With Halloween approaching, everyone has either already figured out or is trying to figure out their costume for this year.
Some people like to go all out, while the rest of us are more like Jim Halpert from The Office and put in very minimal effort into our costumes.
In all honesty, the secret to pulling off the minimal effort costume is that you have to be able to get it right away. If you can’t explain your DIY costume in one sentence, then you will have to think of something new.
So, with the power of google and Pinterest, we’ve gone and found some of the best cheap, homemade halloween costumes you can create with items you may have lying around the house.
Avocado
Photo Credit: Linda Mooney
Items: 1 large piece of cardboard, light and dark green paint and a Belly (Optional: green face paint).
If you’re like me and have a body shape similar to the pillsbury doughboy, this costume is perfect for you! Cut out your large sheet of cardboard so that it is the shape of an avocado that was sliced in half lengthwise. Cut out two circles of the cut out. One for your face and another for your belly. Paint the entire thing light green with dark green along the edge.
Men in Black – A Suit and Sunglasses
Photo Credit: PopSugar
Unleash your inner sci-fi freak with this quick and easy Halloween get up. This costume works best if you are doing it with a friend.
Rosie the Riveter – Jeans, Blue button down shirt and a red bandana or headband.
Photo Credit: @rubyjaames
Roll up your sleeves past the elbows and show the patriarchy how you celebrate halloween! This is a great costume that you really only requires a quick look in your closet to achieve!
Grapes – Balloons (either purple or green), a green bandana and safety pins.
Photo Credit: Cute Girls Hairstyles
Blow up the balloons and pin them to your shirt. It’s that simple. Add the green bandana to your head to act as the stem and you’re done. Just avoid hanging out with anyone with sharp edges on their costume.
Bag of Jellybeans – Balloons, tape and a clear garbage bag. (Optional: Large print out of the Jelly Belly logo).
Photo Credit: Don’t Waste The Crumbs
Apply the same steps as with the grapes costume, but swap out the green bandana with a large clear garbage bag. Cut out holes for your arms and head to fit through and now you’re a bag of jellybeans. If you really want to sell it, print off the Jelly Belly logo and tape that to the front of your costume.
Jellyfish – Umbrella (preferably a white or pink one), and either streamers, ribbon, fabric and tape
Photo Credit: Catherine Hotchin
Tape some streamers to the ends of an umbrella for the stingers. I would recommend this costume for an outdoor halloween party if you have any reservations to opening an umbrella inside.
Alvin the Chipmunk – A red hoodie OR an oversized red shirt, 1 yellow sheet of bristol board, tape and a red hat.
Photo Credit: @bglamfashion
Cut out a large “A” from the yellow bristol board and tape it to your red hoodie. If your friends have a blue and green hoodie, go out as a group and rock the town!
BONUS: COUPLES COSTUMES!
Black Eyed Peas – Eyeshadow, Two Sheets of Paper.
Cut out two large P’s from the paper and attach them to your shirt with either tape of safety pins. Then apply eyeshadow to one of each other’s eye. And there you have it. You and your special someone are now a pun version!
Photo Credit: The Thinking Closet
Mia and Sebastian from La La Land – Yellow Dress, white dress shirt, black pants and a black skinny tie. Optional: Tap Shoes.
Photo Credit: Lionsgate
I seem to have a thing for costumes that only require you to have a look in your closet or drawers. If you really want to commit to this one though, acquire some tap shoes and maybe you and your significant other can do a performance in the moonlight.
Tom Hanks and Wilson from Castaway – 2 white shirts, 1 empty Fedex box, red paint.
Photo Credit: Woman’s Day
Paint a large red hand with a smiley face on it one one of the white shirts. On the other white shirt, put in a few holes and dirt stains. Be sure to carry around the empty Fedex box to really sell who you are dressed up as and enjoy your Halloween!