5 Fun DIY Halloween Costumes to save you money

This month, we’re looking at some DIY Halloween costumes you can throw together with things you have laying around the house — or things you can pick up on the cheap — so that it’s only your outfit (and not the bill) that’s scary this All Hallows Eve.

The 31st October and DIY Halloween costumes go hand in hand, don’t they? Would Halloween even feel right without some kids in white sheets with eyes cut out? Or kids wrapped in toilet roll? Or kids with bin bag capes and plastic vampire teeth? 

In fact, even the classic horror film Halloween DIY-ed their iconic villain’s mask by buying a cheap William Shatner mask from a costume shop and painting it white. 

So here’s our top tip for scaredy-cat horror movie fans: next time you’re watching Halloween and are scared by this…

Just imagine him overacting like this instead:

Far less scary, right? 

Anyway, what was this article about? Oh yes, DIY Halloween costumes. Let’s get back on topic, shall we?

Our 5 favourite DIY Halloween Costumes that won’t cost scary amounts of money

We’ve gone for a nice mix of traditional Halloween costumes, some light-hearted costumes and — because no Halloween would be complete without a good wordplay costume — a costume designed to get people laughing. (Well, smirking, probably.)

Costume #1: A bat 🦇

You’ll need:

• Black trousers
• Black t-shirt
• An old umbrella
• Vampire teeth and cat ears (optional)

This outfit is incredibly effective and surprisingly easy to do! 

Grab an old black umbrella and cut the fabric part into wing shapes, leaving the metal arms in place. (Each wing usually ends up being 3 or 4 sections of the umbrella.)

Then all you have to do is safety pin, tape or sew the umbrella to the sleeves and seam of a black t-shirt, put it on and voila! You’re a bat! 

Here’s a great video of the process:

Then, pair it with black jeans and — if you want to go full Halloween — some vampire teeth (which you can pick up for less than a quid in the run-up to Halloween) and you’re ready to go! 

Costume #2: You as an OAP 🧓

You’ll need:

• Talcum powder
• Dressing gown
• Pyjamas
• Slippers
• Glasses
• Walking stick (optional)

This one is really fun to do and is bound to get a good laugh from your friends and family. 

Throw some talcum powder in your hair to make it look grey, get dressed up in a dressing gown, slippers, pyjamas and glasses and (if you want to go all out) accessorise with a walking stick, and it’ll be just like 50 years have passed in the blink of an eye. 

To get the full effect, fill your pockets with Werther’s Original and talk about how things used to be better “in your day”.

Costume #3: A scarecrow 💀

(There’s no scarecrow emoji, so a skull will have to do!)

You’ll need:

• Jeans
• A checked shirt
• A floppy hat
• Face paint
• Straw (optional) 

From the adorable version that helps Dorothy get back to Kansas to the terrifying versions from a huge number of horror films, there’s no denying that scarecrows have become a huge part of our Halloween tradition. 

But the best thing about them? They’re so easy to DIY a costume for. 

Just grab some jeans, a floppy hat and a plaid shirt and you’re sorted. Get some eye-liner or face paint and add some stitches to your face and, if you’re feeling like you want to go all out, try and pick up some straw or hay (pet shops are great for this!) and arrange some to poke out of your sleeves, neck and trouser legs! 

Here’s a fantastic make-up tutorial to nail that scarecrow look with minimal effort: 

Costume #4: Copy Cat 😸

You’ll need:

• Cat ears
• A cat tail 
• A white t-shirt
• Black trousers
• Face paint

How many people dress up as cats every Halloween? Thousands? Millions? 

Of course, it’s not hard to see why: it looks great, it’s super easy to do and it isn’t super scary if you’re around little children. (Plus, cats have a long tradition with horror movies and bad luck.)

But if you want to shake things up a little — or perhaps poke a little fun at those friends who always dress up as cats — this is the perfect costume. 

Grab a Sharpie and write the word COPY in big letters on the white t-shirt. Then, add the accessories, draw on some whiskers and BOOM! You’re a copy cat.

It’s super simple and guaranteed to get a good laugh from your friends. And you can get it done in five minutes flat, leaving you more time for trick or treating! 

Costume #5: Rock star 👨‍🎤

You’ll need:

• Ripped clothes
• Lots of jewellery
• Lots of eye-liner
• A band t-shirt (or a ripped t-shirt) 
• Bags of swagger

Who hasn’t sat in the office daydreaming of headlining Wembley and making the crowd go wild with a screaming guitar solo?Just us? Awkward…

Well, if you want to embrace your inner Bon Jovi this Halloween, this is the perfect costume choice because it’s so versatile.

Whether you want to go all out and buy those fake tattoo sleeves and back-comb your hair into the perfect bee-hive or just throw on some ripped clothes and some eye-liner, as long as you turn up with rockstar levels of swagger, this costume is sure to be a hit.

What are your favourite DIY Halloween costumes that you turn to in a pinch? Did we miss an even better costume? Let us know in the comments!