DIY Halloween Costumes: 30 Ideas for Everyone

[ГОЛОВНЕ ФОТО (прев’ю): компанія в саморобних костюмах на Хелловін біля ліхтарів-гарбузів]

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The best Halloween costume does not have to be shop-bought: with what is in your wardrobe, an old sheet, some cardboard and face paint you can create a look everyone will remember. Here are 30 DIY Halloween costume ideas for girls and boys, women and men, couples and last-minute 15-minute looks, plus tips on make-up, safety and a home party.

More on this topic: how to carve a Halloween pumpkin, Halloween bouquets and decor, Halloween wishes.

Halloween costumes for kids

For girls: 1) a little witch — black dress, tulle skirt, cardboard hat and a twig broom; 2) a bat — black top and wings made from an old umbrella; 3) a pumpkin — orange T-shirt with a pumpkin face and a green beanie; 4) a night fairy — dark dress, wire-and-tights wings and glitter; 5) a cat — black clothes, ears on a headband and painted whiskers.

For boys: 6) a skeleton — black outfit with bones made of white fabric or tape; 7) a mummy — white clothes wrapped in bandages (secure the ends); 8) a ghost pirate — striped top, eye patch and grey face paint; 9) a little vampire — white shirt, black fabric cape and painted fangs; 10) a robot — boxes, foil and bottle-cap buttons.

Safety. Masks should not block vision — face paint is better. Use hypoallergenic water-based paint and patch-test it on the wrist a day before. If kids are out after dark, add reflective details and a torch. Shorten long capes so nobody trips.For more party planning guides, see how to plan a party.

[фото: діти в саморобних костюмах відьмочки, кістяка й гарбузика з кошиками цукерок]

Costumes for women, men and couples

For women: 11) a boho witch — maxi dress, woven hat, dried flowers in the hair; 12) a corpse bride — old white dress, veil, grey make-up and dried flowers; 13) a floral skull — bright flowers in the hair and calavera make-up inspired by Mexico’s Day of the Dead; 14) a spider queen — black clothes and a yarn web on the shoulders; 15) a forest nymph — green dress, a leaf crown, moss and berries.

For men: 16) an aristocratic vampire — suit, white shirt with a jabot and a cape; 17) a zombie office worker — shirt and tie, food-colouring “blood” and a name badge; 18) a scarecrow — check shirt, straw poking out of the sleeves and a sack hat; 19) a rocker skeleton — leather jacket, skeleton T-shirt and skull make-up; 20) a werewolf lumberjack — flannel, a fake beard and cardboard claws.

Couples: 21) vampire and victim; 22) doctor and mummy; 23) salt and pepper; 24) pumpkin and scarecrow; 25) ghost and ghost hunter. 15-minute looks: 26) a sheet ghost (cut holes for eyes and nose); 27) a cat — black clothes and ears; 28) “Error 404” — a T-shirt with the text; 29) a zombie tourist — Hawaiian shirt and make-up; 30) a skeleton — black clothes with bones made from white electrical tape.

A Halloween party at home

Decor: carved pumpkins with LED candles, cobwebs in the corners, paper bats on the walls and dim lighting. Autumn bouquets with dried flowers, physalis and dark roses add atmosphere. For a step-by-step jack-o’-lantern guide, see how to carve a Halloween pumpkin.

Food and fun: “witch’s finger” biscuits, mummy sausage rolls, jelly worms and punch in a cauldron. Games: a costume contest, Mafia, spooky stories by candlelight and a sweet treasure hunt for kids.

[фото: стіл на Хелловін із вирізаними гарбузами, свічками й темним букетом]

Halloween make-up kit

• White, black, grey and red water-based face paint
• Sponges and fine brushes
• Fake blood made with food colouring
• Cosmetic face glitter
• Cleansing oil or micellar water to remove it
• A patch test the day before

Flowers for a Halloween mood

Deep red roses in black wrapping or bright yellow and orange flowers make a ready-made accent for a Halloween party. They also make a nice gift for the host who invited you.

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See red roses and flowers in a box.

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FAQ

How can you make a DIY Halloween costume fast?

A sheet ghost, a cat in black with ears, a skeleton made from white tape or an “Error 404” T-shirt — 15 minutes.

What Halloween costume can you make for a child?

A little witch, pumpkin, skeleton, mummy, cat or a cardboard-box robot — use clothes your child already has and safe face paint.

What can you use instead of a mask?

Face paint: it does not block vision or breathing and looks better in photos.

What can you wear if you have no costume?

Black clothes, bold make-up, cat ears or a witch’s hat — and you are done.

Author: Maria Svitlovir

Graduated from Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Institute of Biology and Medicine (2001). BSc in Biology, MSc in Horticulture. Writes about plants, works at a garden centre selecting and repotting plants, and contributes to plant reference guides.

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