With only a couple of days until Halloween, it is crunch time. If you haven’t already figured out your Halloween costume, you might be panicking. Don’t worry, you aren’t the only one. With my procrastination, I am no stranger to the last-minute Halloween costume.
Maybe you weren’t planning on dressing up but got roped into attending a Halloween party. Maybe you have been so busy with work and life, you haven’t had time to create or buy a Halloween costume. Were you too busy creating your kid’s costumes, you forgot about yourself? There are so many reasons you might be a little late in thinking something up.
Luckily, Halloween thrives on creativity. There are infinite things you can dress up as for Halloween, and so many people have to DIY their costumes because they don’t sell the exact outfit at Part City or Spirit of Halloween.
Stores that sell Halloween costumed are wiped out of Halloween costumes by now anyway. Have you been to the Halloween aisle of Target? It has been relegated to one shelf while Christmas stuff is already popping up, filling the space Halloween once did.
So, if you are in need of some last-minute Halloween costume ideas, look no further. These costumes will be made with stuff you might already have around the house or stuff that you can easily buy from most retailers. These will be as easy and stress-free as possible, but still creative and fun!
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Individual Last-Minute Halloween Costumes
1. Plant Enthusiast
Throw on some denim pants, any shirt (bonus if it has plants/flowers on it), and a sun hat. Literally any old outfit you would wear to garden in.
The fun part is adding some props. My favorite is an empty terra cotta pot and a hand shovel. Or maybe a watering can. Whatever you have in your backyard that screams plant enthusiast will do. Bonus: you can use the pot or watering can as your bag. Store your phone, wallet, and keys in it! Just don’t leave it anywhere.
I can see someone really creative fashioning a strap to a plastic planter and creating the cutest purse. I’m definitely not that creative.
Any make-up lovers out there? Get creative with some plant-inspired looks.
2. Bookworm
I know, you don’t usually see book worms in public, so this is tricky. but from a fellow bookworm, here is what I would wear.
First, get into your comfy clothes that give academia vibes. I’m talking jeans, a big chunky sweater, scarf, and eyeglasses. If you already are a bookworm, wear some of your bookish merch!
Don’t forget the props. A book (of course), and an empty, or full, Starbucks coffee cup. Then enjoy sitting in the corner of the party, reading, and ignoring all of the socializing! That’s what I would do…
Want ideas for books to carry with you? Check out this post!
3. Cat
This one is so easy. First, put together your outfit. If you want to be a black cat, perfect for the spooky season, grab black pants, a black shirt, and some back shoes. If you want to be a tabby, go with orange. Any color cat will do, even a hot pink cat.
Now the important part, the face. If you have cat ears already, great, but you probably don’t. Luckily, paper will do just fine. Cut out two triangles of construction paper, or printer paper colored to match your cat outfit, and stick them to your head. You can glue your paper ears to a headband, or bobby pins, anything you already have around the house.
Can’t be a cat without whiskers. Grab some eyeliner or facepaint and create a kitty face with a nose and whiskers. And voila! You are a kitty cat!
4. A Pencil
This Halloween costume idea might require some purchases, but you can easily DIY this costume from your local craft store and Target.
First, find an entirely yellow outfit, including the pants and shirt. It is best if the pants and shirt are long because it will better create the illusion of a pencil. Next, grab some grey or black shoes. Those will act as the lead of the pencil.
If you want to be extra with this costume, use brown crew socks with this outfit to resemble the wood of a pencil.
Click here to purchase some pink gloves on Amazon!
For the eraser, you have two options. If you can find some pink gloves, grab them. When you clasp your hands over your head it will look like the eraser of the pencil. But I know pink gloves are hard to find, and you probably don’t have time to die some white ones. So, another option is to find a pink hat to act as the eraser. The hat can be any style, from a beanie to a baseball cap. Worst case, you can even find some pink construction paper and fashion yourself an eraser hat.
Click here to purchase a pink beanie from Amazon!
Don’t forget, you can also reverse this entire costume by having plack gloves/hat and pink shoes!
This is a perfect Halloween costume idea for teachers or anyone working in schools! Your students are sure to get a kick out of it.
5. Sports Fan
Got an old jersey laying around? Or maybe you are already a huge fan of sports. Then you will already have this costume in your closet.
Simply dress like you are going to a sports game. Comfy pants, bit sports jersey, sweatshirt, or t-shirt. Throw a hat and sunglasses on and you are all set.
If you want to go the extra mile, grab a prop! Maybe an empty soft-drink cup. Or even better, a piece of equipment from whatever team you are repping. Grab a football or a basketball and bring it with you! Might be fun to have at a party as well!
6. Tourist
This is the classic last-minute Halloween costume! People have been dressing up as tourists for years! And it can be really cute too!
Throw on some shorts, a tucked-in button-up shirt, and a straw hat. The props make this costume though, so don’t skimp out. Hang a camera around your neck, grab some sunglasses, and unfold a huge map to carry with you.
The bonus of this costume, you have a camera ready all night. You can capture memories of all your friends, or your kids as they go trick-or-treating.
7. Lifeguard
Another classic Halloween costume, the lifeguard. This one is fun if you aren’t planning on spending time outside… it can get pretty cold on Halloween night.
Find your swimming suit, throw a pair of shorts over it, and you have yourself a Halloween costume. It doesn’t have to be red, but it is certainly more recognizable if it is.
And like many other costumes, props are key. Add a whistle around your neck and a thick layer of sunscreen, or face paint, on your nose. If you have a kickboard laying around, you can carry that with you to complete the look.
Click here to get a fanny-pack and whistle from Amazon!
You can also find individual whistles on lanyards from Amazon here!
8. Jack-o-Lantern
Jack-o-lanterns are the best part of Halloween, prove me wrong. I love carving jack-o-lanterns, and I think they make great decor for the front porch. So why not dress up as one?
Get yourself in an entirely orange outfit. Then grab a green hat and add a homemade stem out of brown construction paper.
Now for the jack-o-lantern face, grab some black paper and cut out the spookiest, or cutest, face you can think of and attach it to your shirt. Easy peasy!
9. Ghost
Got an extra sheet laying around? With a few snips, it can be transformed into a ghost costume!
I have been loving the recent trend, where people do photoshoots in ghost costumes. It is so spooky and gothic, I love it.
So grab that old sheet you have been meaning to get rid of and give it a new life. Cut some holes for your eyes and mouth and you are all set. This is probably the easiest costume on this list.
Add some props like a hat or some sunglasses to really seal the deal with the spooky and funky ghost costume.
Couples Last-Minute Halloween Costumes
1. Celebrity Couple
Do you and your partner have a favorite celebrity couple? Dress up like them! Head to Instagram, select your favorite photo of them together and find clothes to match as closely as possible.
A fun game idea, make everyone guess who you are!
2. An Apple and a Worm
It might just be me, but this sounds like such an adorable costume. Perfect for a teacher and their partner. Or grab your kid and have them join in on the fun.
One person dresses in all red with a green hat, and they are the apple. The next person dresses in all green with little paper eyeballs on their head, or a headband with antennae sticking out of them, like below. Then attach some paper eyes on each antenna to create a worm costume.
Click here to purchase this headband with antennae!
3. Ketchup and Mustard
You don’t need those big costumes from the party store for this costume. You are only going to wear that once anyway.
For this costume, all you will need is an entirely red outfit and an entirely yellow outfit. For the nozzle, fashion some construction paper into cones and attach them to your head. Or purchase some party hats in red and yellow.
If you are feeling really crafty, you can go to the craft store to get some iron-on letters and spell out “Heinz” or “ketchup” on your shirt. Or just print out some black lettering from the internet and attach it to your shirt. Most craft stores sell printable iron-on paper, so you can find the ketchup and mustard logo and iron it onto your red and yellow shirts.
4. Mickey and Minnie Mouse
This costume will be super easy for any Disney adult out there, but it is still possible if you are not.
As close as possible, recreate Mickey and Minnie’s iconic costumes. If you can find a red polka-dot skirt, that would be perfect with a black top for Minnie. Maybe wear some red pants and overalls with a black shirt for Mickey.
Now for the ears. this is where being a Disney adult will help you out. I already own a pair of Minnie’s ears from my trips to Disneyland, so I am covered there. But not worry, just like the cat ears from above, you can make your very own out of a headband and some construction paper. Or purchase some if you have time!
Amazon sells a two-pack that would be perfect for a couple’s outfit, and they are way cheaper than buying them at the park. Add a bow for Minnie and you are all set.
Click here to purchase these mouse ears from Amazon!
5. Night and Day
Are you a couple with conflicting personalities? Or do you just want to pretend you do? Go as night and day this Halloween!
One person wears all dark clothes. Blacks and dark blues from head to toe. Add some silver or glow-in-the-dark stars to complete the look.
The other person wears all bright clothes. Golden shirt with yellow pants. Get a little crafty and use some construction paper and a headband to create sunbeams around your head. Or go a different route with a bright blue outfit, the color of the day sky. Attach some white fluffy clouds all over your outfit made from poly-fill or white construction paper.
6. Cow Wrangler and a Cow
Grab your western wear, I have a costume for you. One person dresses as a cowboy, cowgirl, or non-binary cow wrangler. The other dresses as a cow!
For the cow wrangler, wear some denim, all the denim you can find, and a western hat.
For the cow, wear all white and attach some black or brown spots to your outfit. Get crafty and create some horns with a headband and some construction paper.
Halloween is a fun holiday, there is no need to stress about what you are going to wear! I wouldn’t even be mad if someone showed up with that shirt that says, “This is my Halloween costume.” At least they got into the spirit!
I procrastinate in every part of my life, so Halloween is no different. These last-minute Halloween costumes have been a lifesaver for me. They are comfy to wear all night, and some of them keep people guessing!
Also, if you are a parent, and thinking about whether or not you want to dress up to go out trick-or-treating with your kids, do it. I promise they will remember that you put that effort in, and think of the adorable photos that will be taken! Memories for life.
