Let’s face it, you spend most of your Halloween preparation time finding the perfect costume for all your little ones, that every year you forget about yourself until the very last minute. It happens to even the most organized of parents! This year if you find yourself in the last minute bind, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. With a few items you have lying around your house, you can make the perfect costume that will make your children proud to take you trick-or-treating with them. Here are some super quick, easy DIY Halloween costumes for you to consider this year:
1. Cactus
A cactus may seem like a funny Halloween costume, but their prickly spines are pretty scary. Cactus costumes can be made from a variety of items you have lying around the house, but will still be soft enough that you won’t accidentally poke anyone.
How to make it:
Find any color of green shirt or dress, then pin on little spines made of green, yellow, or brown yarn knows (you can also use strips of paper if you don’t have yarn readily available). Then make a quick headband with a pink, purple, or yellow scarf, tied and fluffed. If you have brown, khaki, or green leggings, tights, or pants, you can look like a potted cactus. Then when you go out, make sure to hold your arms like a saguaro cactus and you’ll be set! Find a tutorial here.
2. Scarecrow
Scarecrows were made with items found around the house, so it makes sense that a scarecrow costume would be a perfect DIY Halloween solution. All you need is to find a few items that look country, some makeup, and you’ll be good to put it together.
How to make it:
Start by finding jeans or a denim skirt or overalls, then find a plaid shirt. If you have cowboy boots, grab those too! Then take your makeup and paint a scarecrow face with a bright red nose, rosy cheeks, and little black lines for seams. If you have any straw or hay lying around, tuck it into the corners of your neck, arms, or around your ankles. You can take your look further with a few fake birds or some large flowers. It’s the perfect scary, but not too scary, DIY costume. Find tutorials here.
3. Rosie The Riveter
Rosie the Riveter is a wartime hero that all moms want to be. She is the symbol of strength, hard work, and the American determination found in all our women. The best part is to be like Rosie the Riveter, you just need a few items you probably already have in your wardrobe!
How to make it:
Start by finding a denim shirt or light blue shirt and pair with jeans. You can also use denim overalls with a white t-shirt or a jumpsuit, anything that looks like clothes you’d wear to a factory. If you have a pair of black flat boots, they will make a great addition. Then find a red bandana, scarf, or strip of old fabric and tie up your hair. You can do a simple winged eyeliner and a little red lipstick if you’d like as well. If you want to accessorize, grab a tool from the garage. Just make sure that you flex your muscles during your Halloween celebrations. Find the tutorial here.
4. Your Favorite Animal
Animal costumes are pretty easy and can be made with a variety of things found around your house. These instructions are for a giraffe, but the same ideas can be used for a cat, mouse, horse–anything you can think of really!
How to make it:
First, you will need to pin your hair up to look like horns. This is pretty simple you just twist it and form little knots that are about 2 inches in length that you can then pin them in place and spray with hairspray. Next, you’ll make small ears. You can use paper, craft foam, or pipe cleaners, whatever you have, and then pin those in place. Then comes the fun part, simply paint your face with brown spots and a long nose to look like a giraffe. You can wear whatever or you can cut out some giraffe spots with old fabric, foam, or even paper and pin them onto your outfit for a full look. Find the tutorial here.
5. Fruit
Fruit is a great group costume idea and you could go with your whole family as a fruit bowl. You can be any type of fruit depending on what materials you have on hand, you just have to use a little imagination and some creative crafting.
How to make it:
Start by finding a dress or matching color top and bottom in your wardrobe. You can pick almost any color, but whichever one you pick will be the basis of your fruit. For example, for strawberries and raspberries, you can do pink or red, for grapes, limes or kiwis you can do green, for blueberries, blue, or for oranges, orange and lemons, yellow. Then think about the character of the fruit, does it have seeds? Leaves? What makes the fruit unique? Then add those finishing flairs with either fabric, craft foam, or paper. You can also do your makeup to match to make a full look! Find the tutorial here.
6. Makeup So Cool You Won’t Need A Costume
Sometimes you just don’t have anything to wear, but no worries here! With a great makeup look, you can even wear sweatpants and still be anything you want!
How to make it:
Simply grab your makeup kit or your children’s leftover paint and use your imagination. You can follow along with an internet tutorial or just simply go for it! You can be whatever you want with this costume! Find the tutorial here.
Holidays can be a lot of work for parents, that’s why I love Packages From Santa. I simply sign my kids up and they get a unique, personalized box right from the North Pole. It’s made Christmas a lot easier in my home. Now if only they had Packages from Jack-o-Lantern to make Halloween easy too!
