The year is going faster than I ever thought it would. It’s almost Halloween already?! If you don’t have any sweets, pumpkins, or costumes yet, no worries, I’ve got you covered. No need to panic, as I can provide you with last-minute Halloween costume ideas so you can pull off another amazing and memorable holiday.
Halloween is basically the holiday where you can be anything or anyone you want. While this freedom can be exciting and trigger all kinds of awesome creative ideas, it can be overwhelming at times. Whatever status you have in life, you will find it a challenge on what to wear during this time of year be it Halloween costumes for kids, Halloween costumes for adults, family Halloween costumes, or couples Halloween costumes.
While Halloween is awesome, do you really want to spend $50 for a Halloween costume straight from the store? Hell no! That’s no fun at all! Outfits that will be worn once a year should not be too hard on the budget.
Whether you’re busy and you don’t have time to go to a craft store or a thrift store, or you want to save some money on a last-minute Halloween costume, I understand.
This year I’ve been roaming around Pinterest, and I’ve seen a LOT of DIY costume ideas that you’re going to love! DIY Halloween costumes can be the answer to the challenges of this holiday.
I’ve tried to go for the somewhat more original looks, going further than the classic cat and the witch. I hope you find something you like! Or those original ‘put an old sheet over your head and you’re a ghost’ – I’m not sure if people still do that? Playing dress-up during this holiday can be unique and frugal if you know what to do about it.
These can be fun ideas, but I think we can do better than that! Also, I didn’t want to compose a list of 100 ideas for Halloween. That doesn’t help with the decision-making.
If you’re trying to save money, read:
- Frugal Vs. Cheap – Where Are You At?
- How I Spend Less Than $70 Per Month On Groceries
- The Ultimate No-Spend Challenge Guide
7 Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
Here are 7 last-minute DIY Halloween costume ideas that you can make with items you already have:
1. Rosie The Riveter
The first Halloween costume idea for you today is Rosie the Riveter. Who doesn’t want to dress like this feminist icon for a night? Instead of a princess costume for your kid, why not an icon she can look up to? This can be an easy costume to put up as the items can be found in your closet!
Luckily denim is trendy again, making it easy to put this outfit together. All you need is denim pants, a denim blouse, and a red bandana.
To make the outfit complete, go work out to show off your biceps in the process!
2. Belle
I absolutely love Belle. While Belle and the Beast’s story was a little too creepy for me, and I didn’t like it when I was younger, I love the remake with Emma Watson.
This costume can be thrown together within minutes. Just put on a white apron over a blue dress. This is a no-sew setup, as you can whip this out right out of your closet again!
On Pinterest, I found different versions:
- A blue dress with sleeves and a simple white apron
- A blue dress without sleeves, a white button-down, and a white apron
Both are perfect if you’re trying to resemble Belle.
Don’t forget to make a low ponytail and make some curls, put on some pink-ish lipstick, and carry your favorite books with you. You’ll be perfect Belle!
3. Wednesday Addams
A golden oldie for sure! You can’t go wrong with a black dress on Halloween, right?
Do you remember when Gossip Girl was a hit, and you bought that black flowy dress with the white collar? This is the perfect occasion to start wearing it.
Braid your hair, add some black stockings, and put on your best sociopathic face! You will steal the show!
4. Mary Poppins
This one might be one of my favorites, as it’s a costume made out of things that most women have in their closets. And it’s such a cute costume on Halloween night.
More specifically, you need:
- Black skirt
- White shirt (preferably a button-down)
- Black boots
- Black hat
- Giant tote bag
- Don’t skip: a huge umbrella
- Optional: red accents like a red bow-tie, red belt, or red lipstick.
The red accents give the costume a little finishing touch, but don’t worry, you are still wearing a fabulous outfit that is easily recognizable.
5. Where’s Waldo?
I love this costume. It’s so easy! All you need are blue jeans, a striped red-and-white shirt, and a hat. You will surely be the life of the party! You can even make a game out of this as you will be wearing it all night.
If you happen to have all three of these items, you’re good to go. Probably you have two out of the three items – and the hat is only $5. If you have all three things, you have a free and creative costume!
6. Mime
Another easy DIY costume that you can make last-minute for Halloween is a mime costume. It’s just black jeans, bretzels, a striped shirt, white gloves, and some make-up if you feel like it.
Perhaps you should practice your mime skills, but that’s about it.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
7. Holly Golightly
Last but not least, what about dressing up as Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s.
Everything you need is a black sheath dress, long black gloves, black pumps, and huge sunglasses. If you can find some casual pearls, your outfit is entirely complete! Those little props will surely make yours one of the best homemade Halloween costumes.
In Summary – Last-Minute Halloween Costume Ideas
Now you have some recognizable and straightforward last-minute Halloween costume ideas, go ahead and get these easy Halloween costumes together!
Sometimes, the best Halloween costumes are those that are simple, crafty, and handmade. No need to break the bank to wear something you need for one night! The best costume may just be lying around your closet, and you didn’t even know it.
Create your awesome costume and enjoy this great holiday with these great and super-cute ideas now!
What is your favorite Halloween outfit? Do you have any additional last-minute Halloween costume ideas?
Founder of Spark Nomad, Radical FIRE, Journalist
- Expertise: Personal finance and travel content
- Education: Bachelor of Economics at Radboud University, Master in Finance at Radboud University, Minor in Economics at Chapman University.
- Over 200 articles, essays, and short stories published across the web.
Experience: Marjolein Dilven is a journalist and founder of Spark Nomad, a travel platform, and Radical FIRE, a personal finance platform. Marjolein has a finance and economics background with a master’s in Finance. She has quit her job to travel the world, documenting her travels on Spark Nomad to help people plan their travels. Marjolein Dilven has written for publications like MSN, Associated Press, CNBC, Town News syndicate, and more.
I am always happy when halloween comes!