Halloween might be Wednesday, but we’re officially landing in Halloween weekend this evening! 🎃 Eeek!
Don’t know what you’re wearing? No problem. I tore through my closet and put together five fun costumes using things I already had laying around.
Now, some of these definitely did involve costume pieces from years past, but I’m willing to bet if you read my blog you’ve got a few random wigs, masks, and other fun things in your room, too.
We’re just those kinds of gals, amirite?!
I’ve noted below where I purchased things to add to the costume, along with the price, so you can see just how cheaply I put these together.
And while you might not be able to copy my costumes verbatim, I hope these will serve as inspiration for you to create your own!
Ready to dive in and trick-or-treat yourself to some no-fuss costumes?
Let’s go!
1. DIY Yourself-in-the-’90s Costume
The costume: I saw a Lisa Frank lunchbox on Etsy and threw me into a whirlwind of 90s nostalgia. I started daydreaming about the saturated colors and fun outfits I used to rock as a ’90s kid, so I couldn’t resist bringing back the look!
I happened to have purchased this vintage Adidas jacket last month—also from Etsy—which fit perfectly into the mix. Under the jacket is a 90s beach tank (shocker: also from Etsy… can you sense a theme?).
The slides and leggings are newer buys, as is the “scrunchie”, which is actually a workout headband I can use later. I tried not to buy anything superfluous for the sake of this post, which required some creative problem-solving for other costumes. This one was pretty easy though!
The cost:
- Vintage Lisa Frank lunchbox: $50
- Workout headband-turned-scrunchie: $5 from Duane Reade
- Wet N wild purple lipstick: $2
- Choker: (gift—previously owned)
- Dragon Scales glitter gel: (previously owned—bought on Etsy) from Beauty Bar Baby
- Vintage Adidas jacket: (previously owned) from AcidWave
- Vintage Maui beach tank: (previously owned) from Twin Hearts Vintage
- Leggings: (previously owned)
- Adidas slides: (previously owned) from Urban Outfitters
Total costume cost: $57.00*
*Not including the stuff I already had. The lunchbox was the big ticket item here and not really a necessary prop for a rad ’90s costume. Just think color, sporty vibes, and high ponytails!
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2. DIY Solid Gold Cat Costume
The costume: Okay, I admit it. This one isn’t that imaginative… but it’s effective!
On Halloween last year—which was a Tuesday—I needed a chill costume to wear to the bar for some low key cocktails. I was watching the first Halloween episode of The Office, where Pam dresses like a cute cat… and I decided to roll with it.
This year I had to include it in my costume lineup since I already had this mask, a Cat Woman-worthy bodysuit, and all-black-every-thing-else. For my cat nose and whiskers, I used black liquid eyeliner. I had some pointed black press-on nails laying around from my birthday, so I added those with long black gloves.
Voila!… I mean, rawr!
The cost:
- Glitter cat mask: (previously owned)
- Earrings: (gift—already owned)
- Choker: (gift—already owned)
- Press-on nails: (previously owned)
- Strappy bodysuit: (previously owned)
- Leggings: (previously owned)
- Ankle boot platforms: (previously owned)
Total cost: $0*
*In this case, I had everything I needed already, so I didn’t spend anything extra.
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3. DIY Space Babe Costume
The costume: There are an endless plethora of cute video game babes that inspired this one, from Ulala of Space Channel 5‘s to the whole cast of Bust A Groove. I will always hold a place in my heart for games where the whole point is dancing in space while looking cute. Consider this a galactic homage that somehow came out of my closet!
This costume is a mish-mosh of recently purchased clothing, a wig I bought for a different costume, and decorations left over from my birthday party.
Putting it all together was an aesthetically pleasing exercise in creating a dreamy pastel palette with hints of glitter and iridescent shine. Basically, the way I wish I dressed all the time.
The cost:
- Pastel purple wig (previously owned, but did buy it for Halloween so…) $20 from Amazon
- Pink windbreaker jacket (previously owned)
- Sequin dress (previously owned) from Fashion Nova
- Iridescent party bulbs (previously owned) from Urban Outfitters
- Dragon Scales glitter gel: (previously owned—bought on Etsy) from Beauty Bar Baby
- Gold heels (previously owned) from Fashion Nova
Total cost: $20*
*Just the wig! I technically did buy one accessory to make this look pop, but it didn’t arrive in time.
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4. DIY Millennial Pink Costume
The costume: Millennial pink has been the color of the moment for a couple of years now, and it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. This pleases me very much… because this pale, almost-mauve hue is actually my favorite color.
I put this costume together by dragging all of the pastel pinks from my closet and seeing which would look the most tonal. I ended up using rose gold, mauve, and pure pastel pink to pull the look off. I topped it off with my favorite wool hat and new FILA tote.
Finally, I had some pink press-on nails sitting around and I picked up what should have been a matte pink lipstick. It looks more like a rosy-magenta, though.
The cost:
- Wool hat: (previously owned) from Lack of Color
- Pink denim jacket: (previously owned)
- Rose gold metallic dress (previously owned)
- FILA bag: (previously owned) from Urban Outfitters
- Press-on nails (previously owned)
- Pink Puma sneakers (previously owned)
- Lipstick: $3.99
Total cost: $3.99*
*Only lipstick was purchased for this costume! I do happen to own a lot of pink. You might want to go tonal and dress as your favorite color.
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5. DIY Boujee Mime Costume
The costume: Why be a mime when you can be a boujee mime, dripping in jewels? Okay, to be fair, this costume came to be because I knew I had striped clothing and white foundation from last Halloween… but didn’t have enough to make a standard mime costume.
I added a twist with rhinestone costume jewelry, borrowed a beret from my roommate, and went for the bright red lip. My favorite part, though? The brows! I have transparent Scandinavian brow hair, so Halloween is when I get to live out my dreams of having insta-brows.
The last piece of the puzzle was a pair of white gloves. I didn’t want to buy anything I’d never use again, so these are actually exfoliating shower gloves.
The costume:
- Beret: (borrowed from roommate)
- Red vegan lip stain: (previously owned) from Jeni Retro
- White foundation: (previously owned) from Manic Panic
- Various rhinestone costume jewelry: (previously owned from my Downtown Abbey costume)
- Vintage Forenza sweatshirt: (previously owned) from Enid And Edgar
- Striped dress: (previously owned)
- Black leggings: (previously owned)
- Shower gloves: $3.99
Total cost: $3.99*
*Not bad for a total mime makeover!
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There were a few honorable mentions or costume ideas that didn’t quite come to fruition… but these were the ones I’d actually wear out on Halloween! It’s nice to know I can whip open my closet and pull out a costume anytime I need one.
I hope this showed you that you can do the same!
Which last minute DIY Halloween costume is your fave? Drop a comment below!
Until next time…
Creep it real and Happy Halloween! 👻
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