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.
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.
For a little girl make it cuter: a full tulle skirt, a hat with a bow and a toy kitten instead of a broom.
One of the most popular looks of recent years for girls and women. You need a black dress or black shirt with a white collar, black tights, chunky boots and two tight braids. Keep make-up minimal: pale skin, faint shadows under the eyes, dark burgundy lips and an unsmiling stare. Props: an umbrella, a toy cello or a “helping hand” made from a glove. It is easy to put together from your wardrobe and works for school and parties alike.
A classic for kids and adults. Take a black long-sleeved top and leggings or trousers. Paint the bones with white fabric paint using a stencil, or cut them from white felt and glue them on: ribs, spine, pelvis, arm and leg bones. Glow-in-the-dark paint adds a twist. Make-up: white base all over, black circles around the eyes, a black heart- or triangle-shaped nose tip and a line of teeth stretching from the mouth across the cheeks. For children, paint just a mask around the eyes.
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.
For women: a zombie nurse (white coat, red paint “stains”, grey make-up), a vampire in a high-collared velvet dress, a Day of the Dead queen with a flower crown and skull face paint, a cracked doll, a black swan with feathers, a spider with cobweb tights.
For men: a vampire in a red-lined cape, a zombie office worker in a torn shirt, a ghost pirate with an eye patch and cotton-wool beard, a creepy woodsman in plaid (no realistic “weapons”), a mad scientist in a lab coat and goggles, a mummy of bandages over thermals.
Teenagers rarely want “kids’” costumes, so go for characters from popular shows, games and anime, or stylish options: a dark angel with black wings, a cyberpunk character with neon make-up, a zombie student in uniform, a ghost in an oversized white shirt. Let teens invent the look themselves and help with details and make-up. For school parties make sure the costume is comfortable to dance and sit in.
Box robot. Take a cardboard box that fits the body, cut holes for the head and arms and cover it in foil or silver paint. Bottle caps make buttons, a drawing or sticker the “screen”, and wire-and-pompom antennae go on a headband. Make a helmet from a smaller box with an eye slot.
Sheet ghost. Drape an old white sheet over the child, mark the eyes and cut large holes for good visibility. Trim the hem above the ankles to avoid tripping, and sew on reflective strips for outdoor safety.
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.
Use cosmetic face paint or regular make-up, and patch-test on children beforehand. Remove with micellar water or cleansing oil.
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.
See red roses and flowers in a box.
A sheet ghost, a cat in black with ears, a skeleton made from white tape or an “Error 404” T-shirt — 15 minutes.
A little witch, pumpkin, skeleton, mummy, cat or a cardboard-box robot — use clothes your child already has and safe face paint.
Face paint: it does not block vision or breathing and looks better in photos.
Black clothes, bold make-up, cat ears or a witch’s hat — and you are done.
A sheet ghost, a cat with ears on a headband and painted whiskers, a bandage mummy or a skeleton painted on a black T-shirt — each can be made in an evening.
Witches, Wednesday, skeletons, vampires, zombie nurses, Day of the Dead queens, plus characters from popular cartoons, series and games.
Black clothes plus quick make-up — cat liner and whiskers, a cobweb by the eye or vampire lips — and one accessory such as a hat, ears or a cape.
Vampire pair, matching skeletons, a witch and her black cat, zombie newlyweds or characters from a favourite film. The key is a shared colour palette and one detail that links the looks.
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.
© Kyiv 2026 UFL Flower Shop
Trademark UFL №191476 is used under license of the rights holder.
All rights reserved. Any use of materials without a link to the site is prohibited.
Birthday
Hydrangeas
