30 easy DIY Halloween costume ideas you’ll love

easy last minute halloween costumes
30 DIY Halloween Costume Ideas Hearst Owned

Received a last-minute invite to a Halloween party, or just feel like dressing up for the occasion with a Halloween quiz and food with your loved ones? We have you covered. These are our easiest DIY Halloween costumes that you can make – with things you probably already have at home.

If you’re dressing up with a friend or partner, our best Halloween costumes for couples is where you’ll find the best inspiration!

Scrub Daddy

We're big fans of this viral sponge thanks to TikTok and this adorable costume couldn't be easier to put together once you've secured a foam egg carton mattress topper, some cardboard, craft paint and some thick ribbon.

Instructions:

  1. Begin with two large cardboard circles and paint both sides a shade darker than the foam topper.

  2. Using sharp fabric scissors, cut two circles out of the foam, about two inches wider than the cardboard.

  3. Trace and cut a smiley face from one of the foam circles. Attach both pieces of foam to the cardboard with hot glue.

  4. Attach thick ribbon straps to both circles with duct or Gaffer tape. Complete your look with rubber cleaning gloves.

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Stanley Cup

If you also became obsessed with the viral Stanley Quenchers then why not dress up as it for Halloween? All you need is a monochromatic matching tracksuit picked out, use our Stanley template to make an iron-on patch for the front of your sweatshirt. Then it's just a matter of getting sturdy white paper plates and a white paper towel roll and gluing them together for the lid and straw. Attach the lid and straw to elastic or a headband and you're done! This idea works really well as a group costume, too.

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

David and Victoria Beckham

The Beckhams are always in the spotlight. Posh Spice is easy to execute so long as you have an LBD and oval-shaped shades. David is a piece of cake, as well — get jersey numbers and iron a "7" on any white jersey or pullover you have. Pair with white athletic shorts, knee-high socks, and sneakers. You can also opt for temporary tattoos if you want to fully commit.

david and victoria beckham halloween costume
Mike Garten / Good Housekeeping

Lip Smacker

This is unlocking serious nostalgia and everyone loved a Lip Smacker back in the day, so they'll especially love this easy ensemble, which is basically just a t-shirt dress (with our Lip Smacker template ironed onto it) and a matching plastic beach bucket as the 'cap'.

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

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!

daddy long legs halloween costume
Mike Garten / Good Housekeeping

Dolly Parton

Honestly, who doesn't love Dolly? To recreate her iconic look, you can either buy a platinum blonde wig or have some DIY fun constructing her golden locks using a large piece of cardboard, some yellow and brown craft paint, and a craft knife. Pair the hair cutout with a country-esque outfit and a toy ukulele. Jolene, you better watch out.

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Washer and Dryer

How adorable is this? Go solo as a laundry machine or pick a willing partner to go with you as a dryer. Once you have white-painted cardboard boxes and cut out holes for the head and arms, the creativity is all on you. Print out control panels and dials (or paint them on) and glue on a few pairs of old socks or empty boxes of dryer sheets to really sell the look.

washing machine halloween costume
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Carmy from 'The Bear'

Yes, chef! A denim apron, an old white tee and black pants are all you really need to transform into the talented chef. You can add to the costume with a plastic container full of drinking water and a towel if you want ... or you can just yell "cousin!" at your friends all night. The choice is yours.

the bear halloween costume
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Elphaba from 'Wicked'

You're sure to be popular this Halloween if you dress up as the most famous witch in Oz. Elphaba is easy as long as you can use an old black dress and secure a witch hat. As for the green body paint, it's up to you whether you want to go full-on or only apply a few swipes to the cheeks and temples (like our model here!).

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Deviled Egg

Devilled eggs, the retro canape is back on the menu this Halloween and what better way than to dress like one! Once you've bought a white egg-shaped styrofoam structure, you'll just need to cut it in half and glue on yellow rope, green pipe cleaners, and red sequins to create the yolk. Once that's dry, hot glue the egg onto a white headband and that's it!

halloween costumes for women
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Charcuterie Board

Love a charcuterie board? Why not dress like it? This costume works best with multiple people and requires yellow and red craft paint and styrofoam cake rounds for creating the slices of Gouda, which you can then attach to a headband with hot glue or place on a wooden board as a prop to carry around. As for the grape headband, you'll have a bit of crafting to do once you buy purple tree ornaments and some floral wire. But don't worry, it's easy!

Instructions:

  1. Cut several 30cm lengths of floral wire. Thread an ornament onto the centre of each wire and twist the ends together.

  2. Gather all of the wired ornaments and twist the wires together to create a tapered bunch of grapes. Trim any excess wire pieces off and wrap any exposed wire with floral tape.

  3. Cut a grape leaf shape from green paper and attach it to the bunch with hot glue.

  4. Wire two small hair combs to the bottom of the bunch to secure onto your head. You might need some extra bobby pins to secure as well.

charcuterie halloween costume
Mike Garten/Good Housekeeping

Ash Ketchum Costume

Your little one will catch all the Pokémon with this Ash Ketchum costume. Find a red cap, a blue vest and a pair of lime green gloves (cut the fingers off to really fit the look!). Then, DIY a Pokéball from a baseball, and purchase a Pikachu plush.

boy wearing a red trucker hat blue vest green gloves and holding pokeball and a pikachu plush toy
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

Tanya from 'White Lotus' Costume

Tanya won't be in season 3 (sob!), so this is the year to honor all of her chaotic energy. Grab a long-sleeved dress, a scarf to wrap around your head, gold heels, over sized sunglasses and continuously have a glass of Prosecco in your hand for the evening.

woman in a pink floral dress wearing sunglasses holding a glasses of champagne and dragging a pink suitcase
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

Tetris Costume

A low key outfit and a blast from the past that's so easy to create, it makes it hard to think of a reason not to dress up this year. Grab an all-black outfit and some Post-Its to finish the costume.

woman and son wearing all black and colorful post it notes on the front
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

Workout Barbie and Ken Costume

After the massive success of the Barbie movie, it's a no-brainer to grab your Ken and go as the iconic duo.

SHOP KEN OUTFIT

SHOP BARBIE OUTFIT

man and woman next to each other wearing colorful pink and green workout attire looking like barbie and ken
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

Crayons Costume

We created templates for you to follow so you can easily recreate the hats (and yep, another look that works for adults). The rest of the look is made with some duct tape and your favourite sweats.

three kids dressed as red, blue and green crayons
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

'Emily in Paris' Costume

Season 4 of Emily in Paris was nothing short of spectacular, so dress like your favourite American in Paris with this simple costume idea. All it takes is a red skirt, a Breton top, a beret and you're on your way!

woman wearing a red beret, a red skirt and a black and white striped shirt
Photographer Mike Garten; Hair by Meron Weyante; Makeup by Marc Cornwall

Skeleton DIY Halloween Costume

Get ready for your comfiest Halloween yet! Grab a long-sleeve black shirt and a pair of black sweatpants. Then, cut or tear a piece of duct tape the length of a bone and place it on the clothing items. Draw the bone shape on top of the duct tape, peel the tape off and place it flat onto the cutting mat. Using an X-Acto knife, cut out the bone shape. Once you have finished cutting out your bones, you can re-stick them back onto the clothing.

diy skeleton costume shirt and pants against black backdrop
Hearst Owned

Vampire DIY Halloween Costume

No one will ever believe this costume is made from plastic tablecloths!

For the cape:

  1. Lay red and black plastic tablecloths on top of each other.

  2. Trim both to fit your height (you want about 45cm extra to fold over the top).

  3. Cut a scalloped edge along the top and bottom sides.

  4. Lay a piece of black ribbon about 45cm from the top of the tablecloths.

  5. Fold the tablecloths over the ribbon and tie them around your neck.

  6. Fluff the tablecloths as needed.

For the collar:

  1. Cut a 5cm thick strip of printer paper to fit around your neck comfortably.

  2. Accordion fold rectangle doilies and large round doilies cut in half. Attach them to the paper strip with a glue stick or double-sided tape.

  3. Glue a ribbon around the paper strip to fasten it around the neck.

homemade red and black vampire costume against a black backdrop
Hearst Owned

Sea Anemone DIY Halloween Costume

Here's one way to make an entrance. Blow up long, pink balloons and attach them by the knot to a pink shirt with safety pins. Sprinkle in a few context clues, so people can figure out what you're dressing up as, like a felt crown embellished with plastic fish.

woman wearing blown up pink balloons and pale blue pants
Mike Garten

Cloud and Rainbow DIY Halloween Costume

You can't have a rainbow without some rain, after all! This adorable mother-daughter duo costume will add some colour to your Halloween.

woman wearing a yellow raincoat and rainboots with a cloud umbrella and a child holding a rainbow sign
Danielle Occhiogrosso

'Men in Black' DIY Halloween Costume

Here's an easy last-minute costume for couples or BFFs: Just put on your best black suit, a tie, and a pair of sunglasses to recreate the iconic look from Men In Black!

a man and woman dressed in black suits and shades with a dog in a suit and tie costume standing between them
Mike Garten

Green With Envy DIY Halloween Costume

We're suckers for an adorable pun and this is one for not just couples, but friends and family too! With a green and white shirt, you're just four letters away from one of the best (not to mention, easiest) costumes ever.

woman wearing a green shirt and a man wearing a white shirt that reads envy
Kathryn Wirsing

Robots DIY Halloween Costume

"Beep, boop" your way into a Halloween bash with these robot outfits. Simple cardboard boxes and colored paint are all that's needed to make these semi-realistic mechanical fits.

Get the tutorial at Tell Love and Party

four people dressed in colorful diy robot costumes
Tell Love and Party

Sriracha DIY Halloween Costume

Use this sriracha design for your shirt and fold a piece of craft foam into a cone to create the bottle cap.

woman wearing a diy siracha costume with a red shirt and green headpiece
Sarah Hearts

Bjork Swan Dress DIY Halloween Costume

This costume was inspired by Icelandic artist Björk's dress worn at the 73rd Academy Awards. Create your own swan head or purchase one to sew into a white dress or tutu.

Get the tutorial at A Beautiful Mess

woman wearing a diy swan dress
A Beautiful Mess

Flapper DIY Halloween Costume

Flapper girls were iconic during the 1920s and you can easily DIY their look using pearl beads, an old-fashioned dress and patterned stockings.

woman wearing a diy flapper black costume with pearls gloves and tights
A Beautiful Mess

Ketchup and Mustard DIY Halloween Costume

Add some bright colour to your Halloween with these simple red and yellow costumes.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY

two women, one dressed in a yellow dress and another in red
Studio DIY

Raining Men DIY Halloween Costume

Hallelujah, here's a costume that's weather-proof and will inspire a night of karaoke. Tape cutouts of your favourite guys — George Clooney, Prince Harry, to list a few — to a clear umbrella, then wear rain boots and a trench coat to complete the look.

Get the tutorial at Studio DIY

woman wearing a trenchcoat and yellow rainboots holding a clear umbrella with face cutouts raining down from it
Studio DIY

Sia Halloween DIY Halloween Costume

Here's a cheap thrill: The only thing you need to buy for this Sia costume is her signature two-toned wig. If you have a plus one, convince them to dress up as Maddie Ziegler, so you can be a well-rounded pair.

Get the tutorial at Sew Bake Decorate

woman dressed in a black dress, white jacket and white and black bang wig
Sew Bake Decorate

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