Jyn Erso (Rogue One: A Star Wars Story) by Starbit Cosplay.
We’ll be sharing costume ideas in the coming weeks, kicking off with these cheap, homemade Halloween costumes culled from Creative Commons and social media. We’re hoping you’ll find a fun costume that isn’t a pain to replicate, because it’s Halloween, not “take on debt for an outfit to get drunk in” day.
Ready to roll? Here we go!
Kim Possible costume by _sarah_pagee_.
This one requires green or brown cargo pants, a black crop top (or tie the shirt at the midriff), and long red hair or a wig. Bonus points if you add dark gloves and comfortable, plain black shoes.
Damian (Mean Girls) costume by nativegirl661.
This one is ridiculously simple and good for cold weather. Just don some black sunglasses, bundle up in a blue hoodie, and make a cheap sign.
Tyrannosaurus Rex costume, made with $25 worth of materials (including mattress foam and spraypaint) by LordBrandon.
Admission: It isn’t easy (he used 3D modelling software and a projector to draw the pattern onto the foam) but it was definitely cheap compared to the “wow” factor. Brandon explained more about the build here.
“Identity Thief” by ladiegladiator.
This one’s dead simple. Just pick up a pack of name badge stickers at a dollar store or office supply chain. (I’ve seen packs of 100 for around $8, for example.)
Rosie The Robot (The Jetsons) costumes by jacksonwicks.
This one’s a little more work, but the materials are inexpensive and easy to use. You’ll need a black shirt, gray cardigan, dark shoes, and black pants or a skirt. For the rest, one way to go about it is to glue some white felt to thick card stock or oak tag paper, then cut out the frill shapes for the wrists, neck, waist, and head. For the rest of the head, you can use leftover white paper along with gray and red glitter paper glued to cardboard or more thick white paper. Then add two red pom-poms for ears and some leftover red glitter paper pinned to the black shirt like oversized buttons.
Stock photo photographed by Trungles.
My little brother dressed up as a stock photo for Halloween, so he's basically my hero pic.twitter.com/U5Q8DvxkG4
— Trungles
NYCC F4 (@Trungles) October 31, 2016
NYCC F4 (@Trungles) Have an office supply store or online poster service blow up a stock photo onto thick paper, cut a hole, stick your head through the hole, and enjoy your new, all-smiling office job.
Wonder Woman costume by Maggie.
All you need is a blue dress and a plastic sword. (Dollar Tree has some gladiator swords for a buck, I’ve noticed.) The Wonder Woman tiara is optional; Gal Gadot wasn’t wearing one in that scene, but it would help people recognize who the costume is supposed to be.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider photographed by Miguel Discart.
Materials: high-top work boots, cargo pants, a white undershirt and blue tank top or camisole you don’t mind ruining, gloves, red makeup, gauze bandages or white scraps, and whatever gear and tools you feel comfortable carrying around in public.
Arthur meme cosplayed by 2sdaaaay.
Materials: jeans, white untucked dress shirt, yellow sweater, backpack, black round glasses, red shoes, and a look of simmering disappointment.
Bob Ross cosplayed by desolatemindspace.
Materials: big hair (the most important element), a denim shirt, and some dollar store painting supplies.
Two cheap versions of the twins emoji (by allydee88 and briannee_lynn).
There are multiple ways to go with this one. Bunny ears or cat ears? Both are cheap at the dollar store. Black leotard, swimsuit, or shirt and shorts? Use whatever’s already in your closet. Add black shoes and at least one friend, and you’re already done.
Kool-Aid Man costume by Barbara_Stanwyck.
Materials: red shirt, black fabric paint or iron-on fabric, cardboard or thin foamboard cut and painted like a smashed brick wall, and thick white paper for the dialogue bubble.
Another Kool-Aid Man option [via]
Barb (Stranger Things) costume by misskmichael.
It might take some digging at a thrift store (or relative’s closet) to find vintage glasses and a ridiculously-frilly plaid or gingham blouse, but it’s cheap and easily recognizable.
Joyce Byers (Stranger Things) photographed by Yalda.
Materials: cardboard with contact paper (or gift wrap), a black pen, Christmas lights, an old phone, green long-sleeved shirt, striped t-shirt, and a dramatic facial expression.
Louise Belcher (Bob’s Burgers) cosplayed by Michaela Scott‘s niece.
Materials: a green dress and a pink bunny ears hat (or add paper bunny ears to a pink winter hat).
Domino (Deadpool 2) cosplayed by AllieCat.
Materials: big hair (as is the case with the Bob Ross outfit above, big hair is a must), a little light makeup around one eye, and tight black clothes.
Miraculous Ladybug (Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir) cosplayed by Bellas Cosplay.
This one is a little more work intensive but cute. Materials: red bodysuit, black fabric or fabric paint, red face mask, and a blue wig with a little red felt to tie pigtails.
Optimus Amazon Prime costume by caronarnold.
Materials: Amazon boxes. Just packing tape and cardboard. So much cardboard.
PC Principal (South Park) costume by grizzlyunicorn.
Materials: blue shirt, khaki pants, cardboard, and craft paper.
These mostly just require cardboard and craft paper.
Rigby and Mordecai (Regular Show) photographed by Carla Pattillo.
Materials: two raglan shirts (white/blue and brown/blue) and a dollar store variety pack of felt with white, brown, tan, blue, gray, and black.
Poussey (Orange Is The New Black) costume by j.a.y.renee.
Materials: two pale shirts or a set of scrubs (from a nursing supply store or ebay) and a name tag.
Billy the Jigsaw Puppet (Saw) photographed by Pikawil.
Materials: black suit, white shirt, red bow tie, face paint, and a homemade sign. You can leave the tricycle out. It’s hard to trike after drinking.
Little Ceasars mascot costume by theroboticdan.
Materials: a red sheet for a toga, a white strip of fabric for a belt, green plastic garland, a big stick, and two actual pizzas to impale on the stick. This guy really committed to the joke.
The rest of these costumes — along with the picture at the top of this page — are for the most part self-explanatory, and some are just a matter of wearing the right clothing, which may already be hanging in your closet:
Calvin and Hobbes photographed by the_right_hand_rule.
Tina Belcher (Bob’s Burgers) costume made by OneGirlArmy.
The Dude (The Big Lebowski) photographed by Ethan Trewhitt.
Charlie Brown and Lucy Van Pelt photographed by fuseboxradio.
BB-8 baby bump (Star Wars: The Force Awakens) [via]
Jack Burton (Big Trouble In Little China) photographed by teacupfangirl.
Judy Hopps (Zootopia) photographed by Punapanda.
David S. Pumpkins (SNL) photographed by Kristina Billings.
General Tso and His Chicken photographed by 754600.
Doctor Stranger Things photographed by C. Robert Cargill.
Grand Wizard Cartman (South Park) cosplayed by Sirsilentbob423.
Daenerys Targaryen (Game Of Thrones) photographed by V Threepio.
Elizabeth (Bioshock Infinite) cosplayed by Elle Cosplay.
“Four Pours And Seven Beers Ago” — Abraham Drinkin’ [via]
When you’re done checking these out, here are some of our other Halloween costume ideas:
- 25 Halloween Costumes You Can Make On A Tight Budget
- The Best Group Halloween Costumes For You And Up To 50 Of Your Friends
- 25 Easy And Funny Halloween Costumes For Couples
- Harley Quinn Halloween Costumes Hammer Out A Whole Gallery Of Awesome
- 30 Great Homemade Halloween Costumes Based On TV Shows
- Movie Character Halloween Costumes Filled With Pure Imagination
- ‘Game Of Thrones’ Halloween Costumes To Stave Off The Winter
- Clown Costumes You Should Only Wear If You Want To Catch These Hands