12 Comfy, Clever Halloween Costume Ideas You Can Make from Stuff on Hand

Last minute Halloween costume ideas.

 It happens every year. You just start to notice that the days are slightly cooler and that the leaves are beginning to change and BAM, the next thing you know, it’s almost Halloween—and you need to come up with Halloween costume ideas. 

But who has time to go shopping or to sew anything? And spending money on a costume for one evening is annoying (and some of those costumes are really wasteful). Wouldn’t it be nice to put a costume together from stuff around the house? And that doesn’t necessarily look totally last minute…even though that’s exactly what it is!

Whether you are like the week-of-Halloween-last-minute or the day-of-Halloween-last-minute, we’ve got great, silly, classic and (importantly) comfy Halloween costume ideas below.

1. Static Cling – Wear all back and safety pin various articles of clothing, socks, washcloths, etc to yourself to depict static cling.

2. Raining Cats and Dogs – Dress up in your rain gear and affix stuffed cats and dogs to your umbrella, rain hat and/or slicker.

3. Risky Business – Show up at your neighbor’s Halloween party sans pants and don a oversize blue oxford shirt with white tube socks and a pair of Ray-ban sunglasses (pull your hair back) to channel that classic 80s flick. (Yes, wearing bike shorts under the button-down is recommended!)

4. Target Team Member – Most of us own khakis and a red shirt. Add a name tag and a headset and it will give you an excuse to be super-friendly and welcome people to the store—or party. Just don’t stop at Target on your way home!

5. Annie Hall – Borrow a vest and a tie and add baggy khaki pants to go as that iconic Diane Keaton heroine.

6. Rockabilly Chick – Roll up your jeans, find or borrow some Chuck Taylors and a plaid shirt, and roll your hair up in a bandana. Match it with a super red lip and lots of black mascara.

7. Lumberjack – Wear some work boots, a red plaid flannel shirt, a knit cap and yell timber every so often. If you do elect to carry an axe, consider a toy one!

8. Bats in the Belfry –  Cut out some bats from black construction paper and use wire or pipe cleaners to affix them to a black headband. Simple, fun!

9. Little Red Riding Hood –  Wear a red hoodie and carry a picket basket for a modern interpretation of Little Red Riding Hood.

10. Skeleton -Use this tutorial to take a plain white tee and turn into a sexy spooky cut out tee. Wear it over all black leggings and cami.

11. Minecraft – Craft a Minecraft blockhead from a cardboard box reclaimed from the recycling bin and covered with some construction paper to replicate that pixelated retro look.

12. Private Eye/Press –  If you are lucky enough to already own a khaki trench coat and a fedora, you’ve already got a cool costume. Add a “press pass” for a retro reporter look instead.

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Jen Wallace

Jen Wallace shares her indie life by writing about making, creating, cooking, learning, playing, decorating, and pretty much anything else that strikes her fancy from indie biz tips to the modern history of the American hemline.