130 Easy DIY Halloween Costumes That Are Frighteningly Simple
Trick or treat in style this year. 🎃
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Finding a last-minute Halloween costume these days isn't too difficult. With quick shipping available, you can have a full outfit delivered in no time. But if you're someone who likes to showcase their creativity come October 31, a homemade Halloween costume is certainly the way to go.
While you might think homemade costumes always take a lot of work, there are actually tons of options that are easy enough to DIY even in a time crunch—think materials like common craft supplies and clothes you already have in your closet.
Whether you're looking for couples costume ideas, group costumes or even options for the kids, we've rounded up the best spooky, silly, and iconic DIYs you can take on this year. And before you say you're not crafty enough to put together these outfits, trust us: you'll be surprised what you can do with some tape, construction paper and hot glue.
Beanie Babies
Take a trip back to the 90s with this comfy costume. Cut felt ears and attach them to a hoodie with hot glue. Use red cardstock to cut a heart-shaped tag and punch a hole at the edge. Tie it around your neck with red ribbon. If you want to take the costume one step further, cover your tag with clear contact paper for a shiny look. Throw on some oversized round sunglasses and you're done!
Jewelry Box Ballerina
Calling all dancers! Use an oversized cardboard box to DIY your very own jewelry box ballerina. Fold the bottom flaps of the box and tape them inside using packing or duct tape. Cut out a large hole from the top of the box so that it fits around the child's waist. To create a faux drawer, cut a smaller rectangle out of cardboard, folding in the ends. Attach to the jewelry box with hot glue and add a large wooden bead for a knob. Paint the whole surface of the box in a light shade of pink, adding extra details if desired. Once dry, attach mylar contact paper to the back flap to create a mirror. Add oversized bows, beads, and gemstones to the jewelry box with hot glue. Secure a ribbon strap inside the box with duct tape to wear around your neck. Finish the look with a ballerina inspired outfit and high bun.
Sriracha
Turn up the heat with this spicy pantry staple. Download our sriracha label template and print on iron on transfer paper. Cut out the details and iron onto a red t-shirt following paper instructions. For the bottle cap hat, use styrofoam cone and cylinder forms. Cover the forms with green felt using hot glue before attaching the two forms together. Add an elastic strap to keep it securely on your head.
Crocs
While you might not be crazy about them from a style standpoint, Crocs are definitely one of the most well-recognized shoes out there. Using a sheet of cardboard, trace and cut out the shape of a Croc using an X-Acto knife of box cutter. Cut one large hole in the upper center for your face and cut seven smaller holes around it. Cut another strip of cardboard and fold the edges to create your strap. Paint your Croc and strap with craft paint. Don't forget to give it a few coats! Attach your strap using hot glue and outline your Croc with a lighter or darker shade of paint so it pops. Use felt, craft foam or paper to create your Jibbitz and them hot glue them all. Once everything is dry, attach backpack-style straps to the back of the shoe with thick ribbon and hot glue. Hopefully this goes without saying, but make sure to wear your favorite pair of Crocs!
Tinned Fish
DIY a tinned sardines costume with some cardboard sheets and a craft knife! Cut two large rectangles from cardboard sheets with a craft knife or box cutter. Round the edges of each corner to create a tin box shape. Cut out a rectangular opening with two fish head-shaped cut outs. Leave space in between the fish heads for your face to peek through. Paint the front and back of each rectangle with a few coats of craft paint and let dry completely. Paint details for the “tin” with craft paint. Add googly eyes, cupcake liner scales, and silver pipe cleaners to the fish heads using hot glue. Attach a roll of gray paper to the front of the tin, and add a “key” made from more pipe cleaners. Secure the two sheets of cardboard together with straps that will rest on your shoulders.
Sardine
Pair your tinned fish with a walking sardine! Start with a gray hoodie zip up sweatshirt. Fold foil cupcake liners in half in shades of silver, blue, and black. Layer the “scales” down the front and back of the hoodie and attach with hot glue, overlapping as you go. Cut a tail shape from gray felt, and glue to the bottom edge of the hoodie. Continue to layer the cupcake liners on the tail, and finish off the fins with silver pipe cleaners attached with hot glue. Glue a pair of giant googly eyes to the hood of the sweatshirt and trim with more silver pipe cleaners.
Martini Trio
Get the gang together and dress up as your favorite martinis! Trace the outline of a rainbow-type shape on a thin clear acrylic sheet. Paint a thin coat on the plastic, leaving the top five inches paint-free. Allow the paint to dry. Then, attach velcro to the overlapping section and wear the cone loosely around your neck. To create an olive cocktail, blow up two small green balloons and cut out two small red circles out of felt. Attach them to the top side of the balloon and tie both balloons to a dowel. Create espresso beans using floral foam rectangles and a serrated knife to mimic the bean shape. Create a deeper groove down the center and wipe off any dust with a paper towel. Paint the bean with brown acrylic paint and attach the beans to a headband with hot glue once dry. To create a lime, cut a circle out of dark green craft paper and attach it onto a larger green decorative paper fan with hot glue. Cut a slit where the fan opens to resemble a lime on the edge of a glass.
Scrub Daddy
You'll be instantly recognized with this adorable sponge 'fit. Luckily, this Scrub Daddy costume is super easy to make once you secure an egg crate foam mattress topper. Begin with two large cardboard circles and paint both sides a shade darker than the foam topper. Using sharp fabric scissors, cut two circles out of the foam (about two inches wider than the cardboard). Then, trace and cut a smiley face from one of the foam circles. Attach both pieces of foam to the cardboard with hot glue. Lastly, make thick ribbon straps on both circles with duct tape. Complete your look with rubber cleaning gloves!
Dunkings
Go solo as Dunking leader Ben Affleck or grab your closest buddies to act as Tom Brady and Matt Damon and recreate the iconic Super Bowl commercial. All you need are orange sweatsuits, our Dunkings logo for iron-on patches and pink accessories galore. Oh, and you might want to pick up a box of Dunkin' Boston creams for moral support, of course.
Stanley Cup
If you're *that* friend constantly reminding your besties to stay hydrated (keep up the good work!), this is the costume for you. Find a monochromatic sweatshirt and sweatpants set in a color that you love, use our Stanley logo to print out an iron-on patch for the sweatshirt, and make the straw and lid by gluing together a sturdy white plastic plate and a white paper towel roll.
David and Victoria Beckham
The Beckhams are back! If you're looking for an easy couples costume, this is a good choice — white athletic gear for David and a sleek back dress and oval sunglasses for Posh Spice. Get an iron-on "7" for David's jersey and athletic shorts to really sell it (and really, really sell it with some temporary tattoos).
Lip Smacker
Were you just hit with a wave of nostalgia? We thought so. Turn into your favorite flavor of Lip Smackers in just a few steps. Secure a bright-colored plain nightgown or t-shirt dress, use our Lip Smackers template to create an iron-on patch for the front of your dress and buy a matching plastic beach helmet for the cap. That's it!
Daddy Long Legs
Go as the friendliest spider around using nothing more than whatever black clothing you already own, a black umbrella and a few crafting materials — large googly eyes and long black rope or pipe cleaner will do the trick for the spider legs!
Tennis Pro
Put all the athletic clothing you own on at the same time and what do you get? A tennis player, of course! To best pull off the look, throw on an athletic skirt, a visor, a pullover or sweater with a collar and white sneakers. If you really want to sell the look, also make sure to pull out a tennis racket and balls to carry around.
Dolly Parton
Everybody loves Dolly! Recreate the iconic singer's look with your best country clothes (blue jeans, flannel shirts, or plaid tops will do!) and make her larger-than-life hair using an X-acto knife on cardboard to create a cute cutout. Make her golden strands with gold and brown craft paint, and you're ready to belt out "Jolene." Talk about a great photo opp!
Washer and Dryer
If only doing laundry was always this fun and adorable. Simply find a square cardboard box, dig up an empty box of dryer sheets, some dryer balls, and an old dish rag or two, and follow the DIY costume instructions below:
1) Start with a large square cardboard box, roughly 20 x 20 inches. Fold a top flap in half to create the control panel, and secure with hot glue.
2) Cut neck and arm holes with a box cutter or X-acto knife. Paint the box white and let dry.
3) Add bottle caps and lids for buttons and knobs with hot glue. You can also print out images of control panel elements or draw by hand. For the dryer, cut a square of painted cardboard and attach to make a door. For the washer, use a clear takeout container lid and some fabric scraps glued onto the front of the box.
4) Accessorize your look with detergent bottles, dryer sheets, and extra laundry!
Caitlin Clark
Caitlin might be a WNBA superstar now, but her Iowa basketball legacy will live on forever. With a plain white jersey, iron-on letters and numbers and basketball shorts, you can pay tribute to the beloved athlete come Halloween night.
Carmy from 'The Bear'
Okay, we could all do without the yelling and calling everyone in sight "cousin," but turning into the talented head chef for the spooky holiday is definitely a popular choice. Any white tee and pants will do for the base of the costume. All you really need is a denim apron and perhaps a plastic container and dish towel for emphasis.
Elphaba from 'Wicked'
You're the witch Oz has been waiting for! Dress up as Elphaba or make this witch costume your own. After throwing on a black dress and getting a witch hat, you can either go all-in on the green body makeup or apply it to your cheekbones and temples only for a unique look (like we did here). Get ready to defy gravity!
RELATED: Best Wicked Halloween Costumes
Glinda from 'Wicked'
There's no Elphaba without Glinda, of course. After securing a sparkly princess accessories kit, throw on any bubble gum pink dress you can find and get your vocals ready to belt out "Popular" all night long.
Amanda Garrity is a lifestyle writer and editor with over seven years of experience, including five years on staff at Good Housekeeping, where she covered all things home and holiday, including the latest interior design trends, inspiring DIY ideas and gift guides for any (and every) occasion. She also has a soft spot for feel-good TV, so you can catch her writing about popular shows like Virgin River, Sweet Magnolias, Hallmark Channel’s When Calls the Heart and more.
Laura Millar (she/her) is the assistant lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home design. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2024, she wrote for NBC's TODAY.com, where she covered everything from entertainment news to pop culture updates.
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