76 Easy Last-Minute Halloween Costumes to DIY or Buy
From crafty ideas rummaged from your closet to fast-shipping ready-made options, we've got you covered.
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Time flies when you’re having fun—and there’s lots of fun to be had in the lead-up to Halloween. But what happens when it’s crunch time and you still haven’t planned your costume? You need ideas for easy last-minute Halloween costumes stat!
In this hour of crisis, we would like to introduce you to your new best friends: your craft bin, the far reaches of your closet, and Amazon Prime two-day shipping. Because whether you decide to go the DIY costume route or the store-bought route, we’re going to get through this together. (Hey, we’ve all procrastinated at one time of another.)
From pop culture costumes to funny pun costumes, we have loads of good ideas that can work or any age—plus some last-minute couples costumes and family costumes to boot. Best of all: Plenty of them check that all-important “cheap and easy” box.
Need more inspiration: Delve into our collections of DIY costumes for women and men, as well as easy costumes for kids and teens.
Paint Swatch Halloween Costume
Calling all old house lovers and makeover mavens! Creating this paint swatch costume is super easy and cheap, and can be done with items you likely already have at home, so you won’t have to spend a lot of money (or time!) to achieve Insta-worthy results.
50s Diner Couple Halloween Costume
Check out some local thrift stores for an old-school red dress, bonus if it has polka dots or buttons for an extra 1950s look. If thrift stores aren’t your thing, we found this Vintage Inspired Swing Dress on Amazon that worked perfectly. Pair it with a ruffled apron, and top it off with a paper diner hat. Finish the look off with any classic black and white shoes like Oxfords, Converse or Keds, and a pair of ruffled socks. For the waiter, pair a button down shirt with a red vest and bow tie a classic pair of black and white Oxfords or Converse. And don’t forget that paper hat!
"Jolene" Halloween Costume
This outfit based on Dolly Parton's iconic song is going to be as popular as it is easy! For those of us without flaming locks of auburn hair, search for an auburn-red wig. Next, download and print out this name tag that says “Hello My Name Is Jolene” and attach it to a plain shirt. Finish the look with your best pair of jeans and cowgirl boots.
Sad Swiftie Costume
Print a screenshot of the infamous ticketing waiting screen on a 18 by 24-inch foam board at a local printer or UPS store. Add pink grosgrain ribbon and wear it around your neck like a necklace. Pair with your favorite Eras-inspired look and a few tear-shaped rhinestones on your cheek.
Balloon Darts Halloween Costume
It’s a costume and a game! Start with a white tri-fold presentation board. Create stripes with blue 1 1/2-inch painter’s tape, with strips spaced roughly 1 ½ inches apart. (You could paint your own stripes, but this tactic is much faster!) Mount hanging monkey prizes on the outside flaps, securing to the board with twist ties. Drill five columns of four holes in the middle of the board. Blow up small dart balloons, then stick the balloon ties through the holes. (If desired, you can secure the balloon ties in place using painter’s tape on the board’s back.) Add "Balloon Darts" signage and a decorative chain of fair tickets. Drill two holes at the top of the board to accommodate a length of grosgrain ribbon to wear around the neck. Use a hot glue gun to cover a plain drugstore headband with a strip of paper tickets; add a couple of balloon darts.
"Wagon Wheel" Halloween Costume
Seek inspiration from Darius Rucker's country song for this idea. Sift through your local thrift store for a small decorative wheel or purchase one online. String some suede cord through the spokes to make a necklace. (We suggest doubling up the cord to help hold the weight.) Then, don your best country duds and finish with cowboy boots!
Nancy Drew Halloween Costume
Take inspiration from our favorite teenage detective. Pair a yellow cardigan—this one’s the perfect shade—and a white collared shirt with a plaid yellow pleated skirt. Accessorize with a yellow headband, a vintage flashlight or binoculars, and a couple of vintage Nancy Drew books.
Painter Halloween Costume
Raid your closet or a local thrift store for overalls, a striped shirt, and a bandana. If you don’t have overalls, oversized jeans will do! For extra flair, accessorize with a paintbrush from the garage and use a paint bucket in place of a trick or treating bag. Add some paint splatters to the outfit, and voila! You’re ready to go.
This is sure to be a popular look this Halloween after Jenna Ortega's famous scene from Netflix's Wednesday became a TikTok dance craze. If there's more than one Wednesday at the party, a fun dance-off is in order!
In the words of one happy Amazon reviewer, "This thing is great. It’s not a costume; it is an actual dress. The mesh is nice and soft, and it is very lightweight."
Complete the look with Wednesday's updo version of her signature braids.
Last-Minute DIY Cactus Costume
There's still time to pull together this prickly look! Simply cut pieces of white pipe cleaner into smaller sections (use white yarn in a pinch). Bend into V-shapes, and sew or hot-glue onto a green hoodie or long-sleeve T-shirt. Add a red flower topper, and you're ready to go!
Last-Minute DIY Zombie Costumes
Looking for an easy costume that starts with normal clothes? Instagrammer Collette Wixom of @ministylehacker pulled together these super-impressive zombie costumes in about an hour. To make, she and her mom shredded old clothes using scissors and razor blades, then stained them with coffee grinds and attached grass using spray adhesive. Her formula for fake blood? "Three parts corn syrup, one part water, red food coloring, flour to thicken," she reports.
You and your better half go together like PB&J. Why not use that as inspiration for your last-minute couples costume? This one can be delivered to your doorstep asap.
Easy DIY Houseplant Halloween "Boxtume"
This costume may look complicated, but it's actually made from a cardboard Amazon Prime box, a round laundry basket, and other crafting supplies you likely have lying around the house.
Get the tutorial at A Beautiful Mess.
It doesn't get more last-minute friendly than download and print! Etsy shop LMEprintables has so many fun critter masks to choose from.
Dig into the last-minute concept by dressing up as a gamer who really just cannot be bothered with this funny t-shirt. Optional: Wear wireless gamer headphones around your neck to really drive it home.
Instagram vs. Reality Last-Minute Couples Costume
This couple's costume is both easy and hilarious. Instagrammer Casey Renee Rogers of @healthontherocks shared this version with red dresses, but the concept can work with any matching outfit you can pull together from your closets.
See more at @healthontherocks.
With Taco Tuesday still everyone's favorite day of the week, this quirky costume is sure to be a big hit this Halloween.
Easy Tinker Bell Costume
Swing by the costume shop for a pair of wings, or order on Amazon—there's still time for two-day shipping!
Get the tutorial at Color Me Courtney.
This tee can serve as the foundation for a funny zombie costume or as a last-minute shark bite victim costume to go along with your bestie's shark ensemble.
DIY Skeleton Cutout T-Shirt Costume
For this easy skeleton costume idea, all you need is a T-shirt you don't mind cutting up and some face paint. Start with a black or white T-shirt, and draw shapes on it to mimic the rib cage, then cut out using sharp fabric scissors. Don't worry about perfection here. Layer it over the opposite color T-shirt to complete the effect and finish with black and white face paint.
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