7 Ideas for Homemade Halloween Costumes

Do you need a last-minute solution to celebrate the scariest night of the year? Don't miss the best homemade Halloween costume ideas.

Reviewed and approved by the pediatrician Marcela Alejandra Caffulli.

Written by Maria del Mar Garcia Martin

Last update: 15 November, 2023

Ready to discover the best ideas for homemade Halloween costumes? If you don’t know how to sew or don’t have time, that’s not a problem. Halloween doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, a disheveled and unkempt will give your costume the perfect touch.

However, before you start, we recommend avoiding the use of masks to avoid unnecessary discomfort and stress. It’s also a good idea to choose quality face paints to avoid irritation and allergies.

For the rest, look for anything you have at home that can be useful: Old or stained clothes, spray paints, pieces of fabric, old craft materials, cotton… The important thing is imagination and the desire to create! In addition, although the following costumes are designed for the little ones of the house to make a statement when trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, they can also enlighten adults who are lacking ideas.

Seven ideas of homemade costumes for Halloween that work for both children and adults

The best idea for children to be on equal terms when doing an activity or celebrating a holiday where there are costumes is for parents to suggest making homemade costumes together with their little ones. This has been endorsed by the following study published in 2020 by the Revista Argentina de Estudios Sociológicos.

In this regard, children are invited to be on equal terms, imagination is promoted, and, in addition, those materials that may no longer be in use are used to give them a new purpose. What better occasion to bring together all these values than on Halloween? Take note of these ideas!

1. The bogeyman

With a hat and some old pants accompanied by a torn shirt, you can create a mysterious outfit. The main detail will be a large cloth bag over the shoulder. In this regard, you can use any potato sack that you have at home.

In addition, if you also want to give it that realistic touch (as long as the children aren’t too vulnerable), you can always incorporate a doll inside the sack. The idea is to glue it so that it sticks out of the bag and scares others. Isn’t it a great idea?

2. Wednesday from The Addams Family

The scariest girl from The Addams Family is back for Halloween. Plus, after watching the movie or the new TV series, kids will love the idea.

To make it, all you need is a long-sleeved black dress with white polka dots and a shirt that goes underneath with a white collar sticking out. Accompany the costume with black stockings and the typical hairstyle of two braids on the sides.

3. A big spider web

Apart from being original, it’s very easy to create. All you have to do is find an old white sheet. If you like, you can also draw a small eight-legged spider on one cheek with special makeup.

The idea is to paint the sheet with black stripes as a spider web. To do this, make a hole in the center first, where you can put the head like a poncho. It’s scary and perfect to keep you warm at night!

4. A werewolf

Who isn’t scared of werewolves? A plaid shirt and ripped jeans, accompanied by some makeup and hair that simulates fur on hands and face will be all it takes to give the wildest scare of all time.

The final touch can be achieved with toe socks. These are perfect for simulating animal claws, and if you don’t have them, you can always draw them on some old socks

5. Coco from the Disney movie

The Coco movie is set in the Mexican Day of the Dead, and the main character is very easy to reproduce: A hoodie, jeans, makeup, and a guitar. Costume solved!

6. A mummy

A mummy costume is one of the classic costumes that never fails to succeed on the darkest night of the year. To achieve it, you only need to take toilet paper or bandages and start wrapping the little ones. They’ll have a great time while they’re wrapped up.

We also suggest you make up the eyes in a dark tone and, as a final touch, add some red stain to look like a little blood. This way, you’ll be an even more terrifying mummy.

7. A head in an urn: One of the most original homemade Halloween costume ideas

For those who are older and want to be really scary with a touch of realism that will be sure to make an impression, they only have to wear a black trench coat. Yes, with just a black trench coat, they’ll scare everyone! The key to the look will be the head in an urn that they’ll carry in their hands throughout the party.

Materials

• An empty water carafe
• Three printed photos: One with the child’s face on the front and the other two with the two profiles
• Laminate to cover the photos
• Scissors
• Yellow dye
• A wig (loose synthetic hair from stuffed animals or dolls that are no longer used can be used)

Step-by-step instructions

1. Take the photos and glue the two profile photos behind the frontal picture, the left profile on the left side, and the right profile on the right side.
2. Once glued, it would be best to laminate the print so that it will hold even if it gets wet.
3. Cut out the photo with scissors. To do this, take into account the size of the carafe so that it fits perfectly.
4. Fill the carafe with water and add a few drops of yellow dye. Stir the mixture to give it a dirty-looking shade.
5. Then, put the photo in the carafe and, being careful that the water doesn’t overflow, incorporate the wig or synthetic hairs inside the carafe so that they’re around the face of the photo. This way, you’ll get the full realistic touch.

Homemade Halloween costume ideas that will get you out of a pinch and enrich your children’s holiday experience

Halloween is a perfect opportunity for children to enjoy a new and enriching experience that also allows them to appreciate the origin of this celebration. In classrooms, you can even encourage the loss of fear of the dark in the little ones with activities prepared for this occasion, as the following article published by the Revista de Pedagogía de Magisterio points out.

At the same time, there’s no need to get overwhelmed when thinking about Halloween attire. In fact, there are always the options of taking advantage of classic old pajamas or a plain colored tracksuit by adding paint, torn pieces of fabric, or any other decoration to succeed. And, of course, you can’t forget the greatest  classic either: Turn an old sheet into a ghost and add a theme you like: A pirate ghost, a spooky clown ghost, etc.

For adults, the same steps can be taken to create larger costumes to match your little ones. It’s just a matter of changing the measurements. This way, you’ll have the perfect costumes to go out and be really scary while trick or treating. Ready to create the most terrifying frights? It’s just a matter of imagination!