to add facial features like a mouth, eyebrows, or rosy cheeks. If it won’t be dark, pop on a pair of sunglasses over the sheet.
Costumes to buy
Sometimes you’d rather buy than DIY a project. If you like these ideas but are looking for something that is done for you, I recommend HalloweenCostumes.com.
Take 20% off kids’ costumes for a limited time. They’ve got a ton of costumes and accessories for kids including:
- Disney princess dresses
- Hogwarts student robes for all 4 houses
- Pokemon costumes
- and the coolest looking adaptive costumes!
What’s next? Try these other fun and creative ideas on One Mama’s Daily Drama:
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