Even if you aren't a skilled seamstress, there are several great ways that you can make a fabulous Halloween costume that is sure to be a hit on the big night. Not only do homemade Halloween costumes cost less, they also have more personality and style than the standard costume out of a bag.
Your homemade costume will fit better, be completely unique, and probably be of better quality than some of the cheap store bought costumes out there. Whether you are making a costume for yourself or for your child, there are plenty of easy ways to create a great costume.
For homemade Halloween costume ideas, start with a look in your closet. Outdated clothes you haven’t worn in years can form the basis for all kinds of costume ideas. If you keep a bag of basics instead of throwing away old clothes, you will have all kinds of pieces that can be put together in interesting ways.
1Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Go Retro
One of the easiest ways to make use of old clothes in your closet or attic is to create a retro costume. If you have clothes from the 80’s, you can put together an easy Halloween costume inspired by that decade. Dress as one of the celebrities of the era, like Madonna or Cyndi Lauper, or pull out that old white suit and create a Miami Vice costume that everyone who remembers the popular show will absolutely love. If you need accessories, they can be located at thrift stores for very little money – or you could ask friends and family if they have anything from the era to donate. For a 70's costume, see if you can locate a pair of bell bottom pants. You can put together similar costumes from all the past decades simply be raiding your own closet and those of older relatives.
2Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Witch
An easy idea for a woman's costume is a homemade witch costume. Look for a black dress or skirt and top, preferably one with some lace detailing or other accents. Then all you need to do is pick up a witch hat and grab your broom – the total cost of the costume will be only a few dollars. If you happen to have a pair of lace-up boots, they will complete the costume beautifully.
3Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Princess
Have an old bridesmaid dress in your closet? It makes the perfect princess gown for either an adult or a child. A dress that was cocktail length on a grown woman might be floor length for a girl. Some minor alterations might be needed, but you will need only a little costume jewelry or a plastic tiara, available at dollar stores, to complete the look.
4Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Robot
A classic homemade costume for a child is the robot. You will need some cardboard boxes and pieces of flexible tubing, such as dryer tubing. Find a box that is the appropriate size to be the body of the robot, and cut out a neck hole as well as two arm holes the size of the tubing's diameter and two leg holes. Spray paint everything silver. When it dries, you can paint or draw on buttons and control panels on the front and sides of the box. Make sure to cut the tubing to about wrist length on your child’s arms, allowing for the stretching of the tubing. That’s all it takes to create this Halloween favorite!
5Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Psycho
The psychotic killer of horror movie fame is an easy Halloween costume to create. Take old clothes and stain them with red food coloring, paint, or even ketchup (wash the clothes without any soap to leave stains that appear faded) to resemble blood. An old hockey mask, available at used sports equipment stores, is the perfect added touch to this costume. Pick up a plastic knife prop, or make one yourself out of wood or cardboard, and get ready to spread some Halloween screams!
6Homemade Halloween Costume Idea: Rock Star
A perfect and easy homemade costume for a child is a rock star costume. Let them use a little of your hair gel to spike their hair up into a rocker style. Let them pull on a pair of old jeans with strategic rips in them, and a black t-shirt with an interesting image on the front. Play microphones can be picked up for a few dollars to finish the rock star image, or let them carry a toy guitar or drumsticks you may already have around the house.
7Used Halloween Costumes
If you don't want to make your own costume, consider visiting a thrift store where you can purchase used costumes at a fraction of their retail price. Most people wear a costume once and then discard it – especially children who will outgrow their costumes and not be able to wear them again. Thrift stores wind up with a great selection of costumes that are in excellent shape – you could find exactly the costume you have been dreaming of for a price you couldn't have imagined!
Halloween is a time to have fun, dress up, and live out a fantasy. There's no reason that fun has to be of the expensive variety. While commercially available costumes are the popular choice these days, there was once a time when homemade Halloween costumes ruled the streets. Who doesn’t remember seeing kids in dad’s suit coat and carrying his briefcase, or in a sheet with eyeholes cut out? Halloween is about the fun, and not the cost of the costume.
Homemade Halloween costumes are not just cheap – they are a lot of fun. The thrill of hunting down just the right pieces to pull together that perfect costume may be lost on some people, but for those who want to save money and also love Halloween, it’s part of the celebration. Odds are you have some pieces right under your roof just waiting to become your next Halloween costume – why let them go to waste? Keep your eye out for item you can use, and put them away even when Halloween is months away. When it comes time to create your perfect costume, those little treasures can make all the difference!
