Halloween is the time of the year where people go all out with original, creative, and unique costumes and it’s exciting as everyone looks forward to seeing some epic Halloween costumes. That’s why some people prepare in advance, putting together their carefully created costumes to show off. But who says you need all that time? You’re not the only one who might be wondering how you can dress up for Halloween without a costume because lots of people stress about a costume, however, sometimes the best costumes are the last-minute DIY ones.
If time hasn’t been on your side and you need to come up with a last-minute Halloween costume idea, don’t stress — there are so many different options to choose from that you can easily put together and still have a killer costume (pun intended).
Instead of going with one of the top five Halloween costumes like a witch, vampire, cat, batman, or ghost, why not pick something different from this long list of last-minute Halloween costumes and be inspired to come up with your own DIY costume to stun the crowd.
Here are 75 DIY last-minute Halloween costume ideas to choose from this Halloween.
1. Wednesday Addams costume
Our favorite character from “The Addams Family” is a classic DIY Halloween costume that’s so easy to create. All you need is a little black dress, collared shirt, blank pantyhose, and black shoes. Then style your hair in braids and put on some dark makeup and there you go. Super easy yet totally recognizable. RELATED: Halloween Trivia And Fun Facts About The Spooky Holiday
2. Kim Possible costume
Kim Possible is one of the most recognizable Disney cartoon characters that’s so easy to recreate. All you need is some green pants, a black shirt, and combat boots or black sneakers. Who cares if you don’t have red hair? (Though the costume is even more recognizable if you do) and you could do a cute couples costume with this one as your partner could dress as Ron.
3. Scarecrow costume
One of the most popular Halloween decor items in the Fall is a scarecrow, so why not dress up as one? This is one of the easiest costumes you can create as all you need is some of your makeup and a cute sunhat. Grab your trusted eyeliner and some red lipstick (or if you have face paint, even better) and draw some little circles on your cheeks and nose and create fake stitching lines and you’re done!
4. Waldo from “Where’s Waldo?” costume
We all know the iconic children’s book “Where’s Waldo?” and the best thing about this character is how easy he is to recreate. Pick one of your favorite striped shirts from your closet, add some jeans, a beanie, and some glasses, and you’re done. You can hide in party pics and see if your friends can spot you at the party.
5. Tinkerbell costume
Your favorite little fairy is a perfect Halloween costume to try and recreate. You just need a green mini dress, some tan flats or high heels, some white pom poms, and duct tape. Make a fold of duct tape that’s sticky on both sides and stick the pom poms to the front of your shoes, pin your hair up, and throw on your dress and you’re good to go.
6. Flower child costume
Everyone loves the 70’s fashion and style so why not travel back in time and create your own 70’s inspired costume. All you need are flared pants, big platform boots or sandals, some sort of knitted or crocheted crop top, lots of jewelry, and for the obvious statement, you can buy or make a homemade flower crown.
7. French Kiss costume
We all know them by the iconic face-painted rockers in KISS. Create a play on words with some classic French staple items for a French Kiss. Paint your face like a KISS bandmember and wear a classic French striped shirt and beret. Even better if you have a baguette or bottle of French wine to hold with you through the night.
8. Rosie the Riveter costume
The iconic staple image from World War 2, Rosie the Riveter is a classic picture we all know and love, and what’s great about it is that it’s easy to recreate as well. You just need a denim shirt or jacket, a bandana or scarf, and some red lipstick. If anyone asks what your costume is, give them the flex of the arm and they will know right away.
9. A Hogwarts Wizard costume
Ever dreamed of being a student at Hogwarts? Fortunately, you can say you are on Halloween by dressing up in a school uniform with a tie in one of the Hogwarts house colors and a makeshift wand. All you need is a white polo, a sweater vest, a black tennis skirt, some knee socks, and oxfords or Mary Janes (or any other flats).
10. Bambi costume
Dressing up as a little Bambi is one of the most fun and creative costumes. It’s all about the makeup for this one and there are some creative makeup tutorials out there to help you get it just right.
11. Elle Woods costume
It’s your favorite Barbie-pink lawyer! Dressing up as Elle Woods can be so much fun and is a perfect costume for someone who owns a lot of pink in their wardrobe. All you need is pink everything: a pink jacket, top, skirt, shoes, purse, sunglasses, and it’s a plus if you have your own little bruiser.
12. Candy Rapper
If you ended up eating too much candy before Halloween and just want to wear a comfy sweatshirt, then this is the perfect costume for you. If you have some leftover candy wrappers in the trash don’t throw them away for good! Tape them onto a sweatshirt and then add a backward hat and a printout of your favorite rapper taped onto your sweatshirt.
13. Baby from “Dirty Dancing” costume
If you’re a killer on the dance floor, then this is the perfect costume for you. Dressing up as the character Baby is the ideal costume for the dance lover. All they need is a pink tank top, some high-waisted shorts, and white sneakers.
14. Smartypants costume
This is probably one the easiest costumes you can create as it’s very recognizable and perfect if you’re a fan of the popular candy Smarties. All you need to do is tape some Smarties to your pants and wear some suspenders or fake glasses for the full effect. Just make sure no one steals any of the candy off your pants if you go to a party!
15. Velma Dinkley from Scooby-Doo costume
Dressing up as Velma for Halloween is perfect if you own a lot of orange in your closet. All you need is an orange sweater, red or orange skirt, orange socks, and some glasses and Mary Janes and you’re good to go.
16. Queen of Emoticons costume
Do you love using emojis? If so, you should dress up in this costume and everyone will get a good kick out of it. All you need is a yellow top and headband and a printer. Print out all your most used emoticons and tape them all over your shirt and make a crown of them on your headband.
17. Starbucks cup costume
This is an easy costume to create and perfect for all the coffee lovers out there. All you need is a bodycon white dress and brown paper bags. Tape the bags around your waist and then add a printed picture of the Starbucks logo on top of the brown paper “cupholder” and voila!
18. Risky Business costume
Hooray for another easy and iconic Halloween costume from the ’80s! Tom Cruise’s unforgettable dancing scene in “Risky Business” wearing underwear and an oversized white button-down shirt makes a fun and easy costume. Most people add the touch of some black sunglasses as the movie cover features Cruise’s face wearing sunglasses.
19. Black Cat costume
I’m a cat, duh. Not every costume needs to be full-on, but making your own DIY cat ears and wearing all black can help create the effect. All you need to do is cut out the shape of cat ears and tape onto a headband and you’re done. For an accessory, you could carry a ball of yarn for the full effect.
20. Party Animals costume
Much like the animal costumes before, this idea is a really fun and easy costume for you and a group of friends. You can all wear DIY paper animal ears of some sort and simple makeup, and then put on a party dress and carry a glass of champagne around with you as you and your party animals take over the room.
21. Fall Spices costume
Who doesn’t love some cinnamon and pumpkin spices in the fall? If you do then why not dress up with a friend as pumpkin spice and cinnamon? All you need is a red apron and a printout of a spice label taped to your chest.
22. Farmer costume
Love going grocery shopping and buying local vegetables and fruits? If so, why not dress as a friendly farmer? All you need is a flannel, some overalls, and you’re done.
23. When life gives you lemons costume
You’ll be the life of the party with this unique DIY costume. Everyone knows the Game of Life font, and with you carrying a basket of lemons everyone will get the joke. You just need a white t-shirt and a taped printout of the game of Life logo and a basket of lemons.
24. Ghost costume
Photo: Tandem X Visuals / Unsplash Ghost but make it sexy. The classic costume is made out of a sheet and eyeholes. All you need to do is cut out some eyeholes in an old white sheet and crop the sheet to look like a mini dress and throw on your favorite heels and you’re good to go.
25. 80’s jazzercise costume
The classic stereotypical exercise outfit from the ’80s is awesome for you if you’re an exercise junkie. It’ll make perfect sense for you to dress up in this costume. You just need a headband, some leg warmers, bright leggings, and a bodysuit. RELATED: 30 Matching Best Friend Halloween Costume
26. Bat costume
Do you have an old umbrella that’s holding on by a thread? Why not take it apart instead of throwing it out and use it to make some bat wings. Just cut the umbrella in half and safety pin it to the inner side of a black sweatshirt and do the same with any leftover fabric and make some bat ears and duct tape to the hoodie.
27. Killer housewife costume
Love the 1950’s style and horror movies? Why not mix the two together and become the ultimate killer housewife. All you need to do is dress up your hair pin-up style, throw on a frilly dress and make a makeshift apron but cutting it out of a white sheet. Then add some ketchup or red paint to the apron and make a fake knife out of a cardboard box and duct tape.
28. Gauzy Ghost costume
If you have any leftover gauze from decorating, why not use it for a DIY ghost costume? All you need to do is distress it with a pair of scissors and drape it all over you wearing a black long sleeve top and black leggings. Even better if you wear some black face paint for the full spooky effect.
29. Nerd costume
Once again a classic but easy costume to make. Have an old pair of glasses or old sunglasses you don’t use anymore? Pop a lens out and put some white medical tape around the middle part of the glasses. Then put on some jeans, a button-up blouse, suspenders, a bowtie, and some converse on for the perfect stereotypical nerd costume.
30. Rock Legends costume
Have a group of friends that need a costume theme with you? Look no further than rock and roll icons like Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, and Elton John. For each legend, you need the most over-the-top glittery outfit you can imagine and have fun! However, if you decide to do those three specific icons, Freddie needs a mustache, Bowie needs a red-painted lightning bolt over his eye, and Elton needs the most dramatic sunglasses ever.
31. Snow white costume
Snow white is one of the easiest Disney princesses you can do because her outfit is so simple. You don’t need a short bob for this costume because the main elements will tell anyone that you are snow white. All you need is a blue shirt, a yellow skirt, a red ribbon used as a headband in your hair, and an apple.
32. Dunkin’ Donuts costume
This is the perfect costume for you if you’re a fan of Dunkin’ Donuts and love basketball. This costume also is guaranteed to be a hit at a party. You just need a basketball jersey, a basketball, a blow-up donut floaty (preferably a children’s size one that’s small), and a Dunkin donut cup.
33. Polka dots costume
Sometimes a costume can be as simple as dressing up in polka dots. This is also a great option for someone with a lot of clothing with dots on them. All you need is some paper cutouts of circles and tape them all over yourself if you don’t already have any polka dot clothes. You can even tape some to your hair and draw polka dots on your face with makeup.
34. Copy cat costume
The best costumes are the ones with funny puns. We all know Ctrl-C means copy, so what if you dress as a cat and tape a copy sign to your shirt? Easy yet effective.
35. Queen of hearts costume
Have a deck of cards and a red dress? Then you can easily dress up as the queen of hearts with a DIY card neck ruff. All you need to do is tape the cards on top of each other sort of spread out and then tape to a bobby pin and secure it on the back of your head so it looks like a traditional ruff. Put on your red dress and some white and red makeup and you’re now the queen of Halloween.
36. Cat and Dog from “CatDog” costume
We all saw the classic cartoon “CatDog,” but did you ever think you could dress up as them for Halloween? If you have a friend in mind who still doesn’t have a costume you should propose this idea and see what she thinks. All you need is a yellow oversized t-shirt, some yellow socks, and some orange and yellow craft paper as you’ll cut out cat and dog ears and then orange spots to tape onto the shirts.
37. Starry night and rainbow sky costume
This is another fun costume you and a friend could do as one friend is the starry night and the other the rainbow. This is as simple as it sounds one person dresses in all blue with paper clouds taped to them with a rainbow headpiece and the other a black dress with a star headpiece and stars taped to them.
38. Sleeping Beauty costume
This isn’t exactly the Disney princess Sleeping Beauty costume you might be thinking of. A sleeping beauty costume can be a girl in full-beat makeup in pajamas carrying a pillow. All you need to do is pick out your favorite pajamas, bathrobe, and do a beauty-style makeup look. Don’t forget to bring a pillow!
39. Men in Black costume
Who says only men can dress up as characters from “Men in Black”? This is an easy yet recognizable costume you and a friend can do together. All you need is a black blazer, dress pants, tie, and sunglasses.
40. It’s raining men costume
Have too many celebrity hotties you’re crushing on and can’t pick one? Why not have them all and bring them out with you and make it rain men. All you need is an umbrella and some string and cutouts of printed pictures of your favorite celeb crushes taped to the umbrella as if they are little rain droplets.
41. Social butterfly costume
42. Smart cookie
Have an old graduation gown from college or high school that you haven’t touched in years? Why not put it to use again by sprucing it up a bit? Tape cookie pictures onto it and the back of your cap and you’re not a smart cookie!
43. Elliot from E.T. costume
Love the movie “E.T.” growing up? Have a dog you can make a part of your costume? Then you should dress up as the kid Elliot in a red hoodie and jeans and put a white blanket around your pet and you’re all set to hop on a bike and ride to space.
44. Bob Ross and a happy little tree costume
45. Beanie Baby costume
Beanie Babies are universally known stuffed animals and once anyone sees the Ty icon they will know. All you need is a cardboard cutout in the shape of a heart and then paint on the words “Ty” and then dress as any animal you want.
46. Lazy Cinderella costume
Cinderella has her days off too, where she just wants to wear a sports bra and sweatpants and chill out. You can dress up as your favorite Disney princess on a lazy day by dressing up in some blue loungewear and adding her classic black choker and putting your hair in a bun.
47. Sabrina Spellman costume
48. Zombify your costume from last year
Who says you can’t use the same costume you had last year, especially if it was an expensive one? A great way you can change it up is if you zombify it. Put some fake blood all over and distress it a bit. Wear some creepy face makeup and you’re all set.
49. Classic tourist costume
This is an easy costume you can recreate and it will actually look like a costume. You know the stereotypical tourist, the one who wears a fanny pack, a tropical-themed shirt, dad shoes, and a bucket hat. You could also carry around a little disposable film camera for the mems as well.
50. Sally Seashells costume
Do you know the shady character that sells watches in his coat? This is the same idea except Sally sells seashells by the seashore in her trench coat. All you need is a hot glue gun and some old shells you might have gathered at the beach and glue them to the inside of an old trench coat. RELATED: 70 Best Funny (And Punny!) Halloween Costume Ideas
51. Chip and Joanna Gaines From ‘Fixer Upper’ costume
Everyone has to know this classic HGTV duo named Chip and Joanna Gaines — if you don’t know the names, look them up! You might have seen them before. Dressing up like this couple is very easy. All you need is a denim button-up shirt tucked into denim skinny jeans and brown booties.
52. Pantone couple costume
If you love a good monotone outfit then this is perfect for you. All you need to do is dress up in a stylish monotone outfit with your partner and once you have it on, you can tape a Pantone label to the front of your skirt or blazer.
53. Dionne and Cher from “Clueless” costume
The 90’s cult classic film will never go out of style. We all know and love “Clueless” for its iconic outfits and dressing up as its characters Dionne and Cher are perfect for you and your bestie. You can try to recreate Cher’s iconic yellow plaid blazer and skirt combo and Dionne’s preppy and cute black and red outfits.
54. Arthur from “Arthur” costume
The kid’s cartoon character we all know and love making fun of. Arthur is a really easy costume you can recreate. All you need to have is some blue jeans, a white collared button-up shirt, and a yellow sweater. Then you can make makeshift Arthur ears with some paper and cardboard and tape to a headband.
55. Kermit “tea” meme costume
This is one of the most iconic memes that you can easily dress up as. All you need to wear is a green long sleeve shirt with little light green triangles hot glued or taped to the neckline, and wear a sign around your neck that says “But That’s None of My Business…” while holding a tea mug.
56. Celestial goddess costume
Do you love astrology and the stars? Why not dress up like a starry goddess and guess everyone’s astrological sign at a party. All you need to wear is clothing with printed stars on it and a star crown.
57. Old married couple costume
This is a wholesome and cute couples costume you and your partner could do as you’ve traveled in time and turned into an old married couple. All you need to do is wear some old pajamas, a bathrobe, and paint your faces giving each other some wrinkles and lines all over your face.
58. Minnie mouse costume
It’s not too hard dressing as Minnie Mouse as her outfit staples are very easy to recreate. In order to be the perfect Minnie mouse, you need a giant bow, a polka dot skirt, or dress, some high heels, and of course her iconic mouse ears.
59. Betty and Veronica from “Riverdale” costume
A blonde and the brunette best friends can get in on this couple’s costume idea as it’s very easy to recreate a Betty and Veronica look. Bettys outfits are often very pretty and pink so make sure to stick to that if you are betty and don’t forget to put your hair in a high pony. For Veronica’s outfit, it’s more of an edgy and dark-themed outfit so stick to blacks and purples. 60. Skeleton costume Dressing up as a skeleton isn’t as hard as you might think it is. All you need to do for a simple skeleton idea is to cut up an old white t-shirt front into little strands like a ribcage. Wear a black cami underneath the distressed white t-shirt and tape a pink heart on the shirt. Then all you need to do is paint your face and draw and fill in really dark black circles on your eyes.
61. Brawny man costume
You know the guy who looks like a lumberjack on the paper towels. That’s the Brawny paper towel man and his outfit is very easy to recreate, as it’s just a black and red flannel with a white undershirt and jeans.
62. Pineapple costume
If you’re a big fan of yellow then this is the perfect costume for you as yellow takes up most of the outfit. For a Pineapple costume, all you need is a yellow dress, and a DIY green paper stem, All you have to do is tape green pieces of paper flaring out on a paper towel roll and structure it to stay on a headband and now you’re a pineapple.
63. Bubble bath costume
Love bath bombs, bath salts, and everything that has to do with relaxing in a tub? Why not become the bubble bath by taping clear balloons to your outfit and wear a shower cap.
64. Purple shirt emoji girl costume
We all know her, the woman emoji with the purple shirt and the many expressions. This is one of the easiest and recognizable costumes you can dress up as. All you need is a purple top, although, you should also memorize all of her movements so if someone asks you’re prepared.
65. The Bachelorette costume
When posting premiere photos on Instagram, The Bachelorette account always makes their bachelorette wear some sort of glittery or eye-catching mini dress holding a rose. If you have some friends who actually watch the show and know what it is, then dressing up in a sparkly dress holding a bouquet of roses will surely make heads turn as they recognize who you are.
66. Pop Art character costume
Love Roy Lichtenstein? Why not be the cartoon woman by painting your face into a cartoon character made of dots. Create your pop art fantasy makeup look and show off your skills.
67. Cruella costume
68. Dancing girl emojis costume
This emoji is perfect for you and your bestie to recreate, the twins dancing emoji with the black unitard and weird little ears. All you need is is a black t-shirt and some black shorts and socks and create little paper ears that fold over and tape them to a headband.
69. The Rose family from “Schitt’s Creek” costume
The family we all know and love for their bold fashion looks and bushy eyebrows. This is perfect for a group of four friends as everyone has a unique and recognizable character. David needs some sort of black and white sweater, Moira needs a lot of statement jewelry and a crazy wig, Alexis needs some sort of floppy sunhat and floral dress, and Johnny needs a nice suit and bushy eyebrows.
70. Debbie from “The Wild Thornberrys” costume
Debbie is the older sister we all know and love because she’s so iconic. Her long blonde crimped hair is easily recognizable in a cropped orange top, green flannel, and some baggy jeans.
71. Kimmy and Titus from “Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt” costume
Kimmy is known for her bright and colorful outfits and Titus always has a beautiful scarf draped over him for dramatic effect. If you want to dress up as Kimmy, you need some bright-colored pants and a cardigan with a printed shirt that matches and pair it with a backpack and some sneakers. For Titus, he wears some sort of patterned pants or shirt with a stylish jacket and a scarf.
72. Jonathan Van Ness from “Queer Eye” costume
If you have silky long brown hair then this is the perfect costume for you. Jonathan Van Ness almost always wears something stylish but his intro outfit from “Queer Eye” is a white or black t-shirt with some skinny jeans and some booties to finish the look. Add a little neck scarf or a cardigan to accessorize.
73. Holly Golightly costume
Love “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”? Why not dress up as Audrey Hepburn’s character Holly Golightly? All you need to do is pin up your hair in a bun and wear some fancy statement jewelry, a midi black sleeveless dress, some black heels, and black gloves.
74. Burt Macklin and Janet Snakehole from “Parks and Recreation” costume
If you’ve ever watched NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” you know who these Halloween characters are. In order to be Janet Snakehole, you need to dress in 1920’s style in all black, a little hat with mesh embellishments, with a black mini dress, and a fake cigarette holder. Burt Macklin needs a white shirt, basic tie, khaki pants, and a blue bomber jacket with FBI in yellow lettering taped to it.
75. Sexy Patrick Star costume
Photo: Nickelodeon We all know and love the sexy Patrick meme from “Spongebob.” All you need is a pink long-sleeve t-shirt, pink leggings, fishnet tights, black knee-high boots, and green shorts. RELATED: 21 Easy Halloween Costume Ideas For Women (That Aren’t Totally Overdone) Megan Hatch is a writer at YourTango who covers news & entertainment, love & relationships, and internet culture. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram. YourTango may earn an affiliate commission if you buy something through links featured in this article.
