Last Minute Cheap Homemade Halloween Costumes

Halloween is a celebratory holiday full of candy, haunts, scares and fun, but it's most noted for its costumes! If you need a last minute Halloween costume and don't have time to make it to the store, here's some help!

First, let's start with my cheap homemade Halloween costumes for kids. Last year, I wrote this article for AC about two good homemade costumes for kids that can be made at the last minute, using normal things you can either find around the house or you can purchase fast and cheap at the dollar store on the way home from the office. (Just right click here and open it in a new window for reading later.) Those costume ideas can also be used by adults who need a quick Halloween costume that doesn't cost a lot.

Now, let's look at some non-commercial, homemade Halloween costumes adults can make fast and cheap at the last minute on Halloween.

Homemade Stained Glass Window Halloween Costume:

This was a costume I made one year for a last-minute party. I wasn't going to go, but someone talked me into it at the last minute when I had no time to get a costume! I went through my closet and found a brightly colored swirly shirt (don't tell grandma how I used her gift, only that I did!). I decided to paint my face. Using black eyeliner, I drew geometrical designs on my face, from forehead down my neck to below the collar line.

Next, I took old eye shadow (women who wear makeup usually have some half-used makeup laying around), and with the help of a little foundation, I colored in each of the areas between the eyeliner with a different color. When finished, I then put a little glitter over my entire face. The final touch: I sprayed my face with hairspray! This will help set the makeup so it doesn't smear, streak or rub off.

I wore this four Halloweens in a row, and received wonderful comments on it each time, and it didn't require an actual costume or using anything other than old makeup I had around the house!

Homemade Dead Bride/Prom Queen - King Last Minute Halloween Costume:

I would imagine most women and men have an old fancy dress or old suit in their closet that doesn't fit properly, is torn or faded, needs mending, but you just couldn't bring yourself to throw it out. Now you don't have to!

For a quick and easy Halloween costume, mix up a little 'fake blood' ( right click this link and open in a new window to learn how to make fake blood for Halloween with ingredients in your kitchen!), grab some scissors, and have at it! Rip the clothing in a few places, and then smear the fake blood all over the clothes. After that, be sure to put a little white powder on your face to make you appear pale and then smear some fake blood in your hair and on your face and neck, perhaps even a little dripping from the corner of your mouth.

Last Minute Homemade Mummy Halloween Costume:

This one I did for my son two years ago when we needed a last minute Halloween costume and only had about 20 minutes to get him dressed. I had a set of old white sheet in the closet I never used (I mean, really, other than hotels and hospitals, who uses white sheets anymore?). So out come the scissor and I ripped them into strips, the more ragged the better. With the help of a couple of strategically places safety pins, I wrapped my kiddo up in the strips like a mummy, covering him from head to toe, leaving gaps only at the eyes and mouth and nose.

The fun part was when I let him lay in the grass outside and roll around to 'dirty' the costume up. I also used a little loose face foundation powder and dusted him with it to make the sheets even dirtier looking and sent my little mummy off to his party.

Last Minute Homemade Ghost Halloween Costume:

If you have white sheets but can't bring yourself to rip them to shreds, you can always make your child a ghost by draping the sheet over his head and teaching him or her to say booooooo-ooooo. Of course, if you love your kids, you'll probably want to cut some eyeholes and breathing holes, which sort of negates the not cutting the sheets up, but it's really up to you. Has Jr. been good this year?

Last Minute Homemade Headless Man/Woman Costume:

With the help of a box of some foam (small pillows can help too), you can places things on either shoulder to be even with the top of your head. Next, using a t-shirt or baggy shirt that is longer than usual length (and at least one or two sizes bigger than your normal size), you can then put the shirt on over your head, completely covering your head, with your arms still coming out of the normal armholes. Just be sure to cut small slits in the shirt so you can see where you're going. The effect is that you will appear headless. This is not a very comfortable costume, but if you do it right, it can look really cool at night.

With a little creative thinking, you can probably come up with a few last minute homemade Halloween costume ideas on your own from the things you see around your house.

Happy haunting!