Halloween is the ultimate Russian roulette, (well except for actual Russian roulette).
I know this first hand. I once won $1000 grand prize costume contest by wearing a homemade Where The Wild Things Are character costume that cost me $35 bucks to make. I have also made a $300+ costume that took me 25 work-hours to create, only to lose to the girl with the biggest bewbs. But that was on me; shoulda’ went to Nerd-Alert Alley over Douchebag Boulevard to compete I guess…
Anyway, point is that Halloween is the great equalizer of holidays. You can spend as much or as little as you wish and your costume can still turn out amazingly. And on the off chance it turns out to be a bust, you’ll most likely still have a great night out.
Below are some ideas for quick and inexpensive last minute Halloween costumes that can be made in a pinch, on a budget and some with repurpose/reusability potential.
POP CULTURE
One thing that can dampen a costume/party-hopping night out is to have chosen a costume that nobody understands or you have to continually explain.
Choosing current Pop Culture references can definitely help deter that.
Here are a few off the cuff ideas I threw at some friends that don’t like to spend a lot on their costumes:
MAVERICK –
With a 33-year gap, the long awaited sequel to Top Gun, Top Gun: Maverick was hands down one of the most successful films of 2022. It is also held as the 3rd highest top grossing movies of all time. So dressing up like the title character is a safe bet that your efforts will be recognized. His signature look can be easily recreated with either a bomber jacket or jumpsuit, a couple of patches or HTV vinyl and some Aviator glasses. Find a quick and easy tutorial here.
MARVEL –
Consistently turning out the biggest blockbusters well beyond the past decade is of course the Marvel Cinematic Universe. One would be hard pressed to show up to a party and not have at least one person recognize your MCU referencing attire, even in the hoity-toity-est of rooms. For an example of a last minute costume inspired by the streaming series, LOKI, click here. And with each new series continually being released on Disney+, there are more and more options to express your inner comic book nerd than ever before.
FILMS OF YESTERYEAR –
Although using current media can surely help with selecting a costume that is easily recognizable and often easier to obtain accessories, there’s something to be said for nostalgia. I mean, there’s an reason why every other movie these days is a remake.
Cashing in on some ‘member berries can also assist in producing a fan favorite outfit. Take this oldie but goodie of me back when Superbad came out. Released in 2007, this example could be worn today and anyone who remembers the movie would surely high-five the wearer. I mean, obviously…he looks SO KEWL!! (This is also the inspiration for creating the meme costumes listed below.)
MEMES –
Sharing memes has become a universal pastime crossing generational lines. Not sure what to wear on All Hallow’s Eve? Turn to Insta or Twitter. If the subject matter is incredibly recognizable you could simply dress as the subject, like that Hotline Bling/Drake in a big orange puffy jacket meme. Or if you’d like to really scream “MEME“, use your handy-dandy Cricut to cut out vinyl lettering, stick it on a big piece of foam board and cut out a hole for your head to become the Kombucha Girl meme.
And you aren’t subject to just memes, funny or adorable tik-tok vids like that Corn Kid work, too!
KEEP IT CLASSIC
Some people don’t feel the need to pour a bunch of creative juices into creating a costume that’s new and hip. And although I am not one of those people, to each their own. I guess the classics are a classic for a reason, right?
Here a few traditional costume ideas to make in a snap and on a dime…
STICK FIGURE
This Stick Figure costume is a minimalistic design made with minimal supplies, making this outfit a Minimalist’s dream come true. It can be made with either a jumpsuit, a pair of old pajamas or sweats and some HTV.
And if you’re truly in a hurry, you could technically hand cut the pieces out yourself, removing the design setup step all together. Combining all black attire and using Glow-in-the-dark HTV can really elevate an otherwise simplistic design, too.
SKELETON
A Halloween classic, the skeleton costume is still used by old and young alike. Similar to above, you could cut this project out by hand, creating an almost hand-drawn, cartoonish version if you so choose. However, you can also create a homemade but very professional looking costume by taking advantage of Cricut Access and it’s many skeleton images at your disposal. Simply chose a skeleton design and use your (or your subject’s) actual height to enlarge the image. Then ungroup the image and after some minor tweaking, allow your Cricut to do the heavy lifting for you.
THE PUNNY COSTUME
Anyone who’s ever searched for funny costume ideas online has surely come across a barrage of pun-drenched examples. The Freudian Slip, the literal 50 Shades of Gray swatches, Pumpkin Pi (π)… I once went to a house party where this guy had a shirt on that simply read, “LIFE”, randomly handing out lemons to people all night long.
The true talent is coming up with one yourself, or at least one that hasn’t been done time and time again. Whether it’s a true original or just pulled from the first row of a quick Google Search, punny costumes often lend themselves well for a last minute costume due to their simplistic nature.
THE T-SHIRT COSTUME
First and foremost this, in my opinion, is the copout approach. If you’re going to take the time to make or obtain a shirt that says, “This is my Halloween costume”, or “Error 404: Costume not found”, then you could just as easily have created a punny/simplistic/witty/comfortable outfit or shirt.
That being said, I do understand that there are people out there with very limited resources, or perhaps you just really dislike your coworkers and would rather drop dead than participate in Dress-Up-At-Work-Day. That I do get.
If the T-shirt route is more your style, try to come up with something that’s not so overplayed. You could create a character shirt using HTV or sublimation by adding the face of or faux accessories worn by your favorite character. Perhaps their standard wardrobe has a notable design, patch or name tag. Or you could create your own costume shirt by just adding font. Below are some examples I might use if I was a loser that hated fun in need of a comfortable costume shirt.
AND THAT’S IT!
Obviously the options are limitless when it comes to coming up with inexpensive or last-minute costume ideas. It is quite possible these specific costumes might not be right for you. But hopefully, at least in part, some of these ideas spark inspiration to help you with spawning your own costume ideas this Holiday season.
Be spooky. Be well.
…..Okay, bye.