Many years ago – before the creation of websites such as Pinterest and Instagram – Halloween costumes typically consisted of homemade outfits created a week or two before the big day. From ghosts and clowns to superheroes and princesses, homemade costumes were special in that no one looked exactly the same. The uniqueness of these DIY Halloween costumes added to the fun of the holiday.
Nowadays, most people succumb to the ease of purchasing a ready-to-wear costume from the nearest mega-retailer. While some might choose this route, others prefer the option of making something at home – and saving money while they’re at it. Whether you waited until the last minute to find your outfit or you prefer something handmade, here are some Halloween costumes you can make with items found around the house.
Ideas for Kids
You find out the night before that your child is allowed to wear a costume to school, but you hadn’t picked anything out from the store yet. No worries – Jeanne Sager says you can very easily put something together with items on hand. “You don’t have to be Martha Stewart (I certainly am not),” Sager says. “There are some insanely easy costumes that can be made with items we all have lying around the house.”
For one, dress your child up as a ninja. Have your child get dressed in a black shirt and black pants. Then take another black shirt and have them poke their face through the neck hole, but don’t take it any farther than their nose – their mouth should remain covered, along with some of the forehead. Tie the sleeves behind their head, and add a red strip of fabric around their waist to create a sash.
Similarly to a ninja, dress your child like “super-kid”! Cut the initial of their first name out of a piece of paper and pin to a solid colored shirt. Tie a towel or sheet around their neck as a cape, and they’re ready to save the world. Finally, what kid hasn’t thrown a sheet over their head and pretended to be a ghost? Go with it! Cut some eyeholes in a white sheet and let them have fun haunting the neighborhood.
Ideas for Adults
Perhaps one of the easiest costumes for an adult is to dress like an athlete. Throw on your favorite sports jersey, some athletic shorts and running shoes. Grab the ball that coincides with that sport, and call it a day! Another easy option? Dress like a mummy! Just wrap and wrap and wrap yourself with toilet paper – and make sure to stay away from any water. You can also wrap yourself with a white bed sheet and dress in costume toga-style. Really go Greek by making a laurel wreath from twigs in your yard to wear on your head.
Living on the Cheap has a great list of homemade costumes that can be made fairly quickly. One popular idea is to dress like a farmer. “Put on your best dancing boots, your favorite pair of Wranglers and the biggest belt buckle you can find for an authentic look,” they suggest. “Add a rope or piece of straw in your teeth if you have it, but leave your horse at home.”
Ideas for Couples and Groups
Looking for a homemade costume you can wear with a significant other or group? One idea Julia Lynn Rubin suggests is dressing like bandits. “All you’ll need for this cute couple’s costume are a pair of striped black-and-white shirts, black gloves, black face paint or costume masks, and “money” bags which you can paint yourself,” Rubin says. Another idea is dressing like Men in Black characters, which just requires a black suit, white dress shirt, and black sunglasses.
You can also get a group of people to dress like Beanie Babies, suggests Rubin. Just have everyone dress up as different animals and hang a red “TY” paper heart logo around your neck. “Trust me, your friends won’t know how little time it took you to put these looks together,” Rubin says.
You might think it’s easiest to run to the store and purchase a Halloween costume for you or your kids, when in fact, there are a ton of easy – and cheap – options for homemade costumes. Your kids will love wearing something none of their friends are wearing, and you’ll appreciate the costumes you put your own time and effort into.
While you’re in the Halloween spirit, Prepare Your Home for Safe Trick-or-Treating.
Sources
Jeanne Sager, “10 Last-Minute Halloween Costumes Easily Made With Stuff Around the House,” The Stir, http://thestir.cafemom.com/big_kid/162251/10_lastminute_halloween_costumes_easily
“97 cheap and easy Halloween costumes,” Living on the Cheap, http://livingonthecheap.com/cheap-easy-halloween-costumes/
Julia Lynn Rubin, “22 Last-Minute Costumes You Can Make With Stuff You Have!,” Little Things.com, http://www.littlethings.com/creative-halloween-diy/