When it’s late October and you’re still looking for a costume
You’ve been invited to go out with friends on Halloween night, yet your costume ideas seem to be vacant. You have no time because midterms and assignments are constantly shifting your schedule and pushing that “day off.” Depending on what you’ve accumulated in your closet, you could find a costume just in time for that night out. Here are a couple of last minute DIY Halloween costume suggestions.
Bank robber
Do you have any black and white striped shirts laying around? If you do, you’re in luck. Wear that, put on a hand crafted black eye mask, and ta da! You’re a thief. I mean, you’re just borrowing this idea. Top it off with black shoes, black pants, and a black hat and you’re on your way to becoming a classic robber.
Town sheriff
Grab that old cowboy hat, a pair of boots, and a nice pair of blue jeans. Pair those with a plaid shirt and a vest and you’ll be running the town in no time! You can create a badge by wrapping tin foil around a cardboard cut-out star. You can wear a yellow shirt underneath with a red neck tie and call yourself Woody from Toy Story. Just remember to get that snake out of your boot.
Storybook characters
A few costume dress ideas are a queen, princess, or a fairy princess—just add a handmade crown from paper or cardboard. A recognizable story time character that doesn’t take much effort is Wendy Darling from Peter Pan. This costume requires a blue dress with a blue bow in the hair. Another easy example is Alice in Wonderland—the costume requires a blue dress with a black headband and maybe add a stuffed rabbit to finish off the look.
For Little Red Riding Hood, all you need is a red hoodie, a hand basket filled with apples, and a red skater dress to wear overtop of leggings. If you have a friend that also doesn’t have a costume, ask them to tag along as the Big Bad Wolf. Just handcraft some gray or brown ears from felt or from some clothes that are small or worn out and attach them to a headband. Throw on some gray track pants and you should be good. Or, if you’re bold enough, pull out your granny’s old dress. Your friend doesn’t need to have bad breath to be a part of this costume—although that would be a nice addition.
Toga party
While a superhero t-shirt and a handmade mask might just save the night, if you’re not feeling high and mighty, a white bedsheet wrapped with a rope around you can easily look like a discounted Greek god or goddess. To top it off, super-glue some leaves to an elastic headband to create a laurel wreath.
There are many other possibilities, but these are just a few ideas to get you started. Just take a good look in your closet and use that imagination of yours. If you’re not satisfied, there can be more suggestions found online, such as DIY YouTube videos and Pinterest. Your DIY Halloween costume is only limited by your imagination and your interests. Just remember, the weather isn’t getting any warmer so wearing more layers will be ideal if you’re not indoors. Stay safe and have a Happy Halloween!
Photo by Fatima Buela