25 DIY Halloween Costumes You Can Make in Under 25 Minutes

Halloween is just around the corner, and before any of us can say ‘boo,’ the mad dash for variety candy bags and last-minute costumes will begin. We’ve all been through the frantic scroll: “last-minute costumes,” “easy DIY costumes,” etc… More often than not, these “quick” costumes require at-the-ready artillery of ultra-specific craft items, turning your frantic scrolling into a frantic trip to the craft store.

If you feel spooky season sneaking up on you, don’t lose your head. We’ve compiled a list of 25 creative, punny, and culturally relevant costumes you can make in under 25 minutes with common household items and closet staples.

Nudist on Strike

What you’ll need:

• Any clothes you want (really, anything at all)
• A cardboard sign reading “NUDIST ON STRIKE”
  
  
  
  • Show up to the party clothed and hold your sign. Done.
  
  

Pig in a Blanket

What you’ll need:

• Your coziest blanket
• This pig ear and nose printable template
  
  
  
  • Fasten your pig ears to a headband, your nose to a string, cozy up in your blanket, and off you go!
  
  

Rosie the Riveter

What you’ll need:

• A blue button-up shirt
• A red bandana or scarf
• Optional: a union pin for the collar
  
  
  
  • To create this look, roll up the sleeves of your blue button-up, tie up your hair with a red bandana, and assume the signature “We Can Do It!” pose. For an extra touch of authenticity, add a union pin to your collar.
  
  

Formal Apology

What you’ll need:

• Formalwear of your choosing
• A sash emblazoned with an apologetic message
  
  
  
  • Use spare fabric or white poster board to create your apologetic sash. Don your fancy attire, and you are a formal apology.
  
  

Wednesday Addams

What you’ll need:

• A black skirt
• A black sweater
• White-collared shirt
• Black boots
• Black tights
  
  
  
  • Braid your hair into two pigtails, pop your white collar over the neck of your sweater, and don’t crack a smile. This is your costume. You are a homicidal maniac. They look like everyone else.
  
  

American Idol Contestant

What you’ll need:

• Any outfit you like
• This printable American Idol sign
  
  
  
  • Attach your contestant number to your shirt, and you’re set! Bonus points if you have an audition piece ready – the cringier and screechier, the better.
  
  

Human Skeleton

What you’ll need:

• An all-black, full coverage outfit
• This printable skeleton template
  
  
  
  • Print, cut, stick your skeleton “bones” on your all-black ensemble, and you’re done. A scarily simple costume that looks way more complicated than it actually is!
  
  

Pick Pocket

What you’ll need:

• A pair of pants or shirt with a pocket
• Any and all guitar picks you can find
• Optional: black cloth headband, scarf, or scrap fabric for mask
  
  
  
  • Affix your picks to your pockets. Make a bandit mask to really drive the joke home.
  
  

Bump in the Night

What you’ll need:

• A baby bump
• A black top
• Paper, styrofoam, or drawn-on stars
  
  
  
  • Cover your baby bump with stick-on or drawn-on stars, and that’s it! For the expecting mother and lover of puns.
  
  

Candy (w)Rapper

What you’ll need:

• Tracksuit or hoodie and jeans (silver and gold chains optional)
• Fun-sized candies (unopened or just the wrappers)
  
  
  
  • Tape your candy wrappers to your outfit – boom. You’re a candy rapper. Use unopened candies to create a 2-for-1 ensemble and for-later snack.
  
  

Suffragette

What you’ll need:

• A white collared blouse
• Long skirt
• Suffragette Sash (here’s one you can print off)
• Optional: Give Women the Vote! sign
  
  
  
  • With a huge election coming up in November, this costume couldn’t be more relevant: put on your Sunday best, sash, and sign and encourage people to vote in November, Sister Suffragette!
  
  

Tom Cruise from Risky Business

What you’ll need:

• An oversized men’s dress shirt
• Calf or knee-high white socks
• Black sunglasses
  
  
  
  • Because why mess with a classic? Hardwood floors to slide on optional, but preferred.
  
  

Smarty Pants

What you’ll need:

• Any pair of pants
• Optional: suspenders, “nerd” glasses, and calculator
• Smarties
  
  
  
  • Affix Smarties all over the front of your pants, belt, and pockets, and voila! You are a smarty-pants.
  
  

Queen of Hearts

What you’ll need:

• A red and black ensemble of any kind
• A few make-up essentials to recreate the Queen’s signature look
• An extra deck of cards
  
  
  
  • Create a stiff collar of cards to add to your red and black ensemble, paint on her signature red lip, and try to not scream “OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!” as soon as you walk into the room (or do, we’re not judging).
  
  

Beatnik

What you’ll need:

• Black skinny jeans, leggings, or tapered pants
• Black turtleneck (or: black and white striped top)
• Beret
• Round or cat-eye sun/glasses
• Black loafers, flats, or Oxfords
  
  
  
  • Just go with the flow, man. This beatnik costume is insanely easy and effortlessly cool. Don your all-black (or black and white) ensemble, have glasses and beret at the ready, and it wouldn’t hurt to have a few Allen Ginsberg verses memorized.
  
  

Pop Art Character

What you’ll need:

• A few make-up basics and this easy-to-follow tutorial
• Any outfit you like — the more retro the better
  
  
  
  • Create a unique Roy Lichtenstein-inspired character straight out of a midcentury comic book with make-up alone! Perfect for any age, gender, or outfit, this make-up look will wow partygoers (and make them forget that you’re wearing normal clothes).
  
  

Black-Eyed Susan

What you’ll need:

• This easy-to-follow black eye make-up tutorial
• A “Hello, My Name Is…” sticker (here is a printable template)
  
  
  
  • No other steps needed – create your black eye illusion, stick your ‘Susan’ sticker on your shirt, and you are officially a “black-eyed Susan.”
  
  

Sprinkles/Vanilla Ice Cream Cone

What you’ll need:

• White top and bottoms or white dress
• Popsicle sticks and markers
• Optional: ice cream cone headband
  
  
  
  • Color your popsicle sticks all the colors of the rainbow, and attach to your all-white ensemble to become: sprinkles! Turn your costume into an upside-down ice cream cone with this easy-to-make ice cream cone headband.
  
  

Regina George from Mean Girls

What you’ll need:

• A tank top
• A brightly colored bra or tank top
• Mini-skirt
• High heels
  
  
  
  • Recreate this classic look by cutting two holes in the chest of your tank top. Pair with a brightly colored bra or tank underneath, your favorite mini-skirt and heels, and you’re all set. Just please, for the love of all things plastic, don’t try to make fetch happen.
  
  

A Devil(ed) Egg

What you’ll need:

• A white top
• Yellow fabric/felt, fabric paint, or marker
• Devil horns (use this printable template to attach to a headband)
• Trident and horned tail (optional)
  
  
  
  • To create your yolk, attach a circular piece of fabric to the center of your white top (or use fabric markers/paint to draw it on directly), add your devilish fixings, and you’re a devil(ed) egg!
  
  

“Cat” Stevens

What you’ll need:

• An acoustic guitar (a ukulele or Guitar Hero guitar will get the point across, too)
• Cat ears
• Eyeliner for whiskers/cat nose
• A "Hello, My Name Is…" sticker
  
  
  
  • Revamp the classic cat costume with a punny twist: add a guitar and a “Hello, My Name Is…Stevens” sticker to your traditional ear-and-whiskers combo, and you’ve become Cat Stevens.
  
  

Fake News

What you’ll need:

• Newspapers
• A belt or waistband
• White t-shirt you don’t mind writing on
  
  
  
  • Attach a corner of each newspaper page to your belt or waistband to create a printed tutu/skirt. Write “FAKE” across your white t-shirt, and voila, you’re done.
  
  

Murder Hornet

What you’ll need:

• A black and yellow ensemble of any kind
• Black antennae (attach black pipe cleaners or cardboard to a headband)
• Fake blood or fake weapon (to look extra murderous)
  
  
  
  • Don your outfit, antennae, and murderous fixings to recreate one of the only things we actually managed to avoid in 2020.
  
  

Lana Del Rey á la Born to Die

What you’ll need:

• White collared shirt
• Gold hoops
• Lipliner
• Eyeliner
  
  
  
  • With your hoops, collared shirt, and LDR’s classic cat-eye and overlined lip look, you’re off to the races (wink, wink)!
  
  

Moira Rose from Schitt’s Creek

What you’ll need:

• The gaudiest, most mismatched black and white outfit you can find
• Gaudy, chunky, and layered jewelry
• Sky-high platform shoes
• Optional: a wig of any color, cut, or style
  
  
  
  • DA-vid!!! With the hundreds of outlandish, black and white ensembles Moira Rose has rocked over six seasons of Schitt’s Creek, you’re bound to find something in your closet to recreate the Dr. Clara Mandrake actress’ signature aesthetic.