Haven’t started thinking about your Halloween costume yet? Don’t panic, I have your back.
As a senior in college, I like to think of myself as a veteran of Halloween. I spend so much time (and unfortunately money) planning the best and most creative Halloween costumes possible.
But, I know a lot of people don’t care to take Halloween that seriously, and for some, choosing a costume can actually be a little overwhelming. Hence, so many people procrastinate until the last minute to pick out a costume; this where I come in.
Whether you haven’t had time to plan a costume this year, don’t want to spend tons of money on an outfit you will only wear once, or don’t want to put in the effort to research costumes on your own, keep reading. The point of this article is to provide you with a bunch of easy, budget-friendly, do-it-yourself costumes that you can probably recreate using mostly items that you already own.
- Fairy: I have dressed up as a fairy for Halloween three separate times and all of the renditions were super unique. You can just be a basic fairy with a flowy dress and some wings, but why not mix it up? Try choosing a specific fairy, like Tinker Bell, Iridessa, Silvermist or any of the other characters from Pixie Hollow; Bloom, Aisha, or Flora from “Winx Club”; or even the tooth fairy. You can still pull these characters off with a simple dress and wings, but you still get creativity points!
- Subway Surfers: I know you grew up wishing you were one of the characters in the mobile app Subway Surfers; now, you actually can be. If you want to be Tricky, grab some oversized jeans, a white tank, and a red beanie and you’re good to go. Similarly, Jake’s outfit simply consists of blue jeans, a denim jacket, a white sweatshirt, and a baseball cap. Other characters that are so easy to recreate include Fresh, Brody, and Tasha. This could also make for a stellar couples or group costume.
- Boxer: This one may be a little basic, but it gets the job done. If you go to the gym, you already have all the accessories you need to pull-off a last minute boxer costume (except for maybe the actual boxing gloves). Try on a pair of your favorite workout leggings or shorts, grab a matching athletic top or bra, and throw on a robe or zip-up sweatshirt to complete the look. Throw your hair into a fun (or messy) up-do and you’re ready to go.
- Spy: Do you only own black clothes? Perfect for a spy! You can put on any black outfit you like whether it’s a dress, a skirt and long sleeve top, or jeans and a crop top. Add on some mysterious sunglasses, black gloves and an earpiece if you are feeling extra.
- Mummy: For this costume, put on a tight, white, strapless dress or a white tube top and body-con skirt. Now, wrap yourself in too much gauze. You can color the gauze with makeup to make it appear as if you literally just emerged from the tomb, or add some dark eyeshadow to really give yourself that back-from-the-dead glow.
- A Cocktail: I already know this is going to be a super trendy costume this year. Choose your favorite cocktail from an espresso martini to a whisky sour and build an outfit around that inspiration. For example, if you want to be a dirty martini, put on a silver, sparkly skirt, a white tee, and add on some green accessories to represent an olive. This is so simple and there are so many different renditions you could create making it another awesome group costume option.
- Black Cat / Golden Retriever: We all know the basic black cat costume; basically an all black outfit with cat ears and maybe some face-painted whiskers. But, spice this costume up by grabbing your totally opposite, golden retriever bestie. To be a golden retriever wear all yellow and beige, some dog ears, and of course always shine a bright smile!
- Classic Villain: Pulling off a classic villain like Ghostface from the “Scream” franchisee, or Michael Myers from “Halloween,” can be super easy. Grab a cute romper in black or blue, black combat boots, and buy a mask that coordinates with the villain of your choice.
- Average Joe’s: From the movie, “Dodgeball,” being a team member of the Average Joe’s can be a cute and simple costume. Grab a pair of yellow or beige shorts and a similar colored t-shirt. Put your hair in pigtails, throw on knee-high socks, and a pair of your favorite sneakers. All you may need to buy for this costume are red sweatbands to complete the look!
- Clown: This costume really relies on your makeup and hair skills. Look up spooky clown-inspired makeup and hair looks on Pinterest to get your creative juices flowing. For the outfit, put on as many bright patterns and colors as possible.
Bonus tip: check out your local thrift stores and Goodwill locations because many of these shops will put out seasonal accessories and costumes. You could find great pieces like cat ears or a witches hat for only a few bucks.
