If you're anything like me you're probably half-way freaking out right about now, thinking, “OHHH, this Friday is Halloween? Uhhhh… What am I going to be?!” (Baby Henry is going to either be the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man or a Mischievous Monkey. I've been thinking about his costume for faaaarrr too long.) Let me tell ya, there are SO many costumes that you can create in 2 minutes flat from what you already have in your closets. OR, if you must buy something to create a costume make sure it can pull double-duty so you can wear the items from the costume in real life after Halloween.
Maximize the money. That's what it's all about.
My twin sister, Kelly, owns a buy-sell-trade store in Omaha, Nebraska, and it's called Scout: Dry Goods & Trade. She recently posted some shots to her Instagram of all these costumes that can be created using clothing items from her store. They're all easy to find items, and have that versatility thing going on for post-Halloween wear.
Easy and inexpensive = hell yeah.
28 Stupid-Easy Costume Ideas…
1. Girl Scout
With a tan collared shirt and skirt, a strip of paper sack for your sash, a “flight attendant” paper cap (here are some origami instructions on how to make your own girl scout cap), a low bun, and your 3 fingers in pledge position, you're set.
2. Cruella de Vil
With a furry collared coat, light jeans DIY-ed with splotches of black paint, red lipstick, a sassy expression, and a long, DIY cigarette holder (how to make your own cigarette holder) you're instantly transformed.
3. Wednesday Addams
Center-parted hair into pigtails, long-sleeve short black dress, black shoes, red lips, vacant stare.
4. The Dancing Emoji Lady
Red dress, red heels, and stiff dancing pose.
Let's keep the party going with even more Super-Easy Costumes Ideas…
5. Zombie-fy last year's costume with a $4 tube of fake blood and some dirt.
6. Tom Cruise from Risky Business (this one works for both guys and girls)
Over-sized, long-sleeve, white collared shirt, white tall socks, black sunglasses.
7. Person from the 80's
Lots of gel and some neon.
8. Scarecrow
A plaid shirt, jeans, a hat, messy hair, some eyeliner and lipstick that doubles as face paint (here's a How to do Scarecrow makeup tutorial).
9. Bank robber
Black and white striped shirt (or all black), black pants, black shoes, a piece of black scrap fabric with eye holes cut out and tied around your head, and a “loot” bag.
10. Baby
Your coziest pajamas and a pacifier from the grocery store
11. Protestor
An ex-boyfriend was this one year. He just wore his regular clothes, got a piece of poster board from the grocery store and wrote “Me Against This Halloween” on it.
12. Pig Pen Linus from Peanuts
Put on a red t-shirt, carry around a blanket with you and then let it drag on the ground. (Update 10/31/14: I had my Peanuts characters confused but, thankfully, a reader corrected me. If you did want to be Pig Pen that would actually be an even easier costume because you don't need a blanket. You can just be dirty!;)
13. Writer
This one is beyond easy. Grab a little notepad and a pen and carry it around with you. Done.
14. Skipper from Gilligan's Island
Sailor hat, short-sleeve, blue collared polo, and tan pants. Don't have a sailor hat? No problem, you can be…
15. A Best Buy Employee
Blue polo and tan pants. Only have a red polo? Then you can be…
16. A Target Employee
Red polo, tan pants.
17. A Tourist
Just add a fanny pack to any outfit. If you want to really go for it then add a camera around your neck, Bermuda shorts, sunglasses, and a plastic bag full of “souvenirs”.
18. Classic Ghost
Old (or thrifted) white bed sheet and cut out eye holes.
19. Waldo
Red and white striped shirt, red beanie, black rimmed glasses (bonus points if they are circle shaped), jeans.
20. Super Hero
Tear-up an old (or again, thrifted) bed sheet and make a cape out of it. Wear black under it and use construction paper to make yourself a chest emblem.
21. Mime
Black and white striped shirt, white gloves (can find them for a buck at any dollar store this time of year), white face paint, black beanie.
22. A “Nerd”
Wear a short-sleeve collared shirt buttoned up to the very top and khaki's. Then, wrap a piece of tape around the center of a pair of glasses.
23. Pumpkin Head: This is my husband, Aaron's, go-to “costume”. I always give him a hard time about it because it's so silly and easy but hey, it's also very cheap and simple so I gotta give him that. Get a pumpkin with a nice-looking stem that is roughly the size of the top of your head. Cut the top of the pumpkin off, then put some aluminum foil on the inside of it (because it can get a little itchy), and set it on your head. Then wear your regular clothes. If you want to get ambitious (or it the pumpkin won't stay put) poke holes into either side of the pumpkin by your ears and loop a piece of string through it to secure it to your head.
24. Bag of Jellybeans
Wear all black then cut arm holes and head hole into 1 large, clear, plastic trash bag, fill the bag with two packages of round multi-colored party balloons (about 30 balloons total), then tape the bag closed at the top and bottom.
25. A Bouncer
Wear all black, put on a blazer and some dark sunglasses, and slick back your hair.
26. Couch Potato
Wear your grimiest lounge pants, a baggy t-shirt, a messy ponytail, wrap yourself up in a cozy blanket, and then carry around a bag of chips and a remote with you.
27. Walter White
This Walter White costume is less obvious than the one most people would probably think of being (Heisenberg), and it's actually very similar to the Tom Cruise Risky Business costume if you think about it (collared shirt, undies) So, pull out a long-sleeve, green collared shirt. Tuck one side of the shirt into a pair of white tighty whities, then pull on tan, plaid or black socks and tan shoes.
28. And if all else fails, borrow a friend's costume from last year. 😉
What are you going to be for Halloween, and what other costume ideas do you know of that are super-easy that you can create from what you already own?
Big thanks to my sister Kelly for letting me use her pics above. If you're interested in any of the items give her store, Scout, a call at: (402) 964-2270.