DIY Costumes

look terrifying without spending a dime

Before You Start

Raid your closet first. Old clothes you don't care about are gold for this stuff.
Dollar stores carry face paint, fake blood, and plastic accessories that work just fine.
Hot glue is your best friend. Seriously. Get a glue gun if you don't have one.
Start a few days early so you're not panicking at 6pm on October 31st.

Classic Horror

the old standbys that always work

Bedsheet Ghost

You need: White bedsheet, scissors, marker or black fabric

Yeah, it's obvious. But do it right and it actually rules. Cut eye holes, then use a marker to draw creepy hollow eyes around them. Cut the bottom edge ragged instead of leaving it straight. Drag it through some dirt outside for that "been haunting this place for centuries" look.

Classic Mummy

You need: Old white t-shirt and pants, strips of white fabric or gauze, tea bags, safety pins

Tear up old white sheets or cheap muslin into strips. Soak them in tea to stain them brownish-yellow, then let them dry. Wrap yourself up and pin everything in place. Leave some strips dangling loose so they trail behind you. Smudge some dirt on there too.

Scarecrow

You need: Flannel shirt, old jeans, straw or raffia, rope, face paint

Stuff straw or raffia out of the cuffs, collar, and waistband. Tie rope around the wrists and ankles to keep it in place. Paint your face with a stitched mouth and triangle nose. Bonus points if you stand completely still in someone's yard before trick-or-treaters walk by.

Pop Culture

no official merch required

Office Zombie

You need: Button-down shirt, tie, slacks, fake blood, face paint

Wear your most boring office clothes. Rip them up a little. Splatter fake blood on the shirt and tie. Do some grey-green face paint with dark circles under the eyes. Carry a coffee mug that says something normal. Walk around mumbling about spreadsheets. Everyone gets it immediately.

Paper Bag Monster

You need: Large paper grocery bags, markers, scissors, tape

Cut a big paper bag so it fits over your head, then cut out eye holes and a mouth. Go wild with the markers. Draw fangs, scars, bolts, whatever you want. Stack a second bag on top as a hat or horns. This one is perfect if you've got about 20 minutes and zero budget.

Static Cling

You need: Regular clothes, socks, dryer sheets, small clothing items, safety pins

Pin random socks, a dryer sheet, and small clothing items all over yourself. Tease your hair out so it looks wild and staticky. That's it. You're "static cling." People either love this one or stare at you confused, and both reactions are funny.

Funny

when you want laughs more than screams

Cereal Killer

You need: Black clothes, mini cereal boxes, plastic knife, fake blood, tape or safety pins

Tape or pin a bunch of small cereal boxes to your shirt. Stab the plastic knife through one of them. Drizzle fake blood over everything. Walk around looking menacing. It's a terrible pun and that's exactly why it works every single year.

Error 404: Costume Not Found

You need: White t-shirt, black marker

Write "ERROR 404: COSTUME NOT FOUND" on a white shirt in big block letters. Wear normal clothes underneath. This is for when you forgot about the party until today. It's lazy and self-aware and people will laugh anyway.

Identity Thief

You need: All black clothes, stick-on name tags, a marker

Cover yourself in "Hello, my name is..." stickers. Write a different name on each one. You're an identity thief. Throw on a beanie and some sunglasses to complete the shady look. Cheap, fast, and gets a solid chuckle from everyone at the door.

Group Costumes

grab your friends for these

Rock, Paper, Scissors

You need: Large cardboard boxes, grey/white/silver paint, scissors

Three people, three boxes. One person paints their box grey and draws a rock texture. Another covers theirs in white paper. The third cuts out a big scissors shape from cardboard and wears it. Walk around challenging people to play. Loser buys the candy.

Ghosts of Different Decades

You need: White sheets, decade-appropriate accessories (bell bottoms, neon, flannel, etc.)

Everyone puts on a white sheet ghost costume, but each person adds accessories from a different decade. One ghost wears bell bottoms and a peace sign necklace. Another has leg warmers and a scrunchie. Another wears a flannel tied around the waist. You get the idea. Works with any group size.

Condiment Crew

You need: Red, yellow, and white t-shirts, markers or felt, cardboard

One person is ketchup (red shirt, make a label from cardboard). Another is mustard (yellow shirt, same deal). Third person does mayo or hot sauce or relish or whatever. Add a fourth person dressed normally as a hot dog and you've got the whole cookout going on.

Final Tips

Test your face paint a day before to make sure it doesn't irritate your skin.
If you're trick-or-treating, make sure you can see and breathe properly. Sounds obvious but people forget.
Take a photo before you leave the house because the costume probably won't survive the night.

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