Halloween is nearly here…have you thought about your Halloween costume? It’s never too late to plan out the perfect costume. In fact, I’ve found 35 great costumes that you can put together at the last minute. Even if you didn’t plan on attending that neighborhood Halloween party or if your kids just suddenly decide that they do in fact want to go trick or treating, you can assemble a great costume…and these are really cheap and easy to put together. If you’re short on time and you just don’t have it in you right now to plan out your Halloween attire, don’t fret. I’ll show you 35 of the most amazing Halloween costumes that you can put together right before you walk out the door!
I’ve always loved DIY Halloween costumes and these last minute ones are great. They’re also perfect for everyone in the family so whether it’s you or your kids that need a costume, you’ll find something inspiring in this collection of ideas. Most of these don’t even require any special items to make them. You can create them from things that you have hanging in your closet (or in the cabinet or kitchen). If you’ve run out of time and need a great costume, you’ll surely find something here. And, you should also check out these great themed Halloween costumes for the entire family.
From a Ninja turtle that you can make with a baking pan to some of the punniest costumes I have ever seen, you’re going to love these quick and easy last minute Halloween costume ideas. Your kids are going to love them, too and they really are fast and cheap to make. If you do have time, I highly recommend these 31 fantastic adult costumes that you can DIY by Halloween. However if it’s Halloween eve and you still don’t have a costume, read on to find some of the fastest and best last minute costume ideas on the web.
1. Crazy Cat Lady
I must confess…I have been referred to as a crazy cat lady but only because I truly love cats. If you love cats and you want a cheap and quick costume, I highly recommend this crazy cat lady garb. Just dress up in a bathrobe with your hair in curlers and stick a few stuffed cats onto your robe. You can also carry a few around and even pin them into your hair. Cat fuzzy slippers would really complete the look.
Source/Tutorial: designdazzle
2. Quick And Easy DIY Lego Costume
All you need to turn yourself into a Lego is a cardboard box, some food storage bowls and paint. This one takes less than an hour to complete and is really cute. You just glue the bowls onto the box and then paint the entire thing in your Lego color of choice. If you needed something for everyone in the family, you could do several of these in different colors and everyone could go as a Lego. Plus, food storage bowls are really cheap at the Dollar Store.
Source/Tutorial: dreamalittlebigger
3. Easy Mac And Cheese Costume
This one is great for kids and adults alike. You simply take empty toilet paper rolls and paint them orange to create macaroni and cheese. You can make the container from cardboard and turn it into an Easy Mac bowl or make yourself a plain bowl if you want to save some time. This one is also really cheap. The paint is probably the most expensive material that you need.
Source/Tutorial: coolest-homemade-costumes
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Costume
A green sleeper and a roasting pan are about all you need to turn your little one into a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. Just spray paint the roasting pan and then add a mask. If you don’t have the green sleeper or aren’t a fan of TMNT, you could go as a normal turtle. The roasting pan trick still works and then you just wear it over green or brown clothing.
Source/Tutorial: anightowlblog
5. Static Cling Costume
When all else fails and you just can’t find a quick and easy last minute Halloween costume, turn your laundry into something good. Add a few pieces of laundry to your clothing with safety pins and then pin on a few dryer sheets. You’ll be static cling! I did this with my daughter a few years ago but I also added a cheap laundry basket with the bottom cut out so that it slipped on over her. She went as dirty laundry.
Source/Tutorial: moneycrashers
6. Out Of Work Nudist
This is the most ingenious costume I have ever seen. Just dress however you want and then add a cardboard sign that says “out of work nudist” or “nudist on strike.” It’ a really fast and easy costume to put together and it is sure to get a chuckle or two at your Halloween party.
Source/Tutorial: kaykatastr0phe
7. Misbehaving Children Costume
You don’t even need misbehaving children to make this costume. Just grab a really oversized shirt and a friend and go as children who are being forced to get along. You could also use this concept to create a two headed monster or any number of other things where you need two people in one costume. This one is so quick and easy that you’ll have it finished in under five minutes.
Source/Tutorial: 9gag
8. Punny Ceiling Fan Costume
I love costumes that double as puns and this ceiling fan is certainly one of those. You’re a fan of the ceiling. Get it? It’s too funny and sure to spark some laughter wherever you wear it. Just write “Go Ceiling Go” on your shirt in paint or marker and maybe carry around a few pom poms to really cheer on your fan. This one is so cute and so very easy to put together.
Source/Tutorial: instructables
9. Easy Cupcake Costume
A cheap plastic tub from the Dollar Store and some poster board give you the base for an adorable cupcake costume. Add in polyfil for the icing and a few colored pom poms for sprinkles and you’re the most adorable cupcake on the block. You could take it a step further and even carry a cupcake in each hand – at least until the craving overtakes you and you eat the cupcakes.
10. Stick Figure Costume
Turn an ordinary white sweat suit into an amazing stick figure costume with just some black duct tape. This one really is simple and only takes a few minutes to complete. You can make a mast with some cardboard that you paint white and add facial features with more duct tape.
11. Jane Goodall Costume
Turn ordinary khakis into the perfect Jane Goodall costume. Just add a stuffed chimpanzee or gorilla and you’re all set. You could also do something similar with khaki shorts and an alligator or snake…you’ll be the Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. These are both really simple and fast, all you need is the khakis.
Source/Tutorial: thegloss
12. Chicken Cord-On-Bleu
This one is really funny and so easy to make. You’ll need a rubber chicken but then again, who doesn’t have a rubber chicken just lying around the house? Put on a blue shirt, add a phone cord and then add your chicken. You are now chicken cord on blue or Chicken Cord-On-Bleu – get it?
Source/Tutorial: coolest-homemade-costumes
13. Easy Paper Snail Costume
A white dress and some crumpled up craft paper make the most adorable little snail. This one will take you less than an hour to complete and all you have to do is create the snail shell from craft paper and then attach it to a white dress or sweat suit. Add yellow plastic or Styrofoam balls for the eyes and you’re all done. Ribbon on the shell makes it a backpack that’s easy to get on and off.
Source/Tutorial: ohhappyday
14. Cheap Umbrella Bat Costume
A cheap $5 umbrella and black sweats make the perfect bat costume. This one is super easy and won’t take long at all to put together. You just cut the umbrella in half to make the wings and then put together the rest of your costume. You could use black sweats or a shirt and sweater if you want a girl bat.
Source/Tutorial: evilmadscientist
15. Recycled Carpet Viking Costume
This costume is not only fast and easy, it gives you a great way to recycle some old carpet pieces. You can use basically whatever clothing you want. Then add a strip of carpet to both legs to create Viking boots and create a cape with another strip to make the Viking cape. You can use carpet or brown toilet seat covers for this one.
Source/Tutorial: hgtv
16. Identity Thief Costume
Grab some name tags and “steal” everyone’s identity. This is another great pun costume that is so fast and easy to make. You can wear literally whatever clothing you want. Just “steal” those identities and stick them to yourself and you’re all set for whatever Halloween blow out you plan on attending.
17. Outer Space Costumes
These solar system costumes take very little time and you can make them easily out of cardboard. Just cut out whatever shape you want – stars, moon, sun, etc. – and then use ribbon to tie on the space masks. This works well if you have several people who need a last minute costume. You can collaborate your costumes and go as the entire solar system.
Source/Tutorial: marthastewart
18. Classic Halloween Sheet Ghost
You can always simply throw a sheet over yourself and go as a classic Halloween ghost. This one is almost too easy and it only requires a white sheet. You could take the classic ghost a step further and make your own Charlie Brown ghost. Just add in black “holes” with construction paper or black material, or even sharpies if you don’t mind never using your sheet again.
Source/Tutorial: instructables
19. Adorable And Easy Gumball Machine
I love this little gumball machine. It’s so cute and really easy to make. You’ll need a clear bowl and a few small plastic balls. Just affix the bowl to a shirt, dress or other apparel and add your balls. A cute 25 cent price sticker also helps to make the costume really adorable. You can make the slot – where the gumballs come out – from cardboard and an old drawer pull.
Source/Tutorial: dukesandduchesses
20. DIY Cactus Costume
This cactus costume is really cute and it’s really simple and cheap to make. Just put on green sweats and use white straws to make the cactus spikes. Cut straws or bend them in half and use safety pins to attach them to your sweats. You can also glue them but safety pins will hold them much more securely and you won’t have to worry about ending up in plain green sweats at the end of the night.
Source/Tutorial: inventorspot
21. Kool-Aid Man Costume
This Kool-Aid man costume is much easier to make than it looks. You use a hula hoop, bed foam and felt to create it and it only takes about an hour or less to finish it up. Ziploc bags on the inside near the head look like ice cubes. This entire thing is so cute and it’s pretty cheap to make.
Source/Tutorial: inhabitat
22. Super Quick And Easy Ladybug Costume
Turn an ordinary red dress into an instant ladybug costume in about half an hour. You just add black circles that you can cut from felt or fabric and pin or glue onto the dress. Then, add a headband antenna which you can make or buy and you’re all done. The ladybug part is actually a sheath that can slip over red or black sweats just in case it’s cold on trick or treat night.
Source/Tutorial: 7alltogether
23. Shut In Costume
This is one of the easiest costumes on the list and it’s really creative. Just wrap yourself in a blanket and carry around some junk food to make yourself a shut in. You could call this a couch potato, lazy person, whatever you want. The gist is to make yourself look as if you would rather be lazing on the couch than being out and about on Halloween.
Source/Tutorial: collegehumor
24. Funny Cat Stevens Costume
Take an ordinary cat costume and add a “Stephens” sign to become legendary musician Cat Stephens. This is another great pun costume and this one is really easy to make. Even if you don’t have a cat costume, you can add the sign, paint your face to look like a cat and then roam around with a guitar in your hands.
25. Operation Game Costume
You can make this great Operation game costume in less than two hours and it really does look just like the game! Just grab some tan sweats and then use red and white felt to create the game pieces. This is one of the most creative costumes I’ve seen and it certainly rivals those that you can get from costume stores for around $50 or more.
Source/Tutorial: cutoutandkeep
26. Easy Spider Web Costume
Add this easy to make spider web hat to any black sweats or jeans and a t-shirt and you have the perfect spider web costume. The hat is made with white floral wire and you can wear it directly on your head or over a black cap or beanie. Add in some plastic spiders and you’ve got a somewhat creepy yet perfectly easy to make costume for your Halloween fun.
Source/Tutorial: littleinspiration
27. College Ruled Paper Costume
Some thin stripes on a white t-shirt make an adorable college ruled paper costume. You can paint stripes on your clothes or use electrical tape to make the thin lines. Grab a novelty pencil…one of those really big ones…and you’re all set. Since it’s college ruled paper, you can also go with messy hair and maybe paint dark circles under your eyes…you know for finals week.
Source/Tutorial: instagram
28. Photoshop Costume
This Photoshop costume really is last minute and it only takes a minute to put together. You just need to create a placard with the Photoshop logo and then wear a dark blue shirt. This is so easy and really great for office parties, especially in offices that use Photoshop quite a bit. You could also do Facebook or any number of other apps.
29. Home Improvement’s Wilson Costume
I absolutely love this genius Wilson costume. If you’ve ever seen Home Improvement then you know the gist of this one. You just need to create a little fence out of popsicle sticks and spend the evening hiding your face behind it. Add in a fisherman’s hat and a nice flannel shirt and you’ve got the perfect costume for sitcom lovers. Maybe even have a friend go as Tim The Tool Man Taylor and you know, tear stuff up.
30. Lazy Man’s Error Costume
Here is a costume that you can literally make in about 60 seconds. It’s an error costume and all you have to do is write out 404 Error Costume Not Found on a white t-shirt. This one really is genius and of course, quick and cheap to make. Everyone has seen that dreaded 404 message at some point so this one will also be easily recognized.
31. Adorable Flower Pot Costume
This little flower pot costume is adorable and really inexpensive to put together. You’ll need a plastic bucket, which you can get at the Dollar Store, along with some silk or paper flowers. Tie a ribbon to the bucket so that it can be comfortably worn and then add in your flowers. For little girls, you could also do a flower headband. This entire thing will take you about half an hour to complete and it costs less than $10 to make.
Source/Tutorial: dukesandduchesses
32. DIY Medusa Headband
This headband is all you need to instantly transform you into a creepy Medusa. You can wear sweats or a dress with this as long as you glue the snakes onto your headband. Just glue plastic or rubber snakes onto a black headband and then if you have time, add green makeup and other costume enhancers. If you are running out of time however, the headband makes a costume all by itself.
Source/Tutorial: thetiptoefairy
33. Fast Tacky Tourist Costume
Just grab those vacation clothes and put them on for a great tacky tourist costume. Add a fanny pack and maybe a Hawaiian shirt and socks with sandals and you’ll look just like a tourist. Maybe even add in some sunglasses and an oversized purse or tote bag or a large floppy hat. The possibilities with this one are endless. Oh, and be sure to carry around a camera all night.
Source/Tutorial: mommyupgrade
34. Quick And Easy Monster Claws
Transform a pair of gloves into these great monster claws. This is an easy no sew project that you can finish in under an hour. Then add these to your favorite costume or just wear regular clothes, maybe torn a bit, to go as a transforming werewolf. The claws are so easy to make and they’re much safer than plastic claws that come with most Halloween costumes.
35. Last Minute Zombie Costume
You can always resort to making yourself a zombie for Halloween and this last minute zombie costume makes it really easy. Just put on torn clothing and add the makeup, which is pretty easy. You’ll want a grey look to your face with really dark circles under your eyes and maybe even some red blood dripping down from your mouth. This one is quick, easy, cheap and really fun.
Source/Tutorial: cafemom
Leave a Reply